As technology improves, it often brings more benefits, such as less wasted time, more productivity. It also lower costs, better quality, shorter project timelines, and better finishes. Now that we’re halfway through 2022, predictions for the welding industry are coming out. It also includes including education, professional innovation, and technology, are starting to come out. There are a lot of benefits to be had. But they are often only used by people who like to try new things. Many people will say, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” but these are the people who get left behind. So, we will talk about new trends in welding in this blog.
Automation can help close the skill gap in welding technology
Bridging the skill gap is an area that got a lot of attention in 2021 and will continue to do so in 2022. The term “skill gap” refers to the fact that more and more new welders are entering the job market without the experience they need to do the hard welding jobs that the industry needs. This difference in skills is made worse by the fact that more and more experienced welders are at or nearing retirement age and will no longer be around to teach younger ones. Lets us know more about the trends in the welding technology.
One of the most popular ways to deal with this problem is to automate welding more. Automated welding makes high quality weld possible, but it also makes a welder’s work environment much safer. In addition to these two benefits, it also makes production and meeting deadlines more efficient.
Now that you know this, here are some details about the welding technology trends that have already done well in 2021, as well as a look into the future to see what technology seems most likely to rule in the future.
Welding with an arc
Professional welders know that arc welding is just a way to join two metals together with an electric current. Heat is made, which melts a filler metal to make an arc and a strong metallurgical bond. The process uses two or three different metals, which gives it a lot of strength. This is why it’s so important to aerospace engineering and car engineering. Also, advanced arc welding is known for being resistant to corrosion, which makes it a great choice for chemical, nuclear, and toxic welding jobs.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) (VR)
Welding has changed a lot in the last few years. Welders-to-be can now use augmented reality to train, which makes the whole thing more visually appealing and educational. AR welding also cuts down on the cost of materials, lowers the risk, and lets teachers train more new welders at the same time. It’s easy to see why it’s being used to help people who don’t know how to weld.
People often think that AR and VR are the same, but they are not. There are some important differences between AR Welding and VR Welding. Virtual Reality puts the user in a world made entirely by a computer and gives them a place where they can pretend to weld. The feeling is like playing a video game. Augmented reality lets the user go into a real environment, touch and feel a real-life object, and then “augment” that object into a new shape, changing how it looks in a realistic way.
In the case of welding, AR lets a student take a piece made of plastic and interact with it as if it were made of Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, or Aluminum. Also, Augmented Reality welding is the most realistic way to learn how to weld. It lets welding students see and feel a real-world welding environment by using real welding tools, like a real welding mask and real welding torches. This makes the experience and learning process better.
Welding by robots
Can you talk about future technology without talking about robots? Of course not. When the term “robotic welding” is used, it doesn’t mean that one of Tesla’s recently announced humanoid robots is using a blowtorch. Instead, it means that Industry 4.0 needs to get better. Industry 4.0, or the 4th industrial revolution, is about changing how manufacturing production is automated by using smart technologies to make a more resilient supply chain and a circular economy (read more).
With machine learning, computer vision, sensors, robotics, cloud computing, and the 5G network, the bar for what can be done with programmed welding has been completely raised. With the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and new technologies, interconnectivity and smart technologies will reach levels that we can’t even imagine yet. This means better data, flexible manufacturing, almost perfect quality, and more accurate reporting and documentation for the welding industry.
Robotics and welding have been linked for a long time. By 2026, the global robotic welding market is expected to be worth $10 billion. And the number of industrial robots made is expected to grow by 80 percent.
Customized training for welding.
Welders need to be retrained, which is a very important job for industrial companies that need professional, experienced welders to make things. It is very important to keep them up to date on the latest trends. Also to make sure they understand the changes that affect their jobs. Companies need welders who are skilled and know how to do the kind of welds which is needed for their industry and products.
This is important for businesses because welding mistakes are expensive in terms of both materials and lost time. Augmented reality and 3D printing are two new technologies that directly deal with this problem. With Augmented Reality, it’s now possible to make a copy of a specific welding joint with all of its requirements. This way, welders can practise on tasks that are specific to their field before moving on to the real thing. Here is where you can find out more about it.
Laser Welding Technology
Laser beam welding (LBW) is a type of welding that uses a concentrated heat source to make a narrow, deep weld. It is very penetrative. LBW is a new technique that gets rid of the need for filler materials and makes it possible for the materials being welded to stick together better. This method can be used to do conduction, conduction-penetration, and keyhole welds. Laser welding is also done without touching the metal. The concentrated energy from the laser makes the metal heat up faster along a path that has already been planned.
Due to its accuracy and high-quality finish, laser welding gives engineering companies more freedom to work with thinner, high-alloy metals. This makes it perfect for electronics and even jewellery. Laser Welding does have some problems and limits, like when it comes to welding thick metals. In a lab setting, it is thought that as much as 100kW of energy is needed. It can weld 50mm in a single pass. But the power generated is usually a lot less. This process needs welders who know what they are doing and have been trained, as well as ongoing research, development, and training.
Last things to say
Welding technology has come a long way and is now used by a lot of people. This article just scratches the surface of what’s out there. The welding industry makes a big jump forward every five years. Now that digital technologies are causing disruption, both in theory and in practice, with improvements in training like AR and VR welding, there is no doubt that the welding industry will move forward even more quickly.
This means that we can imagine a future in which projects can be finished faster, cheaper, and with less risk. Technology can and will be used to close the skills gap. They can get trained welders on the job faster. That is good for businesses, welders, and the world as a whole.
