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.