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History of Welding And Why Is It Important For The Shipbuilding Industry?

History Of Welding

History evidence has shown that ancient Egyptians learned to weld iron together. Small golden boxes were discovered with pressure-welded lap joints from over 2,000 years ago.

During the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, Sir Humphry Davy produced the first electric arc between two carbon electrodes using a battery. In 1836, his cousin, Edmund Davy discovered acetylene. In 1881, forge welding technology was developed when Auguste de Méritens used arc heat to join two pieces of lead plates together.

Modern welding did not start until the widespread availability of electricity at the start of the 20th century. In 1919, C.J. Holslag invented alternating current welding. It replaces electric arc welding as the most prevalent form of welding in the United States. Welding continued to increase and was in high demand due to the First and Second World Wars.

What is Welding In Maritime Industry?

Welding involves joining metals or thermoplastics together with the use of heat. In most instances, the welding job required to build ships and repair metal parts and structures. Maritime welding job aims to produce joints that are watertight and oil-tight.

Welded joints, as opposed to riveted joints, reduce steel weight, and require less maintenance than riveted joints. Welding technology is crucial in the shipbuilding industry for producing smooth hull surfaces, reducing hull resistance and power needs.

What is the best-known welding method used?

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) – An electric arc welding process that produces an arc between a non-consumable electrode and the work to be welded.

Gas metal arc welding (GMAW) – An electric arc is formed between the metal and a wire electrode, applying heat to the metal pieces. This action melts and fuses the parts together to form a permanent bond.

Why Is Welding Important to the Shipbuilding Industry?

Welding is critical for Offshore operations such as the construction of new projects and for the maintenance of existing facilities.

Welding is important in the shipbuilding process because it can create joints that are water and oil tight. As you can imagine, a strong weld is essential to the integrity of the ship. On one large ship, it can have hundreds of joints that require welding.

Shipbuilders face many challenges in the shipyard that could prevent progress and create downtime during operation. The need for durable equipment and an experienced welder that can address the demands of different applications is vital.

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Did Our Current Pandemic Reduce Carbon Footprint for Our World?

What is carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our actions. It corresponds to the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) that we produced directly and indirectly with our lifestyle and activities.

Carbon footprints are usually measured in tons of CO2, during the period of a year. The average carbon footprint for a person globally is around 4 tons.  The average global carbon footprint per year needs to drop under 2 tons by 2050. In this way, we can avoid a 2-degree rise in global temperatures.

How much carbon footprint have we created over the years?

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According to the world In data, more than 400 billion metric tonnes of carbon have been released into the atmosphere. Since 1800, the consumption of fossil fuels has increased carbon emissions. 

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, emissions were very low. Growth in emissions was still relatively slow until the mid-20th century. In 1950, the world emitted 6 billion tonnes of Carbon. By 1990, this had almost quadrupled to 22 billion tonnes. Emissions have continued to grow rapidly. Currently, we are emitting over 36 billion tonnes each year.

Did our current pandemic slow down carbon emissions?

When the World Health Organization officially declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020.  The planet has already warmed by around 1.2C since pre-industrial times. There was an unprecedented reduction in carbon emissions as a result of shutdowns of the economy. Animals returned to big cities and air pollution declined in cities because of the reduction in traffic.

The reported drops in carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases, while helpful, are insufficient to slow climate change.

Alex Hall, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA

However, a reduction in carbon emissions isn’t enough to significantly curb climate change. The emissions have taken place over the past several decades. To affect ongoing and future climate change, the recent emissions drop would have to be sustained over a much longer period than the likely duration of the coronavirus outbreak.

Emissions would need to drop by more than 25% to see a total drop in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, and thus slow an annual global rise in temperatures.

Tips on reducing carbon emission by yourself

  • 1) Reduce energy usage in your home
  • 2) Regularly service your car to keep it more efficient
  • 3) Replace to LED lights
  • 4) Consider the fabric of your clothes purchase.