Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is an outcome based course utilizing a lecture/lab format. This course includes, but is not limited to: classroom discussions, multimedia presentations, and lab demonstrations covering technical skills. Course competencies will include: technical concepts, safety, fundamentals of operation, and communication skills.

At the beginning of the course, the course syllabus will identify the methods used to evaluate student progress and the criteria for assigning a course grade. The student will be evaluated on his/her ability to demonstrate the development of course competencies. The methods of evaluation may include one or more of the following: oral or written examinations, quizzes, written assignments, welding tests, safe work habits, task performance, and work relations.

EXPECTED STUDENT COMPETENCIES 

Careers in the Welding Industry

• Uses of Welding
  • Name examples of items that have used some types of welding during their manufacturing.
  • Describe the responsibilities and duties of the welder in various positions.
  • Explain the different training requirements for various types of welding related jobs.

Oxygen Fuel Cutting

• Understand theory of operation
• Define oxygen fuel cutting process.
• Discuss exothermic reaction.
• Describe its uses.
• Know limitations
• Explain why cutting process does not work for other metals than carbon steel.

Safety practices

• Discuss care, storage, and handling of cylinders.
• List the steps for set-up and shut-down.
• Explain the method of lighting and adjusting a torch.
• Explain two methods for leak checking.
• Describe personal safety procedures.

Gas Physics (Oxygen and Acetylene)

• Explain pressure and volume changes.
• Describe properties of acetylene and oxygen
• Define explosive limits.
• Describe properties of alternative fuel gases.
• Compare and contrast cylinder construction of acetylene and oxygen cylinders.

Fundamentals of operation

•  Interpret oxygen fuel gas cutting chart to adjust pressures.
•  Identify flame types.
•  Describe correct torch to tip distance.
• Describe torch angle applications.
• Describe correct travel speed characteristics.
• Utilize chart for trouble shooting a cut.

Shielded Metal Arc Welding

• Define Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW).
• Discuss history and development
• List advantages, disadvantages, and uses.

Fundamentals of Electricity 

• Define current, voltage, resistance and power.
• Define open circuit voltage and arc voltage.
• Explain the difference between alternating current and direct current.
• Explain how the two compare.
• Describe the function of a transformer and a rectifier.
• Explain the difference between primary power and secondary power.

SMAW power sources.

• Discuss classification based on input, current type, and out put characteristics.
• Explain the NEMA rating system.
• Analyzes how duty cycle affects a power source.
• Explain how resistance will effect welding lead diameter and length. 

Types of welding current.

• List the types of currents used in welding.
• Explain direction of electron flow.
• Interpret chart to determine current type and amperage range for a given electrode.
• Analyze arc characteristics when using AC, DCEP, and DCEN.

Arc Blow

• Define edge effect and ground effect.
• List causes of arc blow.
• List cures for arc blow
• Describe welding techniques to cope with arc blow.

Mild steel electrodes

• Define American Welding Society's classification system.
• Identify flux compositions.
• Explain electrode categories based on fast freeze, fast fill, fill freeze, and low hydrogen.
• Explain the advantages and uses of electrodes in each category.
• Explain the significance of each part of AWS carbon and alloy steel covered electrode classification system.
• Explain the importance of matching alloyed electrodes to the base metal to be welded.

Fundamentals of operation

• Discuss the importance of the following terms: arc length, travel angle, work angle, travel speed, and amperage.

Safety

• Student will understand and practice personal safety.
• Use proper protective gear.
• Understand situation awareness
• Maintain the proper attitude/safe state of mind.
• Students will understand and practice equipment (machine) safety.
• Describe the safety procedures required in the use of a welding machine and cutting system.
• Describe electrical safety procedures.
• Recognize dangerous electrical connections.
• Student will understand aspects of the welding industry that effect the environment.
• Describe the effects of hazardous materials and welding exhaust emissions on the atmosphere.
• Utilize correct procedures when working in or around containers or vessels.

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

•  Fundamentals of operation
• Describe typical applications for GTAW welding.
• List the equipment needs for GTAW welding
• GTAW Power Source
• Describe the type of output current needed.
• List the three types of welding currents.
• Describe the effect that each current has on the arc.
• Analyze the control board to determine the function of all the controls.

GTAW Torches

• Identify the different types of GTAW welding torches.
• Explain why some type of cooling is needed for the GTAW torch.
• Describe the different types of torch heads.
• Describe the different hoses that connect the torch to the welder.
• Define the purpose for each hose.
• List the components needed for installing a tungsten electrode in a torch.
• Identify the purpose of the parts.
• Explain nozzle size and application.

Shielding Gases

• List the different gases used for GTAW welding
• Describe the welding characteristic that each shielding gas or gas mixture produces.

Tungsten Electrodes

• List the types of tungsten used as electrodes.
• Out line the advantages of each type of tungsten electrode.
• Identify the different types of tungsten by their color code.
• Explain the AWS classification system.
• List the methods by which the tungsten is prepared.
• Explain the reasoning for balling and sharpening a tungsten electrode.

Safety

• Identify special safety precautions with GTAW welding.
• Cylinder care and storage.
• High frequency shock potential
• Ventilation requirements for special alloys
• Flammability of certain alloys

Welding Aluminum

• Describe machine set-up procedures.
• Describe the technique for welding aluminum.
• Identify filler metal classification system.
• List the factors that will influence a contaminated puddle.
• Welding Mild Steel and Stainless Steel
• Describe machine set-up procedures.
• Describe the technique for welding mild steel and stainless steel.
• Identify filler metal classification system.
• List the factors that will influence a contaminated puddle.

Gas Metal Arc Welding

• Fundamentals of Operation
• Describe typical applications for GMAW welding.
• List the equipment needed for GMAW.
• Describe the function of each part of a GMAW unit.

GMAW Power Source

• Describe the type of output current needed.
• List the type of current needed.
• Analyzes the control board to determine the function of all the controls.
• Describe the function of the wire feeder and the power source.
• Explain the term constant-voltage and constant current as related to GMAW welding.
• Describe how the gun manipulation affects welding power, arc characteristics, and penetration.
• Define slope and inductance and describe its effects on the weld.

Metal Transfer

• Name the five types metal transfers.
• Explain how each metal transfer works.
• Describe the advantages of each metal transfer.
• List the shielding gases and their effects on the transfer.
• Relate the metal transfer modes to welding positions.

Electrode Specifications

• Explain the AWS classification system.
• Describe the electrode diameter differences and its effects on deposition.
• Explain the significance of each part of the AWS solid wire filler metal classification.
• Give examples of uses for each of the major types of solid wire filler metals.

Flux Cored Arc Welding

• Fundamentals of Operation.
• Describe typical applications for FCAW welding.
• List the equipment which is needed for FCAW welding
• List the similarities between GMAW and FCAW.

FCAW Power Source

• Describe the type of output current needed.
• List the polarity needed for common electrodes.
• Analyze the control board to determine the function of all the controls.
• Describe the function of the wire feeder and the power source.
• Explain the term constant-voltage and constant current a related to GMAW welding.
• Describe how the gun manipulation affects welding power, arc characteristics, and penetration.
• Define slope and inductance and describe its effects on the weld. 

Shielded and Self Shielded Electrodes

• Explain the AWS classification system for FCAW electrodes.
• Describe the function of the flux.
• Compare and contrast Shielded and self shielded electrodes.
• Constituents of the flux
• Effects of external shielding gas
• Polarity difference.
• Explain the effects of wire diameter on deposition rate.
• Explain the significance of each part of the AWS tubular wire type classification system.
• Give examples of uses for each of the major types of tubular filler metal

Human Relations

• Student will develop team work skills
• Work constructively in teams
• Share equal responsibilities and duties with in a team.
• Develop team tactics in problem solving.
• Student will learn how to interact with co-workers in compliance with the norms set by industry.
• Work constructively with a partner and exhibit cooperation and allow for full participation.
• Resolve conflicts that may arise in a professional manner.
• Student will learn how to interact with supervision in compliance with the norms set by         industry.
• Follow the instructor's directions in a positive manner.
• Relay relative information back to the instructor for further direction.

Communication Skills

• Student will develop a working knowledge of the vocabulary used in the  welding industry.
• Demonstrate spelling skills with emphasis on the industry vocabulary.
• Use correct vocabulary terms
• Student will develop technical reports.
• Prepare laboratory reports.
• Student will develop verbal communication skills.
• Participate in classroom discussions.
• Formulate questions