The
Lincoln
Electric Co. partnered with the
American Welding
Society (AWS) to provide a hands-on welding
experience to attract new people to the
profession.
As part of this partnership, Lincoln Electric
recently provided VRTEX 360 Virtual Reality Arc
Welders for AWS’s new Careers in Welding Trailer
that debuted at FABTECH 2011, a metal forming,
fabricating, finishing and welding event.
The 53-foot expandable trailer, with 650-square
feet of exhibit space, includes five VRTEX®
systems - one stationed
outside the trailer and four inside. The AWS
mobile exhibit was designed to inspire prospective
students about careers in welding, especially
young people just starting out, as well as people
seeking a new career, by allowing them to try a
safe, hands-on experience with a variety of
welding processes.
The virtual reality weld training simulators allow
users to get first-hand experience of the
following:
- SMAW (stick), GMAW (MIG) and FCAW (flux-
cored) welding processes
- Multiple weld joint configurations and
welding positions
- A variety of real world welding
environments, including a welding school booth,
construction site and process piping location,
among others.
Lincoln Electric developed the virtual reality
weld training solution to enable schools to engage
and train new skilled welders more efficiently
with lower costs, and to allow shops to easily
integrate high-tech training tools into their in-
house curricula.
“Welders can learn more quickly when virtual
reality arc welders are part of the curricula. It
allows the student the opportunity to receive
real-time feedback as they weld and reinforces the
correction of improper technique. It also provides
the student the opportunity to try many more welds
without the impact or cost of materials and scrap
in a real welding training lab,” said Deanna
Postlethwaite, Marketing Manager, Lincoln Electric
Automation Division. “We’re pleased to have AWS
use our technology not only to showcase careers in
welding but also to show the industry the many
benefits of virtual reality training.”
AWS plans to take its mobile welding exhibit on
the road for 18 - 24 weeks a year at key industry
shows and events geared to future welders and
career changers.
Lincoln Electric also has been taking its VRTEX®
360 system on the road. It will
be on display at the PRI: Performance Racing
Industry show, Dec. 1-4, in Orlando, Fla., and at
the Power-GEN International show, Dec. 13-15, in
Las Vegas.
For more information on the VRTEX® 360 or to
request a demonstration, call (216) 383-2667 or
visit www.VRTEX360.com. You can also
see photos on the VRTEX 360 Facebook
page.
The Lincoln Electric Company
, headquartered in
Cleveland, Ohio, is a leader in the
design, development and manufacture of arc welding
products, robotic arc welding systems, fume
control systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting
equipment and has a leading global position in the
brazing and soldering alloys market.
