Additive manufacturing technology, or 3D metal printing using layers of welds, enabled Newport News Shipbuilding to stay on schedule with construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 80) for the U.S. Navy. 

Regardless of how they’re used, all aerospace vehicles are manufactured and repaired according to specifications. Manufacturers and tiered suppliers have stringent requirements that govern their processes to ensure components meet the end requirements.

From welding and cutting machines to educational books and workplace safety equipment, these new products are supporting the marine construction and shipbuilding industries.

Today’s welding helmet technologies continue to evolve, and it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and how they can make a difference in your welding operations.

For construction contractors and steel erectors searching for ways to offset project slowdowns and labor challenges, paying attention to the following four tips on welding operations can help improve efficiency and performance on the jobsite.

Use of augmented reality is being used more and more in training programs across a variety of industries. With any newer technology, there is often a lack of familiarity to overcome, and augmented reality is no exception.

From automated work cells to soft-metal grinding wheels, these newly released products are facilitating the fabrication of metal parts for the aerospace industry.

Building the Future of Welding with Miller® MobileArc™

FABTECH 2022 is back in Atlanta, Ga., the state that is widely becoming known as the “Hollywood of the South.’’ The entertainment and arts scene in Atlanta has exploded as the go-to location in the world.

The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program will fund more than $368 million to 46 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

The additive manufacturing (AM) industry has been gaining headway with improved deposition rates, digitalization, and new facilities. Below is a summary of AM news from Sciaky Inc., the BMW Group, United Performance Metals, and Velo3D Inc.

These newly released products are making additive manufacturing of metal parts a more affordable and viable option.

Advanced high-definition optics for the most realistic view that’s clearer and brighter – before, during and after every weld.

What if someone told you it is possible to capture welding data for each weld joint on a particular structure? You can see everything from amperage and voltage information to data that show specifications have been met. Sounds too good to be true, right? It’s happening and helping manufacturers in the military, offshore and onshore wind, shipbuilding, nuclear, and more industries prove they’ve welded structures to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications and streamline approval processes.

These newly released products are helping users automate welding and cutting processes for improved safety, higher production rates, and enhanced quality.

Welding on the farm has a long tradition, and sometimes it’s all that keeps things moving. But farm welding brings its own challenges. Sometimes repairs need to be made where power isn’t available. Farming equipment and machines aren’t all made from the same metal. And let’s face it, farms come with dirt and, well, more than dirt. Neither mix well with welding.

Welding is a key ingredient in an ever-advancing manufacturing system for building products used in agriculture and other industries. Sharing, reproducing, and building upon ideas and concepts are key parts of this system.

Selecting the right safety equipment and garments is essential. This article discusses the critical factors when choosing personal protective equipment (PPE).

In a manufacturing environment, safety isn’t covered by a one-time seminar or meeting. Here are some tips for safe use of abrasive products and why safety is critical for the operator’s well-being and productivity.

Developing classroom curriculum and finding resources can be time-consuming. With Miller® AugmentedArc® Augmented Reality Welding System, you can save prep time and focus on teaching.

Despite the challenges created by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, AWS continued to recover from the effects of the pandemic and experienced favorable revenue growth and surplus growth for 2021.

COVID-19’s impact on the supply chain has opened everyone’s eyes to the importance of smoothly running global commerce and logistics. 

ESAB Corporation (NYSE: ESAB) announced today the launch of InduSuite (InduSuite.com), a brand-agnostic portfolio of software applications that revolutionizes workflow, quality, and business performance, to help fabricators and manufacturers improve operational efficiency. InduSuite offers three key benefits for mixed fleet customers: simplicity for accessing data and documents with an easy-to-use interface; real-time insight into performance, traceability, and workforce accountability; and an unprecedented level of control over metal fabrication operations.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a funding opportunity of $3.4 million for up to nine grants to attract and keep women in Registered Apprenticeship Programs and industries where they are underrepresented such as manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

Four educational products that can be used in the welding classroom or in the field.

StrataTech Education Group will provide $1 million in scholarships for skilled trade workers, Hobart Institute of Welding Technology is renovating its Welcome Center, and NASCAR Technical Institute has a new welding technology training program.

ASNT’s Industry Sector Qualification - Oil & Gas (ISQ-O&G) program is an advanced practical qualification exam without the full program cost. The purpose of the ISQ program is to provide the oil and gas industry with NDT personnel who have demonstrated competency in practical application of a specific technique through hands-on performance demonstration qualification examinations.

With the vast majority of energy harnessed and consumed in the United States still coming from fossil fuels, Strobel Companies primarily support the growth and distribution of liquid energy. Welding is key to its operations.

After 137 years, resistance welding continues to be a tried-and-true process. Thanks to advancements and new equipment, such as the ones included here, resistance welding continues to be at the forefront of many industries.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has launched its RobustFeed Pro Connect communication module so that users of competitive welders can increase performance and uptime by connecting to ESAB’s RobustFeed Pro portable wire feeder. RobustFeed Pro Connect works with Lincoln CV, Invertec V350 and Flextec 650 power sources and Miller Dimension and XMT models.

The birth of resistance welding (RW) goes back to the 19th century. Here, Don DeCorte, an American Welding Society (AWS) member for 42 years, shares stories and his thoughts about RW’s colorful history.

The $100,000 first-place prize in the Project MFG™ 2022 Integrated Manufacturing National Championship, a competition for students in career and technical training programs, will be awarded at the four-team final round in May.

Tube fabricators in the automotive industry must detect surface-related issues such as mismatch, insufficient and excessive scarfing, and hairlike scratches. The only way to do this is with a laser-based surface inspection system.

In the aftermath of the devastating tornado that ripped through Kentucky and several other states on December 10, one of the critical needs was to haul away massive amounts of debris and get businesses back up and running. To help these efforts, Harris Products Group came together with its distributor Airgas, an Air Liquide company, to quickly supply oxy-fuel torches and tips to several companies in Mayfield, Kentucky.

Hypertherm, a U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software,  announced its 2030 environmental sustainability goals, a set of four objectives the company will work to achieve this decade. The goals are designed to reduce Hypertherm’s use of resources, the carbon impact of its global operations, and address the impact caused by Hypertherm products in use.

ESAB Welding & Cutting Products recently announced that all HKS brand equipment, which includes the flagship WeldQAS Quality Assurance System for real-time monitoring and recording of arc characteristics, have been rebranded as ESAB products. HKS Prozesstechnik GmbH was founded in 1994 in Halle, Germany. ESAB acquired HKS in 2017 to reinforce the company’s strategic focus on automated welding and grow its suite of ESAB Digital Solutions.

Power tools and their batteries are rugged instruments designed to perform tough jobs, but they still require care to maintain safe, optimum performance. There are steps users can take to extend tool and battery life, and help keep power tools operating at peak performance for a longer life cycle.

Invigorated by a USA Luge silver medal World Cup team relay win in November 2021, and well poised with a range of planned activities, Saint-Gobain Abrasives, one of the world’s largest abrasives manufacturers and primary sponsor of the USA Luge Team, is prepared for an exciting competition at the Games in Beijing next month. As Norton | Saint-Gobain celebrates this year the 40^th anniversary of its partnership with the USA Luge Team, a scope of activities sponsored by Norton are slated to take place. Planned events include twenty “company watch parties” that will take place during the games, an Adopt-a-Luge athlete program, and a Luge Challenge event at a New England ski area.

Hampered by aging robotics and facing production challenges, a small company in Germany overcame its obstacles with newer, more-advanced technology.

Companies and welders are always looking for ways to improve their efficiency and ability to tackle difficult jobs. These new automation products will help make the most of a company’s uptime.

In 2011, facing a dearth of experienced pressure vessel welders, Enerflex a global oil and natural gas manufacturing and services supplier, embarked on a crucial automation project. The result: enhanced productivity and safety.

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is gaining popularity among fabricators for a wide variety of reasons, but the limits of what it can achieve have not nearly been achieved, making its future very promising.

On October 4–6, the brazing and soldering industry gathered in Denver, Colo., to share research, innovations, and fellowship at the 2021 International Brazing and Soldering Conference (IBSC). 

Welding metallurgy is a critical component in infrastructure projects, but it’s often not completely understood among certain communities. With greater knowledge of welding processes and techniques, design-build teams may save money, reduce project liability, and improve profitability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the manufacturing and industrial landscape in the United States. As we emerge from it, the shortages and supply chain shocks prevalent in its early stages have generated renewed federal interest in reshoring manufacturing capabilities. New processing and control tools will impact much of the landscape that will arise from this planned reinvestment. Significant enhancements in computing power have driven the development of many advanced manufacturing routes enabled by machine learning, artificial intelligence, mechanistic modeling, and process automation.

Linde announced that its U.S. welding, industrial, medical and specialty gas distribution business, Praxair Distribution Inc., legally changed its name to Linde Gas & Equipment Inc., effective October 11. At the same time, Linde Gas North America LLC merged into the new company. The change capitalizes on the strength of the Linde name and aligns with the One Linde philosophy adopted when Linde AG and Praxair, Inc. merged in October 2018.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, many have reflected on the ways in which COVID-19 has completely changed the way companies do business as well as their workflow processes.

The pandemic has uprooted day-to-day routines and affected the ability of companies, large and small, to operate effectively. Businesses have had to adjust on the fly, shifting to remote work and streamlining their processes to stay afloat. But beyond profit and job losses, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of domestic manufacturing, revealing the warning signs of what might happen should it not receive proper funding.

Dynetics Technical Solutions, Huntsville, Ala., is claiming to operate the largest electron beam welding system in the Western Hemisphere that enables its partners in the aerospace, defense, and commercial industries to manufacture with speed, scale, and quality.

IPG adds unique laser cleaning capabilities to the LightWELD handheld welder to provide fabricators better weld quality and simplified part finishing.

Newly released products for the brazing and soldering industry.

The evolution of electronics and devices must keep pace to meet today’s operator challenges. As technology in the electronics industry rapidly advances, electronic devices are getting smaller, faster, and more functional. Advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) are now double-sided with stacked multiple layers. Thus, they are far more complex than conventional PCB designs and contain more components in tighter spaces, creating high-density interconnect (HDI) PCB configurations.

Dive into the latest naval news making waves — from contracts for the manufacture of naval nuclear reactor components and fuel to a dive tank for multiple subsea applications — and so much more.

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) welcomed more than 1400 registrants from around the world to the 19^th annual Great Designs in Steel (GDIS) symposium. 2021 marked the symposium’s first virtual event.

Recently released products designed to increase quality and productivity for a variety of automotive applications.

Like many industries, the shipbuilding trade is navigating rough waters. An increasingly difficult business environment from consolidation, slowing growth rates, and uncertain political waters, combined with a critical shortage of workers as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic, has left many shipbuilders struggling to survive.

Here’s a range of recent news from Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota City, Japan; Ford Motor Co., Detroit, Mich.; Alcoa Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa.; BMW Mfg., Spartanburg, S.C.; and General Motors (GM), Detroit, Mich.

John Deere, Moline, Ill., is utilizing Intel’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology, piloting a solution that uses computer vision to automatically spot common defects in the automated welding process in its manufacturing facilities.

Copper, the first metal manipulated by humans to make everything from tools to jewelry, is now making headlines for another reason — its antimicrobial properties.

Hypertherm, a U.S.-based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, announced recipients of its 2021 Spark Something Great educational grant.

This article informs of products that are designed to increase productivity for a variety of applications involving pipe and tube, including transporting, heating, cutting, and welding.

Production technology company TRUMPF, Ditzingen, Germany, delivered a global experience with its virtual INTECH 2021 exhibition held on March 22 and 23. Approximately 3000 people from around the world registered for the in-house trade show, which highlighted the company’s newest sheet-metal fabrication and laser technologies.

ABB has launched a weekly podcast series featuring experts from industry and academia to explore the cutting edge of robotics and is also introducing two next generation collaborative robots (cobots).

Hypertherm, Hanover, N.H., a manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, is accepting applications for its Spark Something Great educational grant program.

The process of converting aluminum ore into the aluminum that we know and use every day was discovered relatively recently.

Ford Motor Co. is targeting production of 100 million medical-grade masks through 2021, General Motors has received N95 certification under NIOSH, and a partnership between Honda and GM is producing hand sanitizer.

The COVID-19 pandemic has differing impacts on businesses of all types across all industries.