Improving Global Quality of Life
Improving Global Quality of Life
Improving Global Quality of Life
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3 Significance <strong>of</strong> welding and joining<br />
Other sectors which use welding are the white goods appliances industry and metal furniture as well as the<br />
electrical and electronics industries. Furthermore, allied joining processes are frequently applied in these<br />
sectors. Soldering is very widespread in the electrical and electronics industries. Another important sector<br />
in which welding technology is applied is the packaging industry. The welding process is used for producing<br />
cans made <strong>of</strong> metal (aluminium and coated steel - tinplate) and plastic packaging made <strong>of</strong> thermoplastic<br />
films. Fully automatic welding installations working according to the principle <strong>of</strong> resistance roller seam<br />
welding, laser welding or heated tool welding are utilised as a rule.<br />
In addition to welding, soldering, brazing, high-temperature brazing, adhesive bonding and thermal coating<br />
and mechanical joining processes with riveting and clinching systems, bolting and flanging are used as<br />
further joining processes.<br />
3.2 Social aspects and improvement <strong>of</strong> quality <strong>of</strong> life<br />
Welding was developed for industrial and handicraft utilisation at the end <strong>of</strong> the 19 th century, initially as<br />
oxyacetylene fusion welding and then as arc welding at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the 20 th century. At first, the work<br />
was carried out exclusively as a manual process.<br />
In order to produce defect-free, high-quality welded joints however, the welder must receive practical and<br />
theoretical training related to the process and must be familiarised with regard to the product. Specially<br />
set up training facilities in companies and at training providers with workshops and qualified trainers are<br />
available for this purpose.<br />
Building upon experience from member organisations, IIW has developed an internationally harmonised<br />
education, training, qualification and certification programme for welding technology personnel, which is<br />
implemented by its member organisations in compliance with uniform standards. Not only welders but also<br />
operators <strong>of</strong> welding installations, welding instructors/trainers, welding coordinators/supervisors/foremen,<br />
welding inspectors, technicians, technologists and engineers are qualified according to this programme.<br />
Manual welding was, and even today, is still seen to be connected with adverse effects on the welders due<br />
to heat, fumes and dust as well as radiation. This has led to the opinion that welding is dirty, dusty and<br />
dangerous.<br />
Today, welders are protected from these issues with special protective clothing and equipment. For example,<br />
safety goggles and/or safety helmets with corresponding protective glasses and screens protect welders and<br />
co-workers from arc radiation and breathing protection and extraction installations protect from fume and<br />
dust. Regulations for health protection and safety at work <strong>of</strong> welders are issued in the respective countries<br />
and must be complied with by employers.<br />
Increasing mechanisation <strong>of</strong> welding work reduces the deployment <strong>of</strong> welders and permits improvement<br />
in protection from radiation as well as the extraction <strong>of</strong> fumes and dust in the area close to the welding in<br />
order to minimise adverse effects on all workers in the surroundings. Today, personal protection is mainly<br />
utilised for welders working in the fabrication <strong>of</strong> extra small-scale series or single parts as much large scale<br />
production is mechanised.<br />
In the last one hundred years, welding technology has not only become cleaner, due to the refinement <strong>of</strong><br />
the materials and improvement in process technologies and facilities for welding, it has also resulted in<br />
better joining quality and reliability. Refinements <strong>of</strong> non-destructive test procedures and improvement in<br />
the monitoring <strong>of</strong> welded products have supported this development.<br />
Therefore, it can be said today that welding is characterised by the three Cs: Cool, Clean and Clever - as it is<br />
being called increasingly in the American linguistic usage.<br />
Through Optimum Use and Innovation <strong>of</strong> Welding and Joining Technologies<br />
<strong>Improving</strong> <strong>Global</strong> <strong>Quality</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Life</strong><br />
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