By Andre Odermatt

A pragmatic, may be simplistic view of a weld might be a comparison with a 3-legged stool. To create a weld, equipment, filler metal and welding skills are required. Assuming that the right equipment for the right process and the right filler metal has been chosen it is now up to the welder operator to create a joint that makes two or more pieces of metal act as one single piece. Whilst the two other legs are important it is the third leg, the operator skill that brings the highest risk and the highest variability to the equation.

In modern manufacturing and the philosophy of continuous improvement in quality and productivity, companies spend millions of dollars to reduce variability in their manufacturing processes. Manual and semiautomatic welding are considered welding processes with high variability, whilst automatic and robotic welding are manufacturing processes that can have less variability, if the joints are designed concurrently with the welding process. As an example, the popular MIG welding process has so many variables that they are categorized in Fixed Variables (electrode size, shielding gas), Primary Variables (welding current, welding voltage, travel speed) and Secondary Variables (electrode extension, electrode angles). During arc time the welder must control simultaneously arc length, travel speed, and gun angle that all influence bead height, bead width and penetration and are therefore most critical for a weld to pass or fail. In order to properly do that an operator must undergo many hours of intense skill training.

Has it been sufficiently realized by industry, that skill training can help to drastically reduce variability in welds resulting in less rework and less scrap?  Is welding training considered an equally important investment like new machinery?  A well-trained welder is a precious asset for a company because he or she directly influences the bottom line by minimizing scrap and the need for rework.  The HIWT has already helped thousands of companies.  Let us help you reach your goals!

Reference: Gas Metal Arc Welding Technical Guide EW-473.  Hobart Institute of Welding Technology.