Overview

The first mass use of industrial welding of steels occurred in United States shipyards during the 1940’s in support of the war effort for World War II. This was a major undertaking where shipbuilders, such as Kaiser Shipyards, built their ships with welded joints instead of rivets. The value of the efforts and heroism of the women, including minorities, who stepped up in support of the war effort can not be understated. This was not easy. The US Government campaigned and convinced companies to hire women for manufacturing positions. These courageous women were not only facing increased responsibilities due to family members and loved ones being sent overseas to fight but were also facing the dangers from a new industrial environment that did not have the regulations from OSHA that we have today. They turned out thousands of ships that were pivotal in winning World War II. When our country’s fighting force returned to the US, many of the women who wanted to remain welders were forced to give up their jobs to provide job openings. What struggles and challenges do you face that are similar to those who came before us?

Today our welding industry continues to benefit from the efforts of a diverse workforce. While we acknowledge the sacrifices and wrongs of the past we must recognize the progress we have made and look towards the possibilities of the future. Many advances have been made in welding since the 1940’s in welding machines, materials, joint designs, our understanding of welding defects, and filler metals to name a few that make it possible to fabricate for extreme in-service conditions. This chapter will discuss welding various ferrous (iron based) metals that includes their properties, common welding processes, filler metals, and uses in industry today.

Attributions

1. Chapter opening image: GMAW in use by U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration in the Public Domain; United States government work