Article

Assessing the Benefits of Surface Tension Transfer® Welding to Industry

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Abstract

The Lincoln Electric Company is the first and only welding company to hold a patent on a revolutionary new welding process called Surface Tension Transfer® (STT®). Originally patented in 1988, it wasn’t until 1994 that the first commercial unit was produced and sold. Today this welding process is being used by every major pipe contractor in the world, yet it is still relatively unknown in many manufacturing sectors. To test if welding educators recognized this welding process, educators at a National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) conference were asked if they had ever heard of STT. A unanimous response indicated that they had never heard of this new process (DeRuntz, 2001). The audience expressed a strong interest in learning more about this new technology and encouraged the presenter/author to publish a paper that would contribute to the body of knowledge for Industrial Technologists. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to enlighten Industrial Technology professionals on one of the newest high-tech welding processes, STT, and suggest the future implications for manufacturing adopting this technology. This paper explains how the process works, examines its advantages and disadvantages, and provides case studies of its successful implementation in the world of manufacturing. While this paper is not intended to endorse any manufacturer or its products, the technology explained within is patent protected by The Lincoln Electric Company.

Keywords: manufacturing|materials and processes|metals|production|welding

How to Cite:

DeRuntz, B. D., (2003) “Assessing the Benefits of Surface Tension Transfer® Welding to Industry”, Journal of Industrial Technology 19(4).