Welding success requires a plan

Young people that learn not only welding but also skills like developing a welding procedure specification can be valuable contributors for metal fabricating companies right from the start. kali9/E+

The internet has done more than change the way we buy products. It’s democratized entertainment and information distribution as well. As a current television commercial for an insurance company likes to point out, if people have an interest in a subject, they likely can find a podcast with a focus on that topic.

With that in mind, one of the more informative podcasts out there in the fabricating space is piloted by Jason Becker, a certified welding inspector and educator. He’s now manning the helm of the Arc Junkies Podcast (after taking over for Jimmy McKnight), where listeners can enjoy a wide range of conversations revolving around some aspect of welding.

It might be career talk in one episode with a successful welder, or it could be a technical discussion with subject matter experts who have seen it all. Anyone with some connection to welding would be doing themselves a disservice by not checking it out.

Here’s a quick interruption to promote The Fabricator Podcast. If you have an interest in the wide world of metal fabrication, you’ll enjoy the conversations that I and a revolving series of guest hosts have with folks that have one thing in common: They somehow are involved in the bending, cutting, forming, or welding of metal. The conversations are freewheeling and fun. You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

We are featuring one of the conversations from a Sept. 20 Arc Junkies Podcast. “Nailing down the welding process” recounts some of the discussion covering the importance of welding procedure specifications and the steps involved in creating them.

During that conversation, Lincoln Electric welding expert Padraic Bean referred to a welding skills class in upstate New York where the instructor wanted to get his students comfortable with working with documentation. They had some money in the budget, so the instructor decided to buy an affordable microscope to support what would become the capstone project for the seniors.

“They had their senior welders develop a fillet weld, a PQR [procedure qualification record], and a WPS [welding procedure specification],” Bean said. “So the welders have to write the preliminary welding procedure, weld the test plate, cut it, do the macros, and even work with a little desktop etch booth they bought. They etched the samples, put them under the microscope, and developed all the documentation.”

He added, “That’s really the best way to get them used to those documents and get them to understand how they're put together.”

In the meantime, Bean said that nearby manufacturers in that area that are hiring those students are incredibly impressed that they not only know how to weld, but how to support process improvement as well. That’s a huge benefit for companies that are deeply committed to documenting fabricating processes and those that are looking to get started.

Someone at a shop that doesn’t have to worry about producing code-specific welds might wonder why having an employee experienced in developing a WPS is important. That same person likely would be caught flat-footed if a customer asked what sort of documentation is available to support welding work being done for them.

That knowledge and comfort of dealing with documentation has several benefits:

• Welders who are given a detailed WPS can hit the ground running and turn out quality parts.
• Customers can rest easy knowing that the parts they are getting have been welded according to a qualified process.
• These documented procedures provide a reference point if a campaign to improve weld performance or perhaps even trim costs is initiated.
• Metal fabricators have long complained that young people who actually do consider a career in the trades often lack skills that allow them to be more valuable contributors right from the start. They often need to learn things like how to effectively work as part of a team—actually contributing and not just sitting on the sideline—and how to deal with constructive criticism.

But imagine getting an entry-level employee that can bring a skill that might be missing in the shop. That experience with documentation makes them a valuable part of the welding department right from the very start.

Debate about the right way to teach metal fabricating and welding skills will never end. But the point that some of the focus should be on welding documentation should be seriously considered. In some ways, educational efforts like that help students to make the transition from thinking like workers to thinking like leaders. Showing students the importance of welding documentation helps them to understand the big picture of manufacturing quality and customer satisfaction, and at the end of the day, those two factors keep customers coming back.