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News Release from: ESAB
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 02 August 2004
Welding journal looks at arc welding
history
Electric arc welding, in all its different forms, we tend to take for granted today, so it came as a surprise that a patent existed in 1964 - according to historical articles in 'Svetsaren' journal.
Electric arc welding, in all its different forms, we tend to take for granted today It came as some surprise to learn that experiments with 'electrical welding' began as far back as 1864, writes Mike Page
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 14 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Svetsaren details the history of its founder, Oscar Kjellberg (1870 - 1931) who, in a 1918-produced autobiography, mentioned a patent had been taken out in 1864 relating to the use of electricity in welding.
Nevertheless, no successful electrical welding technique had emerged by the time Kjellberg - a self-professed inventor - had begun to study the problems in 1904.
He had qualified in 1902 as a ship's engineer and in 1903, had passed a "special extra electroengineering exam" at the Goeteborg School of Navigation.
What interested Kjellberg was the problem of weld-repairing ship's boilers and other 'massive' pieces of machinery.
Have you ever seen oxy-acetylene gas welding of cast iron in action? Back in the 1960s I saw a company specialising in this, in which the components to be welded were placed in a furnace, brought up to red heat, then the welder, wearing asbestos-based protective clothing, opened a hatch in the furnace and did the repair! Of course, that was not possible with a ship's boiler! So Kjellberg began to consider the use of electricity as a heating medium - transferring the power to the weldment through copper wire.
He successfully electrically weld-repaired the cylinders and sleeves of the anchor gear on a Swedish Navy's gunboat.
He established Elektriska Svetsnings Aktienbolaget (ESAB) in 1904 and took out patents on arc welding (now manual metal arc or 'stick' welding, except then, Kjellberg used a bare iron rod, and the weld was hammered while hot) in 1904, 1905 and 1907.
Kjellberg was quick to appreciate that some form of arc shielding was needed (to prevent oxidation of the hot weld metal) and he conducted his first experiments with coated electrodes in 1904 too - and patented the coated electrode in 1907.
He even worked out techniques for performing 'out-of-position' welding, that is, welding at an angle to the work or with the work directly overhead.
From then on, with the growing success of repair shipyard welding work, it became Kjellberg's ambition that his company should establish itself in ports around the world.
The first major move was the setting up of the Anglo-Swedish Electric Welding Company in London, UK.
At the same time, a very extensive contract was signed with Mitsubishi Zosen Kaisha in Japan.
The 'Svetsaren' is a very interesting read.
One could not help being amused that, in spite of Kjellberg producing the world's first all-welded ship in 1920 - the 'ESAB IV' - to be classified by Lloyds, engineers and insurance companies were still arguing about riveting versus welding in the 1960s! Meanwhile, next time you visit Gothenburg (Goeteborg), go and see the 'ESAB IV' in that city's Maritime Museum. Request free introductory details about products from ESAB ...
(Mike Page).
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