TPT July 2010

I ndustry N ews

Wilkinson welding academy opens for training

most advanced and best equipped in the UK. Our fully qualified trainers have many years of practical welding experience, which will be invaluable to the trainees.” At the opening, Lord Mandelson said: “The Wilkinson Welding Academy is a model of what everybody should be doing in Salford, the North West and across the country.” Wilkinson Welding Academy – UK Fax: +44 161 728 7945 Email: info@wilkinson-welding-academy.com Website: www.wilkinson-welding-academy.com

SECRETARY of State for Business, Lord Mandelson, officially opened the Wilkinson Welding Academy, a ‘state of the art’, purpose built, hands-on practical welder training and welding theory training centre as part of Wilkinson Star Limited, the Worsley, Manchester based industrial equipment supplier’s strategy to further develop the welding skills needed in today’s industrial manufacturing for their distributor partners as well as their customers. The academy has 12 acoustic welding booths incorporating both high vacuum and low vacuum fume extraction systems, whilst equipment will include the very latest Cebora inverter based MIG, TIG and MMA welding products, including the recently Thatcham certified single phase Jaguar Double Pulse MIG Inverter as well as high definition plasma cutting equipment and a 5-axis robot welding cell to demonstrate the processes and speeds that can be obtained on repetitive component welding. All the equipment will have the latest electronic process controls. A number of standard and tailored training modules are now available including Health and Safety in welding, Electrics and Power supply requirements, MIG/MAG welding, TIG welding, MMA welding, plasma cutting, resistance welding plus modules on advanced MIG and TIG welding processes including pulse and double pulse welding, Synergic pulse welding and MIG brazing especially for the automotive and furniture manufacturing industries. The introduction of inverter based welding machines with new high technology process controlshas increasedthedemandforwelding high quality repetitive welds on components MCELROY University, the training division of McElroy, recently announced the addition of a productivity-focused class to the 2010 class schedule. The inaugural class will take place 17 May 2010. Registration is currently open for the class. Formore than30 years,McElroy has been the only pipe fusion machine manufacturer to continuously offer advanced training to enhance fusion technicians’ efficiency, productivity and safety in the proper use of machines and standards. McElroy University currently offers 23 classes per year at McElroy’s technical centre in Tulsa, Okla. McElroy University also conducts training in

including utilising new high strength yet lightweight materials as found in automotive manufacturing and repair. Training at the academy will give experienced and less experienced welders the opportunity to learn and use the latest equipment and see how user friendly the equipment really is, helping to eradicate some of the myths surrounding high technology equipment. Dr John Wilkinson OBE, chairman, Wilkinson Star Ltd said: “In order to fulfil the needs of today’s automotive, industrial and fabrication markets, to obtain and retain the necessary skills required our new Welding Academy is well positioned as one of the

McElroy productivity course Lord Mandelson at the opening of the Wilkinson Academy

the field at various locations throughout the world. The classes cover topics from operation, troubleshooting and rebuilding fusion machines, ranging from small to large diameter pipes and fusion machines. With the addition of the new Fusion Productivity and Project Management class, McElroy University will offer a total of 10 different courses to the public. Classes usually occur over the course of a few days. The new Fusion Productivity and Project Management course covers planning fusion projects. Topics include what equipment would work best in certain situations, setting

up job sites for optimal productivity and integrating productivity-enhancing tools into a job site plan. “This new productivity class was created in response to many of our end users, who are seeking to do more with less,” said Larry Gordon, manager of training at McElroy. “If we can teach more fusion technicians the best way to set up their job site, and work efficiently within that job site, it’s going to be much better for pipe fusion.” McElroy – UK Email: thenning@mcelroy.com Website: www.mcelroy.com

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J uly 2010

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