6 June 2002.  Peru, South America. 

Samuel  Colton,  Sr.  Professor  of  Welding  at  Arizona Western  College  and  founder  of  the  “Welders  Without Borders”  program  is  leaving  Peru  after  five  weeks  of training and technical presentations with welders from all regions of Peru. This year’s program started with the meeting of Professor Colton and Mr. Jorge Merzthal Toranzo  at  the  AWS/MAX  Show  in Chicago.  It  was during this meeting that  the “Welders Without Borders”  program  was  explained,  including  ideals  of internationally sharing information and training techniques with other welding professionals.  Professor Colton traveled to Peru as the guest of the EXSA Corporation, the largest welding consumables manufacturer  in  South  America  and  a  Miller  Electric Manufacturing Company Inc. distributor.

HOBART INSTITUTE PROVIDED CWI TRAINING

 Mr. Merzthal Toranzo loves to point out that he studied for his  CWI  credentials  at  the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology and was the  first  Peruvian  man  to  hold  this important    AWS-CWI    certification.   

 EXSA Corporation sponsors a welder training facility in Lima and is very active in helping to raise the level of welder training in Peru. EXSA makes office space available in their corporate offices for the Peruvian Section of the American Welding Society as well as maintaining a library for its section members and welding professionals in Peru.

PROF. COLTON TEAMS WITH EXSA

 While in Peru, Professor Colton traveled to the cities of Talara in the north of Peru to the famous city of Cusco in the south. At each stop, Professor Colton provided training and conducted welding demonstrations. Working side by side with EXSA Instructor Carlos Matiz, they demonstrated pipe and plate welding techniques and discussed welder qualifications using the AWS D1.1 and API 1104 codes and standards. Important industries such as Petro Peru and the shipbuilding industry were visited as well as the vocational schools in Peru known as SENATI.

600 ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

 The first international welding conference was held in Lima June 14th at the central training facilities of SENATI with over  600  welding  professionals  from  all  over  Peru  in attendance. The program was opened by national SENATI Director Guillermo Salas. Professor Colton was the keynote speaker opening the conference with a dynamic and emotion-packed address outlining the vision of the “Welders Without Borders” program. Later in the program, Professor Colton provided information on training in the U.S at Arizona Western College.  Technical presentations followed throughout the daylong event.

 Professor Colton is building support for a web page for the “Welders Without Borders” program to include a listing of countries and links in various languages for welding professionals to share information. Professor Colton looks forward to help from the welding community.

 Professor Colton can be reached at:
Arizona Western College
P.O. Box 929
Yuma, AZ 85344-0929
sjc@harmony.azwestern.edu