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There are opportunities for skilled welding professionals in many different industries, but some of the most interesting welding jobs are in the aerospace sector. What do aerospace welders do, and how can you get started on this career path?
What is Aerospace Welding?
Aerospace welding refers to the techniques and processes used for welding aircraft (like planes, helicopters, and drones) and spacecraft (like rockets and satellites). This includes both fabricating new parts and repairing existing components.
What Makes Aerospace Welding Unique
Because aircraft and spacecraft are subjected to extreme conditions and very high levels of stress, their components are often constructed of materials like titanium, magnesium, tungsten, and advanced alloys, and welds must be both very precise and very strong. Welders working in the aerospace sector need excellent technique and thorough knowledge of metallurgy.
Because there is so little margin for error and imperfection in aerospace welding, it’s usually done in a “cleanroom” environment. This is to prevent the metals from being contaminated by any outside elements that could cause imperfections which weaken the weld.
In fact, because even the smallest flaws in a weld can have much more serious consequences in aerospace applications, every component is typically checked using radiography.
Aerospace Welding Techniques
Welders working in the aerospace sector must have mastery of a wide variety of different welding techniques, including:
- Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)
- Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
- Plasma arc welding (PAW)
- Electron beam welding
Why Become an Aerospace Welder?
Welding in the aerospace industry has several features which set it apart as an attractive career path compared to other welding specialties.
For one thing, working as an aerospace welder is typically less physically demanding than other types of welding. Welding in this field is more about precision application of techniques and machinery than it is about muscle.
Compared to many other welding jobs, aerospace welding careers can offer a more comfortable work environment. The need for precise work without contamination means, as an aerospace welder, you’ll typically work in facilities that are clean, well lit, and air conditioned.
Of course, we can’t overlook the subject of compensation. Aerospace welding requires a high level of skill and technical knowledge, and aerospace welding jobs come with pay that reflects that.
How to Become an Aerospace Welder
Given the high level of skill that’s needed to work as an aerospace welder, you might think that it’s impossible to enter the aerospace sector without years of welding experience. But in fact, it is possible to get entry-level aerospace welding positions that allow you to learn on the job and grow your skills.
To become an aerospace welder, though, you need to have, at the very least, completed a welding training program at a reputable welding school like ETI School of Skilled Trades. ETI’s program teaches essential fundamentals of welding science and technique that will serve you well wherever your career as a welder might take you. Our 13,000 square-foot welding lab simulates a real job site, and our instructors are experts with many years of industry experience. You can complete the program and be ready to start applying for jobs in as little as 7 months.
Training at ETI will equip you with the foundational skills and knowledge you need for an exciting welding career in many different sectors, including aerospace. Contact us today to find out more about enrolling.
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