What is the latest advancement in welding technology? Plenty has been going on in the world of welding machines. Some of it seem straight out of science fiction while others are an expansion of more contemporary capabilities and a utilization of the twists and turns of emerging technology. Overall, there has been tremendous advancement in welding technology and we’re here to map it all out for you. Whether you’re a curious explorer looking to fill your thirst for knowledge or someone looking to buy an advanced welding machine, what we’ll cover will meet your needs. Hold on to your welding goggles as we plunge into the revolutionary world of new welding machine technology.
Laser beam welding
How does the laser beam welding process work? To understand that, we have to delve a little bit into the backstory of how traditional welding works. Normally, you have two or more separate materials that you want to fuse. To do that, the torch melts these materials via a high-temperature heat stream, and they melt and merge. After cooling down the two materials form a fusion or strong union, thereby joining the separate pieces.
Laser beam welding follows the same process. Only that instead of using heat as a melting agent, a laser beam from an advanced laser welding machine gets the job done instead. This form of welding has become very popular today, with blue laser welding also going viral, as it ensures greater precision and aesthetic joints that are still reliably robust.
Here’s why industries have particularly taken to laser beam welding machines:
- Fast welding process that ensures more workflow productivity
- Huge applicability when welding difficult-to-weld combinations like stainless steel and aluminum
- Minimal heat damage, making it ideal when fusing thin materials
As proof of the soaring success that laser welding has enjoyed, the market is set to grow to $ 5.38 billion- representing an almost 7% CAGR by 2030 – which will be almost twice its 2022 value.
Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in welding
I still remember the first time I stepped into a welding class. After the theory is over and done with, my instructor would say to practice with actual pieces of materials and a welding machine. The inception of virtual reality is fast changing this process of how welders are gaining hands-on experience.
Now, students can gain practical experience using virtual reality technology that simulates real-world situations for lower costs as institutions save a lot of material and power. Moreover, it also reduces training injuries emerging from excessive light/heat and toxic fumes.
This technology is surprisingly close to the real deal and allows students to get a feel of important details such as:
- Machine setup
- Weld quality
- Arc speed
- Body position and so on.
With 60% of US citizens approving the usefulness of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies as learning aids, VR welding is fast catching on. Many welding schools across the globe consider it “the future of welding.”
Robotic-assisted welding technology
Sure, the use of automation in welding is nothing new. It’s been around since the past century but it only started to really take off in the welding industry in recent years as the 4th industry revolution gains momentum. And besides, there has been a significant advancement in welding technology that’s robotic-assisted, more so with growing data and artificial intelligence.
Assistive welding cobots have become part of the modern welding workflow. These assist human welders on various tasks, going into hazardous conditions that their human counterparts would have a problem with. In particular, these cobots handle parts of the welding process that are extremely physically demanding or very repetitive tasks that require minimal cognitive effort.
Other types of robotic welding technologies that have also emerged include welding drones. These UAVs are proving extra useful for accessing hard-to-reach welding locations such as bridge undersides and towering skyscrapers. The benefits of which have included:
- Taking away the need to put up expensive scaffolding for welding
- Higher throughput for welding companies
- Lower time-to-market
How is AI used in welding? Some of these robotic models elevate their game a notch higher by incorporating intelligent technology such as AI. This allows the robot to monitor real-time welding progress, and use that feedback to elevate joint quality and improve speed for the next task.
Friction stir welding machines
Traditional welding involves melting materials in one way or another. Friction-based welding technology works a little differently in that it involves a solid-state fusion process. That simply means that there’s no heat application involved, instead, the melting occurs through frictional force. In other words, the base element doesn’t change state as is the case in fusion welding where there’s a change from solid to liquid forms.
Because of the absence of heat application, this means that friction stir welding is energy efficient and therefore cost-efficient. Furthermore, because there’s little distortion of the parent or base material, there’s no need to use any filler substances.
Benefits of friction stir welding, compared to fusion welding, include:
- Better welder safety due to little radiation or fume production
- Higher joint quality as a result of minimal disturbance of the base material
- High welding speed
- Reduced weight of the assembly
- More aesthetically pleasing welds
Within fiction stir welding (FSW), some recent advancements therein have included vibrational FSW (or VFSW) and underwater friction stir welding (UFSW). These involve a high rotating tool welding materials engulfed in water where traditional fusing would be neigh impossible to perform. The only downside to friction stir welding is that it may not be ideal for joining very fragile or brittle materials. What’s more, FSW is only applicable to a certain range of materials.
Be privy to the latest welding technology
We’ve covered advanced welding machine technology, including where the future could lie in the coming years. Now that you know which technologies are hot in the industry at the moment, you may be curious to figure out where to get the latest welding machines. Industbay is here for you, providing welding machines with technological superiority over others in the market such as an advanced laser welding machine. You not only get the latest technologies of the day but also the best deals available. Wait no longer. Buy the latest welding machines you need on the Industbay industrial machine marketplace.
