The New York City subway system has rails that are held together by bolts, which are more likely to break or fracture on curves and in areas that receive a lot of wear. According to the Wall Street Journal, a new project by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority aims to weld the rails together in order to provide a safer track surface.
Workers have been welding tracks on the weekends in the areas that are most likely to break or have experienced the most wear. A subway crash in May, that left 19 injured, had been caused by a section of track where bolts had given way. It’s hoped that such crashes, can be avoided in the future
Older tracks made of 39-foot pieces of steel are also being replaced with longer pieces of track that can be welded together in order to provide a more secure fit. Officials hope to acquire a mobile welding unit in order to speed up the process.
Image Source: WSJ
Welding Industry
New Ultrasonic Welding Technique Introduced: Sonobond, a pioneer in ultrasonic technology, has developed an advanced ultrasonic system that has the ability to weld oxidized and tin-coated wires and terminals required for high-humidity, high-temperature, and other demanding conditions.
Copper wiring which is coated with tin metal is used in a wide range of applications such as solar panel wiring, appliances, electronics, marine motors, and in certain automotive applications. The ultrasonic system ensures that consistent, reliable and highly conductive welds are obtained without compromising the protective characteristics of the tin coating.
TIG Welding Competition Sparks Interest in Welding Careers: Officials said about 100 people are expected for a TIG off welding competition open to the public Thursday morning in Rancho Cucamonga. “I would love to see 100 plus,” said Steven Miller, site manager for Matheson, the business that’s hosting the event.
Welding Jobs
Job Need Fuels Marine Welding Program in Hawaii: Meeting an economic opportunity and industry need, 13 students have successfully completed a new workforce stabilization program in marine welding and will enter the workforce with skills needed to meet industry demands.
These first-time program completers were recognized on Tuesday, August 19, in a special ceremony that also celebrated the first of its kind partnership with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), Honolulu Community College, the University of Hawaii Community College’s Workforce Development Office and the Ship Repair Association of Hawaii (SRAH).
Welding Education
Grainger Foundation Offers $5,000 Welding Grant: The Grainger Foundation, an independent, private foundation, donated $5,000 to Tri-County Technical College in support of the expansion of the cutting lab in its welding department.
“This grant will be used to purchase additional equipment for the cutting lab, enabling us to serve more students,” said Paul Phelps, welding program coordinator at Tri-County.
Students Help Weld Stations for Maryland Community College Welding Center: “The Glenn and Carol Arthur Welding Lab was formally unveiled to great applause by members of the local community. The Welding Lab is a project that has been two years in the making. ‘The Arthurs’ support and contributions are making it possible for students in our region to get a quality education and become successful members of our workforce,” said Chair of the Mayland Community College Board of Trustees Edwina Sluder.
Upstate New York Welding Class Added: Welding is certainly not an easy thing to do and it’s definitely not something one can just pick up and go to work on.
Most welders go through proper trade school or some other sort of education process. Sometimes students can learn in high school through BOCES programs, and many who study welding are later employed by companies who produce or fix metal structures.
Welding Events
FABTECH Comes to Atlanta on November 11-13, 2014: FABTECH is bringing together an anticipated 27,000 attendees and 1,400 exhibiting companies all under one roof. The show provides a backdrop for visitors to experience live equipment demonstration, find cost savings solutions, and network with industry peers throughout the 500,000+ square feet of show floor throughout the A, B, and C buildings at the Georgia World Congress Center.
The event also provides learning opportunities beyond the exhibits with over 100 educational sessions and expert-led presentations on the latest industry trends and technology in the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing industries.
Welding Gone Wrong
Man Injured While Welding on Top of Oil Drum: A man was hospitalized Sunday after his attempts to build a lawn roller resulted in an explosion.
The incident took place at about 9 a.m. on N. Johnson Road when the man was welding atop of a 55-gallon drum in his garage, according to Orleans Township Fire Chief Leslie Doty.
