“Job Weld Done”

            When given the assignment to conduct research on a job that deals with computers, networking, and software, I can almost guarantee that the very last job most people would think of would be a welder.  Don’t worry, it was quite a shock to me too!  I spoke to my friend Luke, who is indeed a welder and field warehouse supervisor for a company called Great Basin Industry (GBI).  We had spoken before on an informal basis about his job and the type of things he does on a day to day basis.  So when reading the details for this week, I immediately thought of him.

            Welding begins and ends with computers.  The initial idea begins in the engineering department where the design and structural issues are tackled.  Of course, this is done on a computer with specialized software.  Next, the project manager gets involved.  He also uses specific programs to estimate the man power, hours, and supplies needed, and form a tentative budget for the project.  The field supervisor is the man in charge on the job site.  Everything fails or succeeds with him.  He must be in constant contact with the project manager, mainly through email, to stay on schedule and within the budget.

            Luke will receive a list of estimated equipment needed to complete the job via email.  Nearly every step needed to complete his job from here is done in the virtual world.  He begins contacting suppliers online, located anywhere from California to Texas, and comparing quality and price of the needed products.  A major factor in determining which supplier to purchase from comes down to time.  Not only do they need quality products at the best possible price, they also need to be able to have it onsite in the least amount of time.  This goal is achieved through the usual routes of Fed Ex, and UPS, again depending on time and budget constraints.  Each piece of equipment is logged and tracked through a barcode that is scanned using a phone, and relayed to the main computer system, so that they are always aware of the exact location of each piece of equipment owned by GBI.

            When all the required tools and equipment have been ordered, purchased, and shipped to the warehouse, a trucking company must be found (usually through a search on……you guessed it, Google!) to load and transport it to the job site.  Once onsite and unloaded, the computers REALLY take over.  The sheer level of technology that is used is absolutely incredible to me!  One of the tools used is called a plasma torch.  It is actually programmed, by a drafter before it is shipped out, with very specific radius and diameter measurements for each individual sheet that must be cut.  This boils down to anywhere between five and one thousand different cuts!  Another amazing piece of equipment is called the girth welder.  This is actually connected to a computer system through what they call “brain cables”, and the computer drives the welder.  This machine alone cuts their man hours down from two days to one hour!

            One of the last steps was the most astounding to me.  Every single weld that is made is actually x-rayed, onsite, by a computer!  What?  Yes, you read that correct.  A technician brings a computer onsite that will x-ray each individual weld to check for any errors or issues that could make it potentially unstable.  There are, of course, many other steps, but it is easy to see how technology fuels the entire process from idea to construction to inspection. It is so computer oriented that most of the workers are actually referred to as “operators” rather than “welders” because they, in fact, operate a machine that does the welding rather than welding themselves!