Arc welding

Name

Characteristics

Applications

Atomic hydrogen
welding

Two metal electrodes in hydrogen atmosphere

Historical

Bare metal arc welding

Consummable electrode, no flux or shielding gas

Historical

Carbon arc welding

Carbon electrode, historical

Copper, repair (limited)

Electrogas welding

Continuous consumable electrode, vertical

positioning, steel only

Storage tanks,
shipbuilding

Electroslag welding

Continuous consumable electrode, vertical

positioning, steel only

Storage tanks,
shipbuilding

Flux cored arc welding

Continuous consumable electrode filled with flux

Industry, construction

Gas metal arc welding

Continuous consumable electrode and shielding

gas

Industry

Gas tungsten arc

welding

Nonconsumable electrode, slow, high quality

welds

Aerospace

Plasma arc welding

Nonconsumable electrode, constricted arc

Tubing, instrumentation

Shielded metal arc

welding

Consumable electrode covered in flux, steel only

Construction, outdoors

Stud arc welding

Welds studs to base material with heat and

pressure

Construction,
shipbuilding

Submerged arc welding

Automatic, arc submerged in granular flux

Ship industry

1. Also known as metal inert gas (MIG) welding or metal active gas (MAG) welding
2. Also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding
3. Also known as manual metal arc (MMA) welding or stick welding

Oxyfuel gas welding

Name

Characteristics

Applications

Air acetylene welding

Chemical welding process, not popular

Limited

Oxyacetylene welding

Combustion of acetylene with oxygen produces

high-temperature flame, inexpensive equipment

Maintenance, repair

Oxyhydrogen welding

Combustion of hydrogen with oxygen produces

flame

Limited

Pressure gas welding

Gas flames heat surfaces and pressure produces

the weld

Pipe, railroad rails

(limited)

Characteristics

Applications

Resistance welding
Name
Flash welding
Pressure-controlled
resistance welding
Projection welding
Resistance seam
welding

Two wheel-shaped electrodes roll along

workpieces, applying pressure and current

Resistance spot welding

Two pointed electrodes apply pressure and

current to two or more thin workpieces

Upset welding

Butt joint surfaces heated and brought together by

force

Automobile industry

Solid-state welding
Name

Characteristics

Applications

Thin heat affected zone, need sufficient pressure

Aerospace industry,
railway, land transport

Coextrusion welding
Cold welding
Diffusion welding
Explosion welding
Forge welding
Friction welding
Friction stir welding
Hot pressure welding
Roll welding

Dissimilar materials.

Ultrasonic welding

Other welding
Name

Characteristics

Applications

Electron beam welding

Deep penetration, fast, high equipment cost

Electroslag welding

Welds thick workpieces quickly, vertical position,

steel only

Heavy plate fabrication,

construction

Laser beam welding

Deep penetration, fast, high equipment cost

Automotive industry

Laser-hybrid welding

Combines LBW with GMAW in the same welding

head, able to bridge gaps up to 2mm (between
plates), previously not possible with LBW alone.

Automotive,
Shipbuilding, Steelwork
industries

Flow welding
Induction welding

Percussion welding
Thermite welding

Railway tracks.