On May 29, welders in Russia celebrate their professional holiday.
Every year on the last Friday of May, Russia celebrates Welder's Day.
This complex and responsible profession combines deep engineering knowledge, an understanding of physico-chemical processes and jeweler-like precision in execution. The skill of specialists ensures the uninterrupted operation of industrial giants, the construction of large-scale architectural projects and the development of key elements of urban infrastructure.
Interesting facts:
- In 1882 Nikolay Benardos discovered arc welding (melting metal by an electrical discharge) using a carbon electrode, and in 1888 Nikolay Slavyanov improved the technology by replacing it with a consumable metal rod.
- In 1969 Soviet cosmonauts Georgy Shonin and Valery Kubasov aboard the Soyuz-6 spacecraft performed the world's first welding operations in open space using the "Vulkan" apparatus. The purpose of the experiment was to test the behavior of the welding arc and the quality of joints in vacuum and weightlessness for subsequent satellite repair and the construction of large orbital stations. Since then, welding in weightlessness has been a mandatory operation during the assembly of orbital stations.
- The temperature inside a burning welding arc reaches 4000–7000 °C. For comparison: the temperature on the surface of the Sun is about 5500 °C.
- You can weld metal directly underwater. This technology was developed in 1932 by Soviet professor Konstantin Khrenov. He conducted welding of parts using electrodes treated with water-repellent grease in a tank with flowing water. Khrenov created a special chamber filled with inert gas that created high pressure around the welding zone, allowing metal parts to be welded in the absence of air and moisture.
We sincerely congratulate all welders on their professional holiday! We wish you good health, happiness, family well-being, and safe, dignified working conditions.