History of welding and electrodes — from early techniques to modern innovations.
The History of Welding and Welding Electrodes
Welding originated a very long time ago. It was used as early as the 8th–7th millennia BC, when ancient people learned to smelt various metals. Welding was performed by heating surfaces and pressing them together. There was also casting welding, where parts were placed into a mold and the joint was filled with molten metal. Slightly later, the well-known blacksmith welding emerged, in which heated parts were hammered together. None of these welding types required welding electrodes.
A major technological breakthrough came with the invention of arc welding. This occurred in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. However, early arc welding did not ensure sufficient seam strength, so it was used only for non-critical structural elements.
Improvements in arc welding occurred when coated welding electrodes were invented. This was done in 1904 by Oscar Kjellberg. He patented the invention and founded the company ESAB, which remains one of the world leaders in welding equipment production. In 1907, the first consumable welding electrode appeared, made from a piece of wire with a silicate adhesive coating. Initially, the coating was intended to prevent metal from dripping during welding, but it turned out to also provide excellent protection for the weld area.
Welding electrodes appeared on the global market a bit later — in 1928, which marked the beginning of their widespread use.
In the USSR, welding electrode production began in 1933. The first domestic electrode brand was called LIM and was designed for welding steels. It was developed by A.P. Goryachev, who was then working at the Leningrad Institute of Metals (the name LIM comes from this institute).
Today, the market offers many types of welding electrodes for welding various metals and alloys. They differ in performance characteristics and are intended for welding specific materials only.
Modern welding electrodes come both coated and uncoated. Coatings vary — from basic to mixed ones: rutile, rutile-carbonate, ilmenite, etc. The choice is vast.
Could O. Kjellberg have imagined that his invention would become so popular and in demand? Perhaps he could.