NEWS OF THE INDUSTRY Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy Awarded $2.2 Million Grant The Waco Independent School District, Waco, Tex., has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to further enhance the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy. The school opened its doors in August and is now teaching welding skills to students from Waco and the surrounding GE Researchers Experiment with 3D Painting to Build Up and Repair Parts GE researchers recently announced they are using a process called cold spray where metal powders are sprayed at high velocities to build a part or add material to repair an existing part. Also known as 3D painting, cold spray demonstrates a blend of materials, process, and product function that can — in the immediate future — transform repair processes for industrial and aircraft components such as rotors, blades, shafts, propellers, and gear boxes. Future benefits include extended product lifespan and reduced manufacturing time along with material costs. To view a demonstration, visit the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXGOZ5ns3Zo&feature=youtu.be. Northwest Pipe Co.’s Tubular Products Group Earns Largest Project in Its History Northwest Pipe Co., Vancouver, Wash., will provide about 400 miles of 123⁄4-in. line pipe for the Double H Pipeline project to transport crude oil from Dore, N.Dak., to Guernsey, Wyo. “The ability for Northwest Pipe Co. to participate on projects like Double H is the result of $35 million of investments that have been made in our Atchison Kansas facility over the last several years. These investments have allowed us to continue to expand our product offering both in wall thickness and strength level on line pipe up to 16 in. in diameter,” said Scott Montross, company CEO. Apple Secures Patent for New FSW Method The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published a series of 41 newly granted patents for Apple, Inc., Cupertino, Calif. Included is an invention relating to friction stir welding (FSW). U.S. Patent 8,556,156 — dynamic adjustment of FSW process parameters based on weld temperature — lists the inventor as Shravan Bharadwaj, San Jose, Calif., with the assignee as Apple, Inc. The abstract states that a method for FSW is provided, and it may include beginning an operation by directing a rotating FSW tool along a joint between two parts; a temperature of the resulting weld may be measured; a controller may adjust process parameters associated with this process to decrease a difference between weld desired and measured temperatures; desired temperature may correspond to a temperature at which parts are plasticized; and process parameters may include rotational speed of the FSW tool, feed rate, axial force along the FSW tool length, and tilt angle of the FSW tool. Sheet Metal Work Gets Efficiency Boost Through New Technology After receiving feedback from members, the International Training Institute (ITI), Fairfax, Va., put a new web-based area. The grant is part of the federal government’s $89.8 million in Magnet School Assistance Program grants featuring a goal to promote courses within magnet schools that will strengthen knowledge of academic subjects and attainment of tangible vocational skills. “Our vision for the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy is to prepare Waco area students for productive employment, success in postsecondary education, or both,” said Waco Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Bonny Cain. “Right now, we know that many of our local manufacturing businesses need welders, so we’re trying to meet that demand.” The school district plans to use the grant awarded to the academy for purchasing additional equipment and consumables, provide professional development staff and students, plus expand the school’s curriculum. 10 JANUARY 2014 Welding is taught at the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy, and this substantial grant will be used in many ways, including to purchase extra equipment and consumables. GE researchers are developing new ways to repair and build up parts using a process called cold spray. Here, GE Materials Engineer Leo Ajdelsztajn prepares a test in one of the company’s spray booths.
Welding Journal | January 2014
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