Session 3c5

Modernizing Welding Courses

Mileta M. Tomovic, Ph.D.

Mechanical Engineering Department
Purdue University
Tel. (317) 494-5866, e-mail: tomovic Q sage.cc. purdue.edu

Abstract duced. Automation, computers, process simulation, statisti-

ScientiJc and technologicaldevelopmentsof the last decade
have transformed the welding industry. Today, the welding
industry needs highly educated people capable of operat-
ing sophisticated equipment and controlling complex pro-
cesses. Thus, academia must equip students with appro-
priate knowledge and skills in order that they may easily
integrate into the 2Ist century workplace. This paper de-
scribes changes in an advanced welding course offered in
the Mechanical Engineering TechnologyDepartment,Pur-
due University.
Introduction
Recent developments in high-technologyareas have signifi-
cantly transfomed the welding industry. [1,2]Automation,
computers, sophisticated scientific instruments and meth-
ods are common in todays welding industry. This host of
new technological developments has prompted the weld-
ing industry to seek well educated engineers and technolo-
gists to support the complex systems and to apply sophisti-
cated welding technologies. Thus, the academic curriculum
should reflect new developments and prepare students for
the modem, high-technology welding industry. The need
for hands-on education, case studies, exposure to modem
welding processes, automatic control of welding processes,
and other welding and welding related techniques has been
addressed by a number of authors and educators. [3,4,5,
61
The School of Technology, Purdue University, recog-
nizes the need for highly educated technologists and is
constantly upgrading its curriculum and modemizing its
laboratories to meet the needs of students and industry. The
Mechanical Engineering Technology Department, School
of Technology, Purdue University, is modernizingits weld-
ing curriculum and upgrading its ManufacturingLaboratory
in order to meet the needs of the industry. [7] Old weld-
ing processes and equipment are being scaled down, while
up-to-date modem processes and equipmentare being intro-
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cal process control, and quality control are being introduced
and are a regular part of laboratory exercises. Changes in
laboratory content are being accompanied by appropriate
changes in laboratory teaching methods. Industrial con-
cems regarding team work, life-long learning capability,
and communications are being addressed and implemented
as well. This paper discusses the changes in the advanced
welding course and modifications in the laboratory exer-
cises.
Goals
Currently, the Mechanical Engineering Technology Depart-
ment, Purdue University, offers threeundergraduate courses
in welding technology: MET 142 Materials and Processes
11, MET 215 Welding, and MET 345 Welding Pro-
cesses. According to the School of Technology course
catalogue these courses are described as follows: [8]
MET 142: A survey of basic casting, welding, and
joining processes. Foundry areas
include patterns, cores, molding, melting,
and cleaning. Basic arc, gas,
TIG, and MIG welding methods are
presented as well as the metallurgy
of welding processes.
MET 215: The study of welding equipment
and processes. Laboratory practice
in typical welding problems using
both arc and gas methods.
MET 345: A study of applied welding processes.
An in-depth look at gas metal arc
welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and
electron beam welding and heat treating;
advantages, disadvantages, and costs
will be considered.
Although these courses cover the basic principles of weld-
ing (physics, metallurgy, heat transfer), the focus is on
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the applied aspects of welding, e.g. welding skills, reading Table 1. Lecture Outline
blueprints, welding procedure specification,and inspection Lec. Lecture Topic
methods. The goal of these courses is to train students to
become either a welding technician or a welding supervisor, 1 Welding background, welding careers,
and to provide them with the basic skills which will help training and certification
them in becoming a welding inspector. These three profes- 2 Safety and health of welders
sions are described in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles 3 Welding terminology
(DOT) as follows: [9] 4 Symbols for welding and inspection
5 Physics of welding
0 A welding technician (DOT011.261-014) or technol- 6 Heat flow in welding
ogist usually is a welder who has received specialized 7&8 Welding metallurgy
training or may have graduated with an associate de- 9 Welding steels
gree from a technical school or junior college with IO Welding non-ferrous metals
a two-year, post-high school, study program. Weld- 11 Welding special and dissimilar metals
ing technicians perform semi-professionalengineering 12 Oxyfuel welding and cutting
functions, under the supervision of an engineer. They 13 Fundamentals of arc welding, consumable
must know, understand, and be able to operate welding and non-consumable processes
equipment, must apply theory, and use capabilities of 14 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding process
a skilled craftsman to achieve practical results. 15 Shielded Metal Arc Welding process
e A welding supervisor (DOT 819.131-014) must have 16 Gas Metal Arc Welding process
a knowledge of the welding processes and weldmg 1 7 6 18 Survey of other welding processes
technical information, and should have training and 19 Arc welding power sources
experience in supervision. 20 Electrodes and filler metals, gases used
0 A welding inspector (DOT 819.281-018) must be fa- in welding
miliar with welding processes, procedures, qualif?ca- 21 Welding problems and solutions
tions, materials, equipment and weld testing. Inspec- 22 &23 Weld quality, quality control and evaluation
tors must be able to read drawings, prepare records, of welds
make reports, and make responsible judgments. 24 Welding specifications,procedures and
qualifications
The existing welding courses provided students with the 25 & 26 Design for welding
majority of the requirements specified in the above descrip- 27 Cost of welding
tions. However, the requirements also call for experience 28 Mechanized, automated and robotic
in using and operating modem welding equipment. The arc welding
advanced welding course and its laboratory exercises did
not change for a long period of time. As a consequence the welders in weld design and procedure specification. In
course did not reflect the latest advancements in the welding addition,the course should address the use of available
technology and equipment. Therefore, it was decided to up- scientific and technology data bases to extract the lat-
grade and modernize the course including the laboratory in est information pertinent to the welding area. The new
order to reflect modem welding processes and equipment. technologies are developed at universities, and in sci-
ence and technology laboratories throughout the world.
Description of the New Advanced Welding In order to be competitive in the global marketplace,
Course Content sfudentsmust be able to find information that is related
to their problem.
In modifying the advanced welding course (MET 345) the
following two goals were set: The new welding course maintains the welding fun-
damentals (metallurgy, physics, heat transfer), since these
0 The course should emphasize modem welding pro- topics are required to understand the basic concepts and
cesses, equipment and methods. In order to be compet- physical phenomena of welding. However, new up-to-date
itive, students need to have the hands-on experience topics have been introduced, describing modem welding
in the latest technology and sophisticated quality and processes and practices in welding. An outline of the new
design tools. course is shown in Table 1.
0 The course should incorporate modem computer tech- In addition, the revised course provides students with
nology and relevant computer software used to help extensive hands-on laboratory experience. Students are ex-
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posed to a number of common welding processes and weld-
ing inspection techniques. In addition to extensive manual
welding exercises, one third of laboratory time is devoted to
exercises involving robotic Gas Metal Arc Welding process.
Students learn to use sophisticated equipment, write pro-
grams for the robot, debug and modify the programs, and
weld complex assemblies using automatic welding equip-
ment. The laboratory exercises include topics specified in
Table 2.
Conclusion
The Mechanical Engineering Technology Department, Pur-
due University, is revising its manufacturing curriculum in
order to meet the needs of industry, and to adequately pre-
pare its students to readily integrate into the workplace. As
part of the general manufacturing area, the welding cur-
riculum is also being changed. The changes are reflected in
lecture content and laboratoryexercises. The course reflects
the state-of-the-art in welding, and it should provide stu-
dents with sufficient background to meet todays industry
standards.
References
[I] Cary H. B., The Importance of Being a Welder. Welding
Joumal, 73(10):59-67, Oct. 1994.
[Z] Industty Leaders Look into the Future, Welding Joumal,
Vol. 73(6): 49-54, June 1994.
[3] Kjeld E, Whats the Future of Welding Education?,Weld-
ing Joumal, 73(3): 55-60, March 1994.
[4] Fitzgerald N., Teaching with Cases. ASEE-Prism, Mar.
1995.
[5] Burroughs R., Technology and New Ways of Leaming,
ASEE-Prism, Jan. 1995.
[6] Al-Erhayem O., Welding Education in Europe: What Direc-
tion is it Taking, Welding Journal, 73(7): 56-57, July 1993.
[7] Tomovic M. M., A Manufacturing Laboratory to Prepare
Technology Studentsfor the 21st Century,Proceedings 1994
ASEE Annual Conference,Edmonton, Canada.
[8] School of Technology Catalog, Furdue University Bulletin,
Published by Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
[9] Dictionary of Occupational Titles 4th Edition. 1991 U.S.
Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration,
U.S. Employment Service. Superintendent of Documents,
U.S.Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Table 2. LaboratoryAssignments
Lab Lab Exercise
1 Introduction, safety issues, welding procedure
specifications, blue-print reading
2 Welding variables and their effect on weld
quality, visual inspection, guided bend testing
3 Oxygen and plasma cutting processes
4 Basics of oxyfuel welding, welding
in flat and horizontal positions
5 Basics of Shielded Metal Arc Welding, welding
in flat and horizontal positions
6 Basics of Shielded Metal Arc Welding, welding
in vertical position
7 Basics of Shielded Metal Arc Welding, welding
with different electrodes, and analysis of their
effects
8 Basics of Gas Metal Arc Welding, welding in
flat, horizontal and vertical positions
9 Basics of the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding,
welding in flat position
10 Introduction to Robot welding, Gas Metal
Arc Welding
11 Robot welding, linear, circular and weaving
motions
12 Robot welding, specification of welding variables,
analysis of welding variables on the
weld geometry and HAZ
13 Robot welding, debugging software
14 Robot welding, application of jigs and fixtures,
welding complex assemblies
15 Non-destructive testing, liquid-dye penetrant
testing, magnetic particle testing