Students to compete for welding honors.
Press Release Summary:
Among highlights of 2008 FABTECH® International and AWS Welding Show, Oct. 6-8 in Las Vegas, AWS Skills Competition Weld-Off will test students' welding skills. Competition requires welders to complete standard test weldments on plate and pipe, sheet metal projects in aluminum and stainless steel, and a pressure vessel. Welds will be judged by AWS Certified Welding Inspectors for soundness and appearance. Written skills and welding code interpretation will also be considered.
Original Press Release:
Students to Compete for Welding Honors
3-Day Competition Planned at FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show
DEARBORN, Mich., June 30, 2008 - Sparks will fly at the AWS Skills Competition Weld-Off, an event testing students' welding skills. The Weld-Off, a component of the SkillsUSA Competition, is among the highlights of the 2008 FABTECH® International & AWS Welding Show, Oct. 6-8 in Las Vegas.
Six finalists, selected from 24 student welders that participated in the SkillsUSA Championships in 2007 and 2008, will compete in the Weld-Off this year and only three will qualify to advance to the SkillsUSA U.S. Open Weld Trials in 2009. The U.S. Open Weld Trials Champion will represent the United States at the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 2009.
The AWS Skills Competition Weld-Off, sponsored by the American Welding Society (AWS), requires welders to demonstrate their skills by completing standard test weldments (plate and pipe), sheet metal projects in aluminum and stainless steel, and a pressure vessel. Welds will be judged by AWS Certified Welding Inspectors for soundness and appearance. Written skills and welding code interpretation also will be considered.
The Weld-Off takes place in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Show attendees can view the contestants in action and witness the excitement of the three-day competition.
The AWS U.S. Open Weld Trials winner will receive a four-year scholarship sponsored by The Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. worth $40,000 from the AWS Foundation, a four-year AWS membership, an AWS Certification and up to $1,000 in AWS publications.
The SkillsUSA program includes local, state and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills.
"This competition is a way for students to test their welding skills in a competitive environment that is both exciting and educational," said Dennis Marks, managing director, education services, AWS. "These students are passionate about welding and we are excited to watch them grow into the future leaders of this industry."
Cosponsored by the American Welding Society (AWS), Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Int'l (FMA) and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and supported by industry partner the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the show is the largest event in North America dedicated to showcasing a full spectrum of metal forming, fabricating, stamping, tube and pipe, and welding equipment and technology. The event is expected to bring in an estimated 20,000 attendees and more than 800 exhibitors. Thousands of buyers and sellers from across the globe will gather at the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show in Las Vegas to exchange products and services, network with peers, preview new products, problem-solve, and educate the industry on the latest technologies.
The 2008 show also will include a METALFORM Pavilion that will display innovations in stamping technology. This pavilion was added as a result of the recently announced new strategic alliance with the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), the producer of METALFORM shows since 1981. The first official combined exhibition will take place in November 2009, where METALFORM will co-locate with the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show at McCormick Place in Chicago.
For more information about the 2008 FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show or to register to attend, visit www.sme.org/fabtech, www.fmafabtech.com or www.aws.org/show. For customer service, call SME at (800) 733-4763, or (313) 425-3000 (outside the U.S. and Canada). Or, call FMA at (800) 432-2832, or (815) 399-8755 (outside the U.S. and Canada).
ABOUT AWS:
The American Welding Society is the largest organization in the world dedicated to advancing the science, technology, and application of welding and allied processes, including joining, brazing, soldering, cutting, and thermal spray. AWS provides a variety of industry services, including welding certifications, educational programs, scholarships and workforce development through its foundation and publications. Visit the Society's Web site at www.aws.org.
ABOUT FMA:
The Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Int'l is a non-profit educational association dedicated exclusively to metal forming and fabricating professionals. FMA brings the metal forming and fabricating community together through networking sessions, educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and award programs, and provides the tools and resources needed by companies to improve operations. Visit www.fmanet.org for more information.
ABOUT SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (www.sme.org) is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical communities and chapters worldwide.
ABOUT PMA:
The Precision Metalforming Association is the full-service trade association representing the $91-billion metalforming industry of North America-the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating and other value-added processes. Its nearly 1200 member companies include metal stampers, fabricators, spinners, slide formers and roll formers as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. Members are located in 30 countries, with the majority found in North America in 41 states of the United States as well as Canada and Mexico. Visit www.pma.org.
ABOUT NAM:
NAM is the nation's oldest and largest broad-based industrial trade association representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Visit the NAM Web site at www.nam.org for more information about manufacturing and the economy.
