Hobart Institute welding instructor Elmer Swank has earned the title of American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welding Supervisor (CWS) and is one of less than 100 in the nation at this time to hold that certification.  Elmer teaches technical courses at Hobart Institute and has held the AWS-CWI/CWE (certified welding inspector/educator) certification for 18 years.  He has been an instructor with the Institute for 37 years. 

“The CWS program is an excellent program for anyone involved in a supervisory role in welding.  Even with all my years of experience, the examination was not simple!” says Elmer.  “But it has increased my knowledge which will be a benefit to my students.”

The AWS Certified Welding Supervisor program is a new one for the American Welding Society and fulfills the standards set forth in the AWS B5.9 Specification for the Qualification of Welding Supervisors.  The specification is intended to supplement the requirements of an employer and the qualification provides an independent third-party examination of the candidate’s general knowledge of welding theory and practice and the responsibilities and duties of a welding supervisor.  It identifies a body of knowledge all welding supervisors should know and understand.  

“Consistent with the strategic initiative to expand the technical course offerings, HIWT is currently in discussion with AWS to potentially bring the Certified Welding Supervisor program to Hobart Institute,” explains André Odermatt, President of HIWT.  “Hobart Institute has a long history of successfully teaching Preparation for the AWS Welding Inspector/Educator (CWI/CWE) Examination and this will compliment the existing technical courses at HIWT very well.”

The course is designed for welding supervisors, foremen, line leaders, lead welders, engineers, purchasing personnel, corporate welding instructors, and others involved in the bidding and quoting processes.  The written examination is composed of 150 questions on the fundamentals of supervision along with a 30-question exam on welding practices and economics.  Applicants must file application with the American Welding Society.  The class under development at the Hobart Institute is expected to be a one-week preparation course for the American Welding Society CWS exam. 

It has been proven that Certified Welding Supervisors can make a valuable contribution to welding operations in the area of quality, cost, productivity, and safety. 

“Welding is the most economical and efficient way to join metals permanently but it is also a process with high variability and can therefore drive up manufacturing cost, if the process is not professionally managed,” says André.  “A properly trained welding supervisor can have a significant impact on the welding manufacturing cost and can therefore help enhance the profit margins of welding fabricating companies.”

The American Welding Society, along with the National Shipbuilding Research Program released a report last summer on the advantages of training your welding supervisors to reduce costs and maximize efficiencies.  The research was supported through a trial project at an Alabama shipyard.  The results of the trial program, according to documentation, are clear:

• Projected costs per welder were reduced by $17,000 annually.  Labor hours on successive modular construction sequences were actually reduced by 1,000 hours per module.

• Potential savings of the program totaled $2 million annually.

• On a multiple-ship order, the typical improvement in efficiency averaged 200 – 300 hours when a module is repeated.  After the welding supervisor training, the first repeated module was done with 600 fewer labor hours; the second showed 1,000 fewer labor hours. 

• Operational goals for achievement and their estimated savings:

  • Reduce weld metal volume – Estimated potential savings of $3,319 per welder

  • Reduce arc time per weldment – Estimated potential savings: $4,280 per welder

  • Reduce rework and scrap – Estimated potential savings: $3,244

  • Reduce work effort and motion and delay time – Estimated potential savings: $6,200

“The Certified Welding Supervisor program was created to maximize the supervisor’s ability to increase weld quality and lower costs,” says Jeff Hufsey, AWS deputy executive director. “This report shows that decreased productivity can be traced to poorly trained welding supervisors, and too little interaction with their welders.”

Watch the Hobart Institute website for announcements of this new course at http://www.welding.org

For more details on this program, please visit http://www.aws.org/w/s/certification/CWS