Welding Defined

A Weld is defined by the American Welding Society (AWS) as a localized coalescence (the fusion or
growing together of the grain structure of the materials being welded) of metals or nonmetals produced
either by heating the materials to the required welding temperatures, with or without the application of
pressure, or by the application of pressure alone, and with or without the use of filler materials.

Welding is defined as a joining process that produces coalescence of materials by heating them to the
welding temperature, with or without the application of pressure or by the application of pressure
alone, and with or without the use of filler metal.

So, a weld is made when separate pieces of material to be joined combine and form one piece when:

enough heat is applied to raise the temperature high enough to cause softening or melting and
the pieces flow together
enough pressure is used to force the pieces together so that the surfaces coalesce, or
enough heat and pressure are used together to force the separate pieces of material to combine
and form one piece.

A filler material may or may not be added to the joint to form a completed weld joint.

Note: The word material is used because today welds can be made from a growing list of materials such
as plastic, glass, and ceramics etc.

Most things we use in our daily lives are in some way joined together by some type of welding process.
Items ranging from dental braces to telecommunication satellites are assembled by welding. Very little
in our modern world is not produced using some type of this versatile process.

Welding and Cutting Processes Welding processes differ greatly in the way heat, pressure, or both heat
and pressure are applied and in the type of equipment used. The table on the following page lists
various welding and allied processes.

Over 70 welding processes are listed, requiring hammering, pressing, or rolling to affect the coalescence
in the weld joint. Other methods bring the metal to a fluid state, and the edges flow together. The most
popular welding processes are oxyacetylene welding (OAW); shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), often
called stick welding or in Europe manual metal arc (MMA); gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) often
referred to as TIG welding and in Europe also TAG welding if an active gas is used; gas metal arc
welding (GMAW) often called MIG welding and in Europe also MAG welding if an active gas is used;
flux cored arc welding (FCAW); and torch or oxyfuel brazing (TB).

The two most popular thermal cutting processes are oxyacetylene cutting (OAC) and plasma arc cutting
(PAC).

The use of regional terms by skilled workers is a common practice in all trade areas, including welding.
As an example, oxyacetylene welding is one part of the larger group of processes known as oxyfuel gas
welding (OFW). Some of the names used to refer to oxyacetylene welding (OAW) include gas welding
and torch welding. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) is often called stick welding, rod welding, or just
welding. As you begin your work career you will learn the various names used in your area, but you
should always keep in mind and use the more formal terms whenever possible.