Top 10 Fun Welding Facts You May Not Know
1: Some of the earliest welding recorded dates back to the Bronze age when small gold circular boxes were discovered. They were made by forge-welding two pieces of metal together and hammering them to make one component part. This was some 2000 years BC.
2: When two pieces of metal touch in space they become instantly welded together. Although it sounds pretty far-fetched, it’s perfectly true. Bare or highly polished metal (those without any coating) will weld themselves together in a phenomenon known as cold welding. This is where metallic bonds that hold atoms together, bridge the gap to create one single solid piece of metal. It can’t happen on earth because the atmosphere helps to create a layer of oxidization between the two metals and therefore they won’t weld together without the use of a welding tool.
3: The world’s first industrial robot was made to spot weld. In 1961, American car company General Motors installed the Unimate. It was, in essence, an industrial motorized arm weighing in at a staggering two tonnes. It performed step-by-step commands which were stored on a large magnetic drum. Talk about supersizing!
4: Felling Trailers Inc. employs 90 welders and they have well over 100 welding machines to work with.
5: Two first’s here…Ultrasonic welding was first used on the world’s first plastic-bodied car. While the car didn’t really take on, ultrasonic welding did. This type of welding creates friction through high-frequency (ultrasonic) waves. When the pieces vibrate together heat is produced and the two bond together.
6: More than 50% of all man-made products require welding. From the cars, planes, and trains that we travel about in, to the buildings that we live and work in, and even the laptop that I’m typing this blog post on, they all need a spot of welding before they become fully functional.
7: During the second world war advancements in welding allowed ships to be built in super quick time. The record for the fastest built ship was the SS Robert E Peary which was constructed in 1942, taking just 4 days, 15 hours, and 27 minutes. Funnily enough, this record still stands today. As for the ship herself…well, she had an illustrious career, operating in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans before eventually being scrapped in 1963.
8: The U.S. will need 372,664 welding professionals by 2026!
9: Both wet and dry welding methods can be performed underwater. The current record for the deepest dry weld 2 was set in 1990 at 1,075 ft. deep. In order to complete a dry weld underwater, the area must be completely sealed off by a dry chamber where the weld is completed. The record for wet weld was set in 2005 by the U.S. Navy and is nearly twice as deep at 2,000 ft. deep.
10: A highly skilled welder can earn the salary of a doctor or a lawyer! Welding is one of the very few skills that can earn you a six-figure income without a college degree.
Interested in a Welding Career? – Apply Today
Interested in a Welding Career? Apply today.
Felling Trailers, Inc. is an ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management System, WBENC-Certified WBE company, and an EOE Equal Opportunity Employer.
Hello Feeling Trailers
I didn’t know these fact about welding,thanks for your awesome informative article,but i think The U.S. will need more than 372,664 welding professionals by 2026!
Such a neat and informative article, personally I found the most interesting part to be about the wet welding. Couldn’t imagine doing it 2,000 feet under water!
Good Morning Jaime,
Thank you for your interest in the blog and your compliment. The history of welding is amazing and my personal favorite is the record for the fastest built ship was the SS Robert E Peary which was constructed in 1942, taking just 4 days, 15 hours and 27 minutes.
Thank You,
Felling Trailers
I’m also agree with you point number 10. Proud to be a welder. Anyway thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this facts. My son dreams of being an underwater welder and this facts amazed him.
Thanks for sharing
I’m using these facts for school because i want to become a welder and I got an A on my assignment.
hehe, I am a welder at my school and I used these facts in my speech and they got shocked with them so its nice to know that the help people 🙂
Good Morning Megan,
So great to hear our Welding Facts Blog has helped you in your studies to become a welder!
Thank you for Sharing,
Felling Trailers
Great article! Love the positivity. I agree, with the right mindset and the willingness to grow your own business, you can make a great salary as a welder. I have not heard of ultrasonic welding either – very interesting. Thank you.
Great article there were so many things i didn’t know about welding.
I think that this is a very interesting article and it helped me to see why I wanted to become a welder so thank you for this information
I appreciate all of the facts and information because I’m going to trade school to be a welder after I graduate! I’ve been doing a LOT of research lately, and even started taking notes of everything important for me to learn and study about for my future. I graduate in about 2 years, so I’ll have plenty of time to get ready and head out for my career, being prepared and knowing the things I need to know. Again, thank you so much for the useful info! 🙂
these really are good facts i wanna be a welder and i graduate next year and these will help me with what i need to know