Welding and Joining Equipment Key Terms

Learn welding and joining terminology to get the job done right

By Shannon Tani

Workers use welding and joining equipment to put two pieces together. While people traditionally think of welding as only being for metal sources, new inventions, such as friction welding equipment, can be used to weld plastic pieces together. If your products are made of wood, you don't have to use a hammer and nails to join them. You can easily use a joining machine to do the work. However, if you're thinking about starting in the welding industry, there are a number of terms that you need to learn.

Laser welding equipment

In laser welding, or laser beam welding (LBW), a laser is used to weld two metals together. Lasers are capable of making deep or shallow welds, making this a very versatile form of welding. Typical equipment includes solid state lasers and gas lasers.
Try: View a list of laser welding equipment from American Torch Tip.

Welding protective gear

Welding can be a dangerous profession, working around high heat and metal that sparks. It's important to wear protective clothing while working. This includes gloves, fire resistant clothing and hats that have a face shield.
Try: See examples of welding protective gear at TP Tools & Equipment.

Welding hose

The welding hose is used to deliver the fuel, usually gas, to the heat source. It's important to choose a gas hose that is sturdy and to periodically examine it for holes or imperfections, as this could cause a major accident.
Try: You can view examples of welding hoses at Airgas.

Gas torch

A gas torch can also be used for welding. In this type of welding, a small, concentrated torch is used to heat the metals and bind them together.
Try: Learn more about a gas torch and how to use it from MetalWebNews.com.

Friction welding equipment

Friction welding equipment uses friction, or rubbing the two pieces together, in order to join them together. Types of friction welding include linear friction welding, inertia friction welding and direct drive friction welding. One of the advantages of friction welding is that it can be done with certain types of plastics.
Try: Manufacturing Technology creates machines that are used for friction welding. Visit their site to see examples of all the different types of friction welding.

Joining machines

Joining machines can be used to piece wooden parts together without the use of nails. Instead, machines can use glue or connecting joints. An example of something that is created by a joining machine is a picture frame.
Try: See examples of joining machines at Active Sales.