From the September 26, 1931, issue
By Science News
FLASH WELDING JOINS METAL AMID SHOWER OF SPARKS
A brilliant shower of sparks for a few seconds, and two pieces of steel have become one, with a union as strong as the original metal itself.
The picture on the front cover from the Pittsfield, Mass., works of the General Electric Company illustrates a recent adaptation of electric welding to industry. It is joining together the sides of the open seam of a cylindrical casing for a small transformer. As the edges to be welded slowly near each other and as the minute projections come into contact first in one place and then in another, there is a spectacular flashing, and a huge shower of sparks is thrown high into the air. The edges of metal redden and become plastic with heat.