Improving Global Quality of Life
Improving Global Quality of Life
Improving Global Quality of Life
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3.welding<br />
Signifi cance <strong>of</strong><br />
and joining<br />
Welding is one <strong>of</strong> the most commonly used technologies for the assembly <strong>of</strong> metallic materials,<br />
where it ensures a metallurgical bond between two elements/parts <strong>of</strong> a given component.<br />
Numerous welding technologies are utilised in fabrication, repair and maintenance in a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> industrial applications, from steam generator to aircraft to high precision equipment, in almost<br />
every industrial sector.<br />
3.1 Major industrial sectors utilising welding and joining<br />
Today, welding is used by preference in the industrial sectors which manufacture products made <strong>of</strong> weldable<br />
materials. These are metallic materials, above all steels, aluminium, magnesium, titanium and nickel as well<br />
as their alloys and thermoplastics. Composite materials and material compounds are increasingly playing<br />
a major role. In this respect, welding frequently plays an essential role in product design and constitutes<br />
an essential step in the value added at the manufacturing companies. In the particularly welding-intensive<br />
sectors, the following average value added by welding may be assumed as the proportion <strong>of</strong> the total value<br />
added:<br />
Mechanical and apparatus engineering, including<br />
Construction <strong>of</strong> metal and plastic pipelines: approx. 3 %<br />
Metal construction: approx. 5 %<br />
Vehicle construction (motor and rail vehicles): approx. 7 %<br />
Shipbuilding: approx. 8 %<br />
Aerospace construction: (incl. allied joining technologies): approx. 8 %<br />
Although the main coverage is metals and their alloys, industry specific coverage does include challenges in<br />
non-metallic materials joining and future directions e.g. electronics, medical devices, aerospace, polymers,<br />
plastics and nano-joining <strong>of</strong> dissimilar materials.<br />
The welding processes being applied and the respective degrees <strong>of</strong> mechanisation are very variable. They<br />
are extremely dependent on the material to be processed and on the wage level in the region concerned. For<br />
example, manual electrode welding and partially mechanised gas shielded arc welding are very widespread<br />
in regions with low wage costs, while fully mechanised gas-shielded arc welding with robots or welding<br />
gantries, submerged-arc welding and beam welding with a laser or electron beam tend to be the exception in<br />
these regions. This is due to high equipment investment costs for mass production and the lower availability<br />
<strong>of</strong> suitable specialist personnel. It must also be borne in mind, however, that even in regions with low<br />
wage costs, the degree <strong>of</strong> automation <strong>of</strong> the joining processes being utilised increases when more stringent<br />
requirements are placed on reproducibility and precision, e.g. with regard to the positioning <strong>of</strong> attached parts.<br />
10 <strong>Improving</strong> <strong>Global</strong> <strong>Quality</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Life</strong> Through Optimum Use and Innovation <strong>of</strong> Welding and Joining Technologies