Schedule

Monday – Thursday 8:00AM to 5:00PM daily (one-hour lunch break 12:00-1:00PM)

Course Overview

This course will introduce shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), stressing safety, study & practice as the key components to learning. Students will be immersed in the intensive study of SMAW, moving from a broad overview through padding & positions before working together on a class project. 

Learning Outcomes

Students will learn & understand the following:

• A thorough understanding of the safety precautions for arc welding & an awareness of the importance of safety in welding
• A basic understanding of the shielded metal arc process & equipment along with the key variables that affect the quality of welds (electrode selection, polarity & amperage, arc length, travel speed & electrode angles)
• Striking & controlling the arc
• Visual inspection & quality control
• Welding distortion & how to control it
• Guidelines for electrode selection & the use of low hydrogen electrodes
• Overview & use of plasma & torch cutting

Resources

• Leather work boots
• Cotton pants/shirt (no synthetic materials)

Determination of Credit

Each intensive will include two primary components:

• 32 hours of in-person instruction at the NIT shop
• Completion of the Student Workbook

Student workbooks are developed using NIT’s curriculum and will include reading assignments, vocabulary and key concept reviews, independent exercises, embedded video content with required responses, knowledge checks, safety highlights, and a final independent written project