Definition
A forge welding process in which two pieces of metal are heated to a plastic state and then joined by hammering them together until they fuse into a single piece.
Plain English
A way of joining two pieces of metal by heating them until they are soft, then pounding them together with a hammer until they become one piece.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance and metalworking references, especially when older welding methods or forged parts are being discussed.
Derivation
From the use of a hammer as the joining tool. Unlike fusion welding, where heat alone melts the metals together, hammer welding relies on mechanical force from the hammer blows to complete the bond while the metal is hot and soft.
Why Pilots Care
Hammer welding is rarely used in modern aircraft repair, but mechanics may encounter references to it in older airframes, repair manuals, or historical maintenance records. Knowing the term helps when interpreting older documentation.
Intuition Check
Hammer welding does not mean tapping on a finished weld to shape it. The hammering is part of how the hot metal pieces are joined.
Example Sentence 1
The early steel tube fuselage repairs were sometimes completed by hammer welding rather than by gas or arc welding.
Example Sentence 2
Hammer welding produces a clean joint when the metal reaches the correct temperature before each hammer blow.