Impressive Feats of Welding

Welding is a job which requires both skills and high levels of concentration at all times, which can make it seem like quite a stressful career choice for many, but it is also a very popular hobby that can lead to fantastic creations and even better skill sets. Whichever side of the line you fall on, be that the hobbyist or a professional welder, we’re sure that you’ll be interested to read more about the most impressive welding attempts ever seen on planet Earth.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk

The Grand Canyon is a geographical wonder located in Arizona in the US, it is no less than 277 miles long and 18 miles across at its widest point, and 1800 metres deep. The Grand Canyon has taught us a lot about the structure of the Earth as the river running through the canyon has cut through layers and layers of rock; the rock at the lowest levels is suspected to be around 2 billion years old.

The Grand Canyon is neither the widest, longest, deepest, or oldest canyon in Earth’s history, but since many of the canyon’s holding those records are buried beneath the ocean, the Grand Canyon is the most accessible one and therefore captures the public imagination and millions of tourists.

The Grand Canyon is an important area which attracts attention from all over the world, and in 2007, one of those areas was the welding world. Now 12 years old, the Grand Canyon Skywalk is still standing strong and bringing in significant capital from tourists. The skywalk is crafted from hundreds of tonnes of steel and glass, giving tourists the chance to walk above the canyon.

The skywalk juts out a total of 21 metres from the edge of the canyon, which would seem like very little even at the canyon’s narrowest section (4 miles), but for those using the skywalk, we’re sure it feels like more than far enough.

The skywalk has significant support with cement constructs to help it deal with gravity’s pull, as well as the intense upwards gusts scaling sides of the Grand Canyon. The main structure is crafted from strong carbon steel, welded together using an automated Lincoln submerged arc welding machine and welding gas.

This welding success made the Grand Canyon Skywalk the highest man-made structure on the planet, but it’s made more impressive for the trauma that it can withstand, including the high-speed winds but also some intense earthquakes.

Automatic Welding Robots

Improvements to the welding world are always of interest to us, and the creation of automated machines that can help businesses and industries to improve their efficiency and save their staff from having to undertake dangerous welding operations.

The progression of automated welding machines to graft more complicated welding tasks with more efficiency and stability could see tough welding projects being completed faster than ever before.

Automatic welding robots make the largest profits when a business or industry is undertaking a welding program that requires a lot of identical welds on identical parts. The production of thermos flasks and pipe fittings are some examples of where automating the process can ensure a quicker, quality weld every time.

Some issues with automated welding machines are the initial investment, which may be too high for some businesses to afford, with prices for semi-automatics starting at £23k.

Part of the Happiest Sector in the World

Making things has always made people happy, and the ability to see and touch those creations as they come to life is a huge part of what makes those people working in construction and manufacturing so happy. Welding is no different; it might be dangerous but it’s an amazing skill to have and not one that any individual is going to give up easily.

That is certainly true for one besotted welder in China who wouldn’t give his profession up for anything; Lu Renfeng is a disabled welder who works for the Chinese military ensuring that their tanks are reaching the expected levels of quality.

At the end of the day, welding brings joy to a lot of people, whether you’re behind the mask making ideas become reality, or one of the many tourists enjoying a day out on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. We like to support our local welding community by supplying high-quality welding supplies in the UK, as well as the industry news, hints and tips from our blog.