Determined to make a life for herself and provide for her family, Mioshi Neal juggled full-time work,night classes, and single-parent duties to ultimately land her dream job—welding instructor.

Seven years ago Doug Wilkinson of Reinke Mfg., Deshler, Neb., set out to start up a welding education program for high school and adult students that would give them the opportunity to earn AWS D1.1 or D1.2 qualification. It's been an uphill battle but Wilkinson is still at it--and the welding program continues to grow.

SAW offers a cost-effective and efficient means for automated welding of plates, beams, flanges, and profiles found in structrual steel environments. Technology advancements in flux combinations and SAW equipment have helped boost arc-on times, which have elevated productivity levels within the process.

Flux-cored welding is growing in popularity, yet its dependence on high concentrations of CO2 has prevented fabrication shops that employ a bulk gas delivery system from using the process. Recently wires have been developed that utilize a higher content of argon and a lower content of CO2. The result is a wire that provides low spatter, less welding fumes, and higher out-of-position deposition rates, as well as excellent weld characteristics in the vertical and overhead positions.

Frank Armao discusses which aluminum alloys are weldable, which are not, and why.