The potential false economy of augmented training.
Now to start this article let me say, as a Welding Engineer I am all for innovation, and I see that augmented training has its place in the welding industry.
However, the proposition that the introduction of augmented training is a direct and complete substitute to the “traditional” advanced welder training methodology is a misguided notion.
Change for the sake of change without fully examining the true cost of altering industry best practices can be dangerous in the long run.
Australia is currently in a unique position. We are about to embark on a series of taxpayer funded projects that are essentially designed to kick start our defence industry. We are all working to build Australia’s sovereign defence capability and industrial capacity. The success of this endeavour is fundamentally based on ensuring supply chain security, and supply chain security includes labour security.
Labour security is a complex concept and in the context of this argument, refers to the ability to competently carry out a task repeatedly and to have the capacity to carry out related tasks with minimal reskilling and training.
Welding is an advanced science and good welders are highly skilled craftsmen. Let us, for a second, consider what a welder is actually doing when depositing a weld.
When welding, a welder is essentially manipulating the fourth state of matter (plasma) to control the flow of molten metal to ensure adequate fusion of two parts. A good welder must consider, the effect of electromagnetic forces, surface tension effects, arc pressure effects, Lorentz force and gravity. At the same time, a welder must be aware of the effects of heat flux on residual stress build up, changes to solidification, the elemental reactions in the arc of weld, along with the ever-increasing need to improve productivity.
A good welder has to have the mindset, reflexes, and physical dexterity to manipulate the tip of an electrode to deposit a weld that will conform to the design requirements captured in a welding procedure specification.
But the task of a welder does not end there. A welder is subject to physical stress, that most of us rarely endure. Fully covered in leather gear to avoid burns, with repository and eye protection Darth Vader could relate to, and contorted into positions from the Kamasutra – a welder has to carefully position and tack up the asset and then deposit a weld taking into account all the factors mentioned earlier.
This takes skill.
Like any other skill, this is developed through an understanding of theory and hours and hours of physical practice.
The reality of this is cost.
To train quality welders, you have to invest in quality training. You have to invest in raw materials, consumables, mechanical testing, non destructive testing and trainers who have been welding for years. There is no shortcut, there are no substitutes. If quality is your priority, you have to put in the hard yards.
Augmented training is a fantastic way to introduce new welders to the some of the key rudimentary elements to consider when depositing a weld. Have an augmented welding set in every high school. Let’s get the next generation of welders interested. Absolutely yes!
There is plenty of published literature out there, some independent, but most by manufacturers, claiming a host of benefits of augmented training, and I am not disputing the legitimacy of these studies. However, look at the numbers closer. Most literature will claim that the benefit of augmented training, declines when we start welding anything more complex than a simple fillet weld.
Augmented welder training is NOT advanced welder training, and should not be pitched as such.
Doing so is a disservice to the men and women working to become welders. To understand the complexity of welding, you have to actually weld. As our colleagues at Huntington Ingalls said in a recent meeting where we were discussing training and skilling strategies “If you ain’t burnin’ you ain’t learnin’ “
When we are talking about the defence industry, we are talking about safety critical structures, where failure is not an option.
We must also remember that there is plenty of anecdotal and proprietary evidence to show that a repair weld is five times as costly as putting down the weld right the first time.
If we don’t train our welders correctly, have them understand the intricacies, complexities and challenges of the occupation, when you put them at the sharp end, they will fail.
You will have failed them and disrupted supply chain security.
I implore all those who are looking at training themselves or their staff to consider the true cost of training.
A saving in the short run can be very costly in the long run.
Reprinted with permission from the Author’s LinkedIn page: Rahim Kuriji