Welding

The commercial use of metals in the construction of equipment, buildings, ships and airplanes has created terrific employment opportunities. Welders can earn good salaries because of their skills. Although welders can earn a lot of money, the job can be hazardous due to high temperatures, materials and work environments. For those on an arc welding path, always put safety first. Here are some welding safety tips to keep in mind.

Electricity

Arc and other forms of welding use high voltage electrical equipment. The power can range from 20 to 100 volts. Death can result from exposure to less than 50 volts under certain conditions. It’s imperative that you understand and respect electricity. Never work in a wet or damp space. These include puddles, ground water or even where someone spills a coffee. Never handle electrified materials without safety gloves. If you are holding an electrified tool or material and touch another conductor, this can complete an electrical circuit right through your body.

Fire

The heat of a welding arc can hit 10,000 degrees. Be certain that you are not working near any combustible materials. Keep in mind that the arc itself does not have to touch other materials to start a fire. The sheer heat can start a blaze. Also, arc spatter is like shooting off a Roman candle. Work at least 35 feet away from flammable materials.

Safety Equipment

Always wear a complete outfit of safety equipment that includes rated clothing, gloves, face shield, safety glasses, and hearing protection. In commercial settings, you are not only protecting yourself from your own work, but also from those around you. Here are some of the common injuries caused by poor safety gear.

• Eye protection: Arc rays can cause what welders call “arc flash” that damages your eyesight. It can occur from other welders working to your side or even behind you. Also, small metal shards can become embedded in your eyes.
• Rated Clothing: High UV radiation produced by arc rays can cause intense skin burns. Welding spatter can burn through inadequate gear. Cover up.
• Ear Plugs: The high decibels from welding and metal gauging can damage your hearing.
• Helmets: Accidents such as falling materials can occur in industrial setting. Protect your head.

Welders enjoy a tremendous trade that has an excellent future. Always place safety as your highest priority and arc on! Learn more about welding techniques and safety tips through our welder training program. Check out our calendar to see when the next welding class starts.

Our Fresno welding students just completed a fabrication project for our campus in Fresno. A lot of hard work went into making these benches! We are always proud when our students accomplish great things. We are especially excited to be able to show these off to those that visit or attend our school!

A post at Laboratory Network outlines how material scientists in Argonne, IL’s Argonne National Laboratory have developed a way to weld components made of high-temperature superconductors. The bond that results from this welding technique is strong enough to preserve uniform electrical flow across the joints and can be used for current leads, fault current limiters, energy storage devices, high-energy-density motors, and high-current wire or cable. Discovered in the 1980s, superconductors are known for losing electrical resistance when cooled with liquid nitrogen. However, superconductors do hold the potential for generating more efficient magnetic fields and transmitting electricity without losing resistance. Thus far researchers have been unable to grow large high-performance superconducting structures that are able to uniformly carry current, and they have found it difficult to join smaller sections together without interfering with electrical flow. The hope by researchers is that a new welding process may overcome this limitation. The new welding process will bond pieces of yttrium-doped barium-cooper-oxide (YBCO) using layers of thulium-doped barium-copper-oxide (TmBCO). The melting point of TmBCO is about 20 degrees Celsius cooler than YBCO. The materials are then heated to a temperature about mid-way between the two melting points. The YBCO “seeds” the liquefied TmBCO, while the joint cools, which provides a template at the TmBCO interface as it cools. This leads to a weld that preserves the YBCO crystal structure to a mechanically-strong weld that carries high current. While superconductors are materials that lose resistance to electrical current at reduced temperatures, the first of those identified were made of metals that became superconductive when they were brought near absolute zero (-270 degrees Celsius). The high-temperature superconductors found in the ‘80s lost its resistance at temperatures that allow the use of refrigerants such as liquid nitrogen. YCBO, on the other hand, becomes superconductive at -181 degrees Celsius. If you are interested in more information on this topic, you should read the original article by clicking here. Independent Welding Distributors Coop hires new hard goods product manager In hiring news in the welding industry, the Indianapolis, Indiana-based Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (IWDC), a cooperative of independent welding distributors, has named Sean Norton their new hard goods product manager. In this role, Norton will be responsible for driving the growth of key programs, vendor partner brands, and the Weld mark brand, according to an article in The Fabricator. The IWDC was formed in 1994 to leverage the strengths of independent welding distributors across North America. The company’s heritage dates back to 1948, when the IWDA was founded. That company served the industry for many years before becoming the IWDC in 1994 as a larger cooperative that had additional means to serve the industry. Member companies look to the IWD for industrial, specialty, and medical gases, along with related equipment, hard goods, and consumables. The distributors use their national sphere of influence to aid in purchasing and marketing programs. The IDC features a footprint of more than $2 billion in retail sales over more than 260 locations. Before coming to the IWDC, Norton spent 15 years at ESAB Victor as district manager for Victor Technologies, mostly working in the Midwest. He now joins the welding cooperative as hard goods product manager, a move that will give him additional responsibilities in the industry while allowing him to increase profitability for the company. For more on the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative (IWDC), you my visit their web site here. The Fabricator is a publication of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, Intl., which works with welding and fabricators, providing industry news and updates designed to serve people who work in the welding and fabrication industries. For more about The Fabricator and the welding industry it serves, visit their website by clicking this link.

There are many reasons to become a professional welder. This growing career field offers many opportunities for those applicants with the right training and skills. Here are five reasons why you should consider a career in welding.

1. Growing Demand

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that an additional 14 million welders will be needed by 2020. This means now is a perfect time to receive professional training and enter this growing career field. In addition, there are hundreds of current welders expected to retire in the coming years. Because of this and the improving economy, now is the ideal time for a jobseeker to consider a new career as a professional welder.

2. Employers Need Qualified Applicants

Despite the demand for more welders, many employers are struggling to find enough qualified applicants. Employers are looking for applicants who understand the technology used in today’s welding field. They also look for candidates with a strong understanding of how to read blueprints and practice proper safety procedures. The NAM said that a recent poll of manufacturers shows that 81 percent say they cannot find enough skilled workers. This is because a growing number of welding applicants are scoring below proficient in the areas of math and science. Many employers are turning away applicants because many lack the training and skills that are needed in this profession. That give students of Advanced an advantage when it comes to finding work in the welding field.

3. The Training You Need is Available at ACI

Advanced offers a great professional welding training program, helping students launch a new career in this growing industry. Advanced Career Institute’s welding program is designed to prepare each student to obtain a welder certification. Students will also receive training in a variety of skills including construction site safety, blueprint and site plan reading, principles of metallurgy, construction math and welding tool usage. Learn more about our welder training program.

4. Work in a Variety of Industries and Places

Professional welders can find work in a variety of industries and sectors, including general construction, the energy sector and manufacturing. Welders are in-demand in the booming natural gas sector, bridge construction and in factories. It is important for welders to have a strong training foundation to use in a variety of fields.

5. A Career for Women

The welding profession is not only for men. According to the United States Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, the number of female welders in the U.S. has increased by over 2 percent over the past decade. Labor officials say this points to a trend of more women getting into the welding industry. Welding is a great career choice for women. More and more are building long lasting careers in this growing field. As you can see, there are many reasons to consider a new career in welding. Now is the perfect time to enter this growing career field. Manufacturers and employees in every part of the country are seeking out qualified welders who have professional training. Advanced Career Institute is leading the way in helping a new generation of professional welders learn the skills today’s employers demand. Looking for a new, challenging career that allows you to work with your hands in a variety of environments? There are many reasons to choose this career field, but any one of these 5 listed are reason enough to seek our professional welding training at ACI. Contact us to become a welder today!

Young professional welders are in demand, especially those with relevant training from a respected school like Advanced Career Institute. With the average age of today’s professional welder 53, companies are looking for younger welders to enter the profession in order to offset the large number that will be retiring in the coming years. Not only do employers want to prepare for the thousands of welders that will be retiring, but they also want younger workers with relevant training as the welding industry has changed over the years and new technology is put into use. Training for a career in welding involves a careful review of safety processes. Other aspects of the training program include blueprint reading, the ability to give estimates, and cutting torch operations. There are also specialized fields that welders can enter, such as underwater welding. The Advanced Career Institute’s welding program is designed to prepare each student to obtain American Welding society welder performance certification and students will also receive training in a variety of skills, including construction site safety, blue print and site plan reading, principles of metallurgy, construction math and welding tool usage. Welding jobs are becoming much more complex and the technology involved is also changing rapidly, especially with the growth of the energy and health care sector, which are constantly building state of the art buildings and infrastructure. However, even though the demand for professional welders is growing, construction and welding companies will still look to those who have professional training and the right type of certification when filling vacancies.