History TV channel "marvels" at welding

The History Channel has turned its sights to welding - its history, its processes and its impact on today's world, and is to air one-hour episode on welding

The network's "Modern Marvels" documentary series will explore the history, science and technology of various welding methods during its Wednesday, May 9 episode.

"Modern Marvels," first launched in 1994, looks at everyday modern technology, mechanics and science and investigates how they are made possible, where they originated and what their impact is on our lives today.

The one-hour "Modern Marvels: Welding" episode, produced and written by Actuality Productions, will provide an overview of various welding methods while taking viewers on a journey through the history of welding, which dates back to 3000 BC.

In five segments, the show tells the story of popular welding processes - arc, explosion, underwater, robotic and friction welding.

Included in the episode are companies and individuals involved in the development and practice of those processes, many of which are American Welding Society members.

"Act One: Skyscrapers and Arc Welding" starts 38 stories above the Las Vegas strip balancing on a steel beam of the new Venetian Palazzo hotel, the largest steel-framed project currently under construction in the United States.

The show points out that welders are the first wave of its construction, and examines the many types of welds being employed.

It moves on to examine arc welding, the world's most popular welding method, which joins two pieces of metal together with heat from an electric arc.

The act details its history, safety requirements, contributions to construction and manufacturing, and the technological advances that have been made over the years.

The most powerful welding process is explored in "Act Two: Explosion Welding".

Explosion welding allows dissimilar metals to be joined to one another through the use of chemical explosives.

The show takes a look at how it was discovered, its applications and details of an actual weld.

The show takes welding to the ocean floor, and viewers will be treated to what may be perceived as the most dangerous form of welding in "Act Three: Underwater Welding".

It examines an environment, which can be as deep as 2,000 feet below the ocean surface, with great constrictions, including a wet environment, limited visibility and other hazards.

While following a diver-welder - a skill in high demand as a result of the boom in construction of oil rigs and subsea wells - the show explores different forms of the process and the unique precautions that must be taken.

"Act Four: Robotic Welding" opens on the floor of a General Motors' assembly plant and demonstrates the impact welding has on our everyday lives with the fact that every car that rolls off the line contains upwards of 5,000 welds, nearly all of which are done by robots.

The programme shows the why and how behind robotic welding.

While the first four acts focus on welding processes that join metals, "Act Five: Friction Welding" investigates welding on plastics.

This process, known as friction welding, forms welds using heat from mechanical action and the power of sound (vs electricity).

The act demonstrates friction welding and its applications.

AWS provided on-going support and technical expertise to producers of "Modern Marvels: Welding." The programme also includes a number of market leaders that have a special focus on each process it examines.

These companies are:.

Act One: Skyscrapers and Arc Welding - Lincoln Electric and Schuff Steel.

Act Two: Explosion Welding - Dynamic Materials Corp.

Act Three: Underwater Welding - Global Industries.

Act Four: Robotic Welding - General Motors and RobotWorx.

Act Five: Friction Welding - Sonics and Materials.

"Modern Marvels: Welding" is scheduled to air on Wednesday, May 9 at 8 pm US Eastern time.

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