It’s true that fences make good neighbors, but good welders can also make good fences.
In the city of Kokomo, Brian Mikesell, a teacher at the Kokomo Career Center, is teaching his students real world job skills by designing and fabricating a fence for the town of Kokomo.
According to the Kokomo Tribune, “It’s another partnership between Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight and Kokomo Center Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald that is both a way for the city to upgrade a major infrastructure project and lend work experience to about 20 students.”
The project is designed to ensure these welding students aren’t fenced in with their future job prospects.
Welding Industry
Hyundai Heavy Develops Welding Robot for Shipbuilding: “Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced the Company has developed mini welding robots for building ships. The compact design of the welding machine, measuring 50 cm by 30 cm by 15cm when retracted its welding arm, can operate in confined areas
inaccessible to human welders. The robot’s six joints enable the machine to
carry out almost all types of welding work at a similar speed usually done by a
welder.”
Miami Welding Company Closes, Claiming It Is Owed $300,000: “Custom Welding and Fabrication of Auburndale closed April 15 and says it is owed approximately
$300,000 by Tallahassee-based Ajax Building Corporation. Ajax was the general
contractor on a parking garage being built for Miami Dade College in Doral. The
five-story, $20 million concrete garage collapsed Oct. 10, killing four workers.”
Welding Jobs
Students Test Jobs at SkillsUSA Job Fair: “Nearly 2,000 high-school and college
students from all over Florida spent this morning putting their skills – like
masonry, welding, hair styling and more – to the test. This is the second of
three years for Pensacola State College to host the annual Florida SkillsUSA
State Leadership and Skills Conference at the Pensacola Bay Center.”
Welding Education
Underwater Welding Students Make a Splash: First year welding instructor Dave Hass of Kankakee Valley High school gave his students the rare opportunity to work on an underwater welding project. “Last week, 10 of his advanced welding students all juniors and seniors made 15-minute dives into the pool to apply what they first learned in the classroom. One by one, they dove to the bottom of the pool to work on fabrication with 8-inch flanges and pipe. ‘I want to get the students fired up about this trade, and also to think outside the box with their career choice.’”
Welding Training One Step Closer for Halifax Country Virginia: “Workforce training
in welding took one step closer to becoming a reality for Halifax County
residents on Friday when the Research and Development arm of Virginia
Tobacco Commission approved a $154,114 request by the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center. Currently, no such welding training exists in Halifax County with welding students having to travel to nearby community colleges or Virginia Technical Institute (VIT) in Altavista to take the classes.”
Sierra College Career Event Inspires Young Women: “The Sierra College first Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) event inspired high school girls to consider Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education and technical careers. Held at the Rocklin, California campus on April 19, girls from Roseville, Nevada City, Truckee and communities in between visited labs, worked on projects and discussed careers. The 75 female students had a choice of Automotive, Applied Art & Design, Drafting and Engineering Support, Mechatronics, Photography, Technical Theater and Welding.”
Heartland Welding Academy in Illinois Wins AWS Welding Competition: “Marcus Crawford already had plans to attend Ohio Technical College next year to begin training for a welding career.Then he took a first-place award in the American Welding Society’s Midwest Welding Competition, and the prize was a $10,000 scholarship to that very school… Students come from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, said Heartland Technical Academy welding instructor Keith Cusey.”
Welding Events
AWS Pipelines Conference: June 4-5, 2013 in Houston, TX.
“Some of the key subjects that will be covered include the intense interest
in the welding of the high strength X80 pipe steels, the many orbital processes
that are seeing the light of day in pipeline spreads and from offshore barges
throughout the world.”
AWS Codes and Standards Conference: July 16-17, 2013 in Orlando, FL.
“Technical standards are among the most valuable documents available to
manufacturers and fabricators of welded products. This AWS conference will take
a deep dive into AWS D1 structural codes, the ASME Boiler and the Pressure Vessel Code, API pipeline codes, and military and ISO standards. Designers, inspectors, and QC specialists will gain new insights and career-enhancing knowledge.”
Welding Gone Wrong
Welder Causes Wild Fire in Dry Valley: “A ranch worker south of Bellevue
inadvertently caused a small blaze. Wood River Fire & Rescue Chief Bart
Lassman said his firefighting crews were called to the Heart Rock Ranch on state
Highway 75 at 10:57 a.m. Tuesday when the ranch manager reportedly ignited dry
vegetation while repairing a fence.”
Welding Accident Almost Burns Down Building Used for Training Firefighters: “A Rt. 85 building that is used by fire departments for drills burned Wednesday from a spark caused by welding… The fire was confined to the basement, although it
burned a tire so it filled the entire home with smoke, [The Fire Marshal] Occhialini said. Devine [the building owner] said he was at the building about 20 minutes after he stopped welding, but Occhialini said often sparks smolder and it takes a bit for them to turn into a flame.”
Welding Supplies and Promotions
Get the latest welding supply deals, including the Build with Blue promotion,
at Baker’s Gas and Welding.
