Virtual Welding Trainers

2. Virtual Welding Trainers Erin Justice, Lincoln Electric Ken Smith, Weld-Ed

3. Disclaimer • This slideshow was excerpted from a presentation presented by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority& Lafayette Workforce Investment Board. It has been modified as appropriate • This presentation is intended to be used as a basis for discussion about the use of virtual welding trainers in education

4. High Demand for Welders: Projected to be one of the highest number of added jobs per year in many areas of the country. Gap in the availability of skilled welders: aging workforce, reduction in welding programs in vocational schools, disinterest in welding occupation by current tech-savvy generation Increasing performance requirements for manufactured systems: raising the bar for structural fabrication and welders' skills to build these high-value components Why Virtual Reality Welding?

5. Virtual Reality Simulation History Immersive VR has been around a long time and was originally developed as a gaming platform. NASA adopted only after Flight Simulators came into being. Initially adopted by NASA and the Department of Defense. Continued use of virtual Reality is widely used in developing virtual prototypes in all types of design situations. Today price reductions in hardware and new software tools have pushed this type of simulation to many new applications.

6. Virtual Worlds

7. Virtual Reality Simulation Training Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA Full Mission Towboat LA Technical College Young Memorial Morgan City, LA Ship Handling LA Technical College Acadian Campus Crowley, LA Truck Driving

8. Virtual Welder Trainer Goal: Recreate the welding experience virtually: • Real welding gun for input • Measure movements • Simulate the welding physics • Create realistic visual / sound feedback

9. Virtual Reality Welding

10. Key Benefits • Improved workmanship and productivity:Unlike classroom or computer-based training, virtual reality creates a hands-on experience that augments visualization with muscle memory and kinetic awareness • Promotes faster learning: Trainees can complete more practice welds within a fixed amount of training time. VRSim's preliminary results indicate reduction in total training time by over 15% • Instant feedback: from each weld pass allows the trainee to hone the specific skills that need improvement until the full technique of laying a quality weld is achieved.

11. Increased training retention and improved trainee/worker safety: Welders learn new techniques or practice their skills in a safe environment without risk of injury Reduced training costs: Students can receive more hands-on practice welding without consuming expensive materials and cost of waste disposal is eliminated. Expanded training options: Virtual environment can be set for complex and critical welds involving expensive components Environmental concerns: Harmful emissions and/or waste materials are eliminated in a virtual environment Key Benefits

12. VRSim Development Developed by VRSim for EWI in an effort to improve employee retention in an Electric Boat Shipyard Combines haptic (or touch) simulation technology with real-time computer interaction. Provides fast, efficient skills transfer For novice and experienced welders Incorporates welding gun with haptic feedback and a custom headset through which the trainee experiences a realistic motion-tracked 3D welding environment Six welding bays are linked to a central console for instructors to monitor trainee performance and store weld information for future training analysis Welding delivered in flat, vertical, horizontal and overhead welding positions Ultimate realism. The virtual environment can be tailored to display real-world scenarios such as a vehicle repair on a battlefield or an industrial manufacturing setting U.S. list price is $50,000 in either a stand alone or instructor console driven configuration

13. Who's using VR welding? • US Army / Marine Corps • 4Front Engineered Solutions • Atscott Manufacturing Company • Edison Welding Institute (EWI) • General Dynamics Electric Boat • Glenn Metalcraft Incorporated • Lockheed Martin Corporation • Northrop Grumman • Schlagel Incorporated • South Dakota School of Mines and Technology • Team Industries

14. Additional locations using virtual welding units • California Penal (20 units) • Multiple Alaska school districts • CSX • Seabees • Australian Army • Australian Technical Schools • Shaw Industries

15. Where is VR Welder Training? Chippewa Valley Technical College- Eau Claire, WI Edison Welding Institute- Columbus, OH Johnson Center for Virtual Reality at Pine Technical College- Pine City, MN • SE Inst of Manufacturing & Technology at Florence-Darlington Technical College- Florence, SC • Thomas Nelson Community College- Hampton, VA • University of Alaska- Anchorage, AK

16. Barriers in Developing VR Welding Relatively high start-up and development costs. Need a system that can be integrated with existing Welding Association certified welder training curriculum. System must be usable and apply to critical industrial situations and meet the needs of businesses in local communities Finding resources to accommodate a community need for welders Acceptance by the welding / materials joining community Need for more capabilities Joint configurations Emulation of specific processes

17. To learn more • Erin Justice – Lincoln Electric 216-383-2012 Erin_justice@lincolnelectric.com • Ken Smith – Weld-Ed National Center 440-366-7027 ksmith@lorainccc.edu