Welding Equipment and Tools

welding supplies at Northern ToolWelding Equipment and Tools includes all equipment used in the process of joining two or more pieces of metal together either by the application of heat or pressure, or a combination of both. This is done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint. Sometimes pressure is used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld. This is in contrast with soldering and brazing, which involve melting a lower-melting point material between the workpieces to form a bond between them. Most of the welding equipment and processes may be grouped into two main categories: pressure welding, in which the weld is achieved by pressure; and heat welding, in which the weld is achieved by heat. Heat welding is the most common welding process used today. Visit Northern Tool and Eastwood for a huge selection of Hobart, Mig, Tig, Arc, Spot, and Stick Welders, plasma cutters, welding tools, helmets and other supplies!

With the development of new welding equipment and techniques in the 20th century, welding replaced bolting and riveting in the construction of many types of structures, including bridges, buildings, and ships. It is also a basic process in the automotive and aircraft industries and in the manufacture of machinery. Along with soldering and brazing, welding equipment is used in the production of virtually every manufactured product involving metals. The welding process best suited to joining two pieces of metal depends on the physical properties of the metals, the specific use to which they are applied, and the production facilities available. Welding equipment and processes can be classified according to the sources of heat and pressure used.

arc weldingThe original pressure process was forge welding. Before the 19th century, the only welding process was forge welding, a trade mastered by blacksmiths and other artisans for centuries to join metals by heating and pounding them. Metals were brought to a suitable temperature in a furnace, and the weld is achieved by hammering or other mechanical pressure. Forge welding is used rarely in modern manufacturing. The welding processes most commonly employed today include gas welding, arc welding, and resistance welding. Gas welding is a nonpressure process using heat from a gas flame. The flame is applied directly to the metal edges to be joined and simultaneously to a filler metal in wire or rod form, called the welding rod, which is melted to the joint. Gas welding has the advantage of involving equipment that is portable and does not require an electric power source. The surfaces to be welded and the welding rod are coated with flux, a fusible material that shields the material from air, which would result in a defective weld. Arc welding processes use a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt metals at the welding point. They can use either direct (DC) or alternating (AC) current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes. The welding region is sometimes protected by some type of inert or semi-inert gas, and filler material is sometimes used as well. In resistance welding, heat is obtained from the resistance of metal to the flow of an electric current. Electrodes are clamped on each side of the parts to be welded, the parts are subjected to great pressure, and a heavy current is applied briefly. The point where the two metals meet creates resistance to the flow of current. This resistance causes heat, which melts the metals and creates the weld.

Hobart Welder at work

Welding Applications
As an industrial process, welding can be performed in many different environments, including open air, underwater and in space. It can also be done on other materials besides metal, i.e., plastics welding. Regardless of location, however, welding remains dangerous, and precautions must be taken to avoid burns, electric shock, poisonous fumes, and overexposure to ultraviolet light. Welding technology advanced quickly during the early 20th century as the world wars created a demand for reliable and inexpensive joining methods. After 1945, several modern welding techniques were developed, including manual methods like shielded metal arc welding, now one of the most popular welding methods, as well as semi-automatic processes such as gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding and flux-cored arc welding. Later, developments continued, with the invention of laser beam welding and electron beam welding in the latter half of the century. Today, as the science continues to advance, robot welding is becoming more commonplace in industrial settings and new welding methods are constantly being developed. Plastics welding has also made great strides where two plastic workpieces are fused together under the action of heat and pressure, resulting in crosslinking of their molecular chains.

welding
portable welder

The Handler® 140 to your left comes ready to weld with or without shielding gas, no additional kit required. With an amperage output range of 25–140, it easily handles a broad selection of solid mild steel or stainless, flux cored and aluminum wires. Visit Northern Tool + Equipment for a complete inventory of welding equipment from arc welders, oxy-propane and oxy-acytylene cutting torches to spot welders, soldering irons, welder/generator outfits, torch carts, welding carts, clamps, plasma cutters, welding jackets, welding tool sets, welding wire and much much more.

Equipment and Tool Categories
Welders: arc, stick and spot welders
Jackets: protective long sleeve jackets to avoid exposure to extreme heat and flames.
Helmets: are worn with dark face plates to prevent exposure to ultraviolet light. In recent years, new helmet models have been produced that feature a face plate that self-darkens upon exposure to high amounts of UV light.
Trucks:
Caps:
Blankets: heat-cleaned fiberglass blankets that protect against light to moderate sparks and splash when used on an incline.
Gloves: heavy leather gloves for the prevention of burns. Sweat absorbency make flame resistant gloves comfortable.
Tables: heavy metal steel tables usually with a pipe vise and other clamping devices.
Hats:
Rods:
Blowtorch: is a tool used in gas welding (acetylene), metal cutting, brazing and sometimes in soldering.
Cutting Torches: Oxy-Acytylene and oxy-propane cutting torches used for metal cutting, brazing and sometimes in soldering.
Safety: blankets, googles, gloves, spatter shields,
Accessories: torch carts, welding carts, clamps, welding tool sets, welding wire.

 Solar Powered Auto Darkening Welding Helmet

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