welding

The process of welding is characterized by the joining together of metal parts by superheating and fusing them until a permanent bond can be formed. The products on which welders work could include auto and aircraft parts, electrical circuit boards, brackets, panels, housings, jewelry parts, and many other things. Welders are needed in many business sectors, particularly in the manufacturing industry where they are prominently used in automobile manufacturing and repair, shipbuilding, bridge construction, and in dozens of other applications. To an increasing extent, the welding process is becoming more automated and dependent upon machines or robots to perform the actual welding tasks under the oversight of a skilled individual trained in both the welding process itself and also in the operation of the requisite machinery. Such an individual is known as a Welding Machine Operator.

welding electrode operators need to be able to set up the machine, load parts correctly, and continuously monitor the machine to make sure that it yields the desired bond. Operators may specialize in the operation of a particular type of machine. Those who do may have titles such as Resistance Welding Machine Operator, Arc Welding Machine Operator, or Gas Welding Machine Operator.

A welding rod operator starts a project by first reading blueprints or work orders to determine the specifications of the particular product or job. Based on these instructions, the operator then sets up the machine by adjusting attachments, setting controls, and computing other settings to be programmed into the machine. Before preparing the work piece, the operator adds solutions which will cool the work piece or cause the metal to bond more easily. Next, he/she will lay out or fit together the parts to be bonded and, if necessary, load or feed the work piece into the machine. Some operators control robots that do all of these things.