A student at work in a training center that’s delivered to his shop’s door.

A shortage of welders continues to be at the top of the list when it comes to issues facing the welding industry, making training a key component in solving the problem.

In New England, where manufacturers and companies that use welding and its technologies are spread out over a large area, it is often difficult or costly to send employees for training.

The New England School of Metalwork came up with a unique solution to respond to the need for training and its costs. The school, a non-profit educational facility that specializes in welding and blacksmithing, is based in Auburn, Maine.

It saw the need for increased training in its area, and came up with the idea to build a Mobile Weld Training Center (MWTC) that allows companies to train employees at their own facilities. The mobile training center eliminates concerns over travel.

The idea got enthusiastic support from the school’s principal sponsor, Maine Oxy, a leader in welding, industrial gases and specialty gases.

However, additional sponsors were needed to help make the mobile center a reality. That’s where Auburn Manufacturing Inc. a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of hot work blankets, curtains and pads, came in.

Auburn Manufacturing (www.auburnmfg.com) donated custom panels for the training center’s eight welding stations.

Kathie Leonard, president and chief executive officer of AMI, is a believer in training, and she is committed to safety.

“The more training craftsmen receive in their field, the more efficiently and safely they can work,” Leonard said.

Lincoln Inverter 350-amp power sources are hung from the wall of the New England School of Metalwork’s Mobile Weld Training Center.

“Welding has become a vast, technical field and training is absolutely essential to fully understand the characteristics and requirements of each welding process. When it comes to performing any hot work operation, safety is always the highest priority. One of the safety requirements for any hot work operation is the use of fire blankets to protect the area from sparks, slag and fire. We constructed the panels for the welding stations from fabrics that are certified to the new ANSI/FM 4950 Standard – the highest internationally recognized standard for quality, safety, and performance,” she added.

The particular panels designed for the Mobile Weld Training Center were a first for Auburn Manufacturing.

“We primarily produce fabrics but are also able to produce curtains and blankets with grommets for vertical protection,” Leonard said.

“Never had we combined translucent vinyl material with our high-heat fabrics to create such a finished welding structure. It was a fun project, and we are very pleased with the outcome.”

The production process began by visiting the school, taking measurements, then producing the panels. Leonard and other Auburn Manufacturing personnel personally installed the finished panels in the MWTC.

“It’s just one example of how we provide customized solutions for a given application,” Leonard said.

The Mobile Weld Training Center is a fully selfsufficient mobile training facility housed in a trailer that is 8 ft wide by 48-ft long, capable of training eight students at one time.

It is handicapped accessible and can be delivered to a company’s site. It can be ready to train in 10 minutes.

The actual training area occupies the first 36 ft of the mobile facility, with a soundproof utility room containing the generator and other mechanical equipment occupying the remainder of the trailer.

Welding equipment installed in the Mobile Weld Training Center includes eight Lincoln Inverter 350- amp inverter-style multi-process power sources.

School Instructor Warren Swan said the equipment gives him the flexibility to teach four welding processes (GMAW, GTAW, SMAW, and FCAW).

“Two of the 350s have an advanced process panel that allows pulse welding in the GMAW process. In addition, each power source is hooked to a Lincoln LN25 ‘suitcase’ wire-feeder for the GMAW and FCAW processes,” Swan said.

One of eight compact weld stations that fits in the mobile training center.

The Mobile Weld Training Center is designed to provide hands-on training and to serve as a classroom for trade theory, technical data and safet y training.

“We will be working with the American Welding Society (AWS) to certify the Mobile Weld Training Center as an accredited test facility. Welding certifications received in an accredited facility are recognized nationwide,” Swan said.

In addition to increasing the availability of training, the school also wanted to be able to introduce the welding industry to students in area school systems.

“Welders are in huge demand today. One way to promote welding is to visit schools with the Mobile Weld Training Center and give demonstrations to students who are considering different career options,” Swan said.

He added that the bottom line is that training raises the level of productivity and the quality of work, offering the public a better service with a higher profitability to the craftsman.

Buying consortium proves advantage for metal manufacturer Running a metal manufacturing company has never been more complex. From purchasing materials and finding skilled labor to marketing the shop and meeting sales goals, keeping up with the competition is a full time challenge. Russ Barnes, president and chief executive officer of H.E. Parmer Co. (www.heparmer.com), Inc., a mid-size metal manufacturing company based in Nashville, Tenn., said achieving success means strategically seeking out every economical advantage he can find. Barnes found one by joining the Prime Advantage program, a private buying group that is offered to members of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International. Founded in 1889, and one of the 15 oldest businesses still owned by the same family in Nashville, H.E. Parmer manufactures trailer fenders, trailer parts and custom sheet metal products. The company purchases sheet stock – steel, aluminum, and stainless steel – to fabricate its products, primarily fenders, used in the production of utility, vehicle, recreational, animal and other trailers. Though the company is among the largest fender manufacturers in the world, it’s a relatively small player in the metal purchasing sector, and Barnes constantly strives to cut costs. “We have to purchase metal from whoever offers the best price because a fender is a commodity. We make a consistent, quality product yet that doesn’t command a price position. We can’t compete with the price points of a larger metal purchasing corporation because we’ll get beat out,” Barnes said.