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	<title>Visionary Welding</title>
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	<description>An Exceptional Welding Engineering Blog</description>
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		<title>Visionary Welding</title>
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		<title>The Welding Eye in Team</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/the-welding-eye-in-team/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/the-welding-eye-in-team/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Core Process Expertise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engineering Staffing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robotic Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Class Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Degreed Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welded Assemblies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=667</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How do you get welding excellence in new-product-launch in manufacturing?  Skilled contributors working with great teamwork. But what does that mean, and how does it work? Everyone has heard "there is no "I" in TEAM". Still, every team member is an Individual. They need a good "eye" for how they view themselves, their team, and their roles.

The Law of the Niche says that every player on a team has a place where they add the most value. Their niche position takes advantage of a blend of their greatest skills. Exceptional welding automation is produced by individuals with respect for each other's niche skills in tooling, controls, and welding expertise, who are focused on exceptional results. Every team-member is like the turtle on the fencepost, who didn't get there on his own.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=667&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/the-welding-eye-in-team/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">Eye</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">MostOfTheWeldingEngineers</media:title>
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		<title>Top 10 Strategies for Expensive Welding Automation</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/top-10-strategies-for-expensive-welding-automation/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/top-10-strategies-for-expensive-welding-automation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:06:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Operations Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[These are my Top 10 Production Management Strategies for Expensive Welding Automation in the manufacturing plant:

1.“Just run it – that’s why we have weld repair”
<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=621&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/top-10-strategies-for-expensive-welding-automation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Turnkey Illusions – How to Avoid Pitfalls When Outsourcing Welding Automation</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/turnkey-illusions-avoid-pitfalls-when-outsourcing-welding-automation/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/turnkey-illusions-avoid-pitfalls-when-outsourcing-welding-automation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:45:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Core Process Expertise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robotic Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unqualified Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Class Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equipment Manufacturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flexible Automation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[High-profit Expertise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Materials Joining Engineering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welded Assemblies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=202</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“You can easily purchase high-performance welding automation “turnkey” without needing in-house welding expertise, because the integrator is “the expert”.”  Really? That’s a familiar idea. But it's just a manufacturing management MYTH.

Chances of success? Less than 10%. That's how you get poor to mediocre welding automation performance, like all your competition has.  It usually produces small profit margins. Is that the solution that will REALLY help you survive and get stronger? Still want to try it again?
The rare "high-profit expertise" approach will deliver a level of success that the "low-cost" turnkey myth never can.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=202&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/turnkey-illusions-avoid-pitfalls-when-outsourcing-welding-automation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">WeldSparks</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://weldsparks.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/pa050462-sm.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">ABB robot welding integration</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Weaknesses in Integrating Welding Systems with Robots</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/weaknesses-in-integrating-welding-systems-with-robots/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/weaknesses-in-integrating-welding-systems-with-robots/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:41:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Continuous Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robotic Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Class Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DFM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DFSS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equipment Manufacturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Six Sigma Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding 8-D]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Equipment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Systems Testing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA["What is expected of a welding inverter" in order to be able to interact with a robot?  Common, logical question for a welding equipment marketing guy, right? And yet, hidden under the tip of that question like the 90% of an underwater iceberg, is the real question of ship-sinking power: what welding system interfacing and content will really earn the respect and repeat business of an end-user customer? Welding processes are too complex to achieve world-class welding stability and performance levels in demanding high-volume automation, without carefully studying and designing systems to achieve that level of performance. For the most part, robots are capable of delivering.  For the most part, welding systems are not.  Any content that is not skillfully designed to be there... won't be.  Surprise!<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=491&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/weaknesses-in-integrating-welding-systems-with-robots/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">WeldSparks</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://weldsparks.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/mig-processfishbone.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">MIG-ProcessFishbone</media:title>
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		<title>Poll – Biggest Obstacle to American Welding Excellence</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/poll-biggest-obstacle-to-american-welding-excellence/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/poll-biggest-obstacle-to-american-welding-excellence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:51:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poll]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineering Poll]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=453</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Welding (or Materials Joining) Engineers, please vote on our latest poll, or view the results so far: What do you think are the Top 2 biggest obstacles to welding excellence in American manufacturing, in the facilities you are personally familiar with? (For Qualified Voters: Please, only vote if you are functionally experienced and/or titled and/or [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=453&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/poll-biggest-obstacle-to-american-welding-excellence/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">WeldSparks</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Most Disruptive New Paradigm Technologies</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/most-disruptive-new-paradigm-technologies/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/most-disruptive-new-paradigm-technologies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Feb 2010 03:05:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Technologies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Materials Joining Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TIP-TIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Class Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmark Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Continuous Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Disruptive Technologies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economic Upheaval]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FSW Friction Stir Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HLAW]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Laser Scan Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MIAW]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technical Experts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=343</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What are the most powerful, the most disruptive new paradigm-shifting technologies for manufacturing?  That's an important question, but it's not the most critical one. The question that any leading company executive or engineering manager really needs to answer is this one:

"Which new paradigm-shifting technologies can I take full "disruptive" advantage of in my marketplace segment or new segments?"

Answering that question effectively requires research and analysis, as well as a keen visionary eye.  Because in evaluating a new technology for feasibility and disruptive profit potential, you must accurately envision what can realistically be, not what already is. Here is my short list of the most disruptive manufacturing technologies, which have potential to create devastating new paradigms for manufacturing companies who harness them effectively.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=343&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/most-disruptive-new-paradigm-technologies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">WeldSparks</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">TIP-TIG_pkg</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://weldsparks.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/welding_trumpf_trulasercell.jpg?w=300" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Welding_Trumpf_TruLaserCell</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">RofinLaserScanWelding</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://weldsparks.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/tip-tig.jpg?w=161" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">TIP-TIG</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Cutting Costs or Slow-Motion Suicide</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/cutting-costs-or-slow-motion-suicide/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/cutting-costs-or-slow-motion-suicide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:45:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career Blindsides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Continuous Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR - Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Staff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cost Reductions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Managers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management Philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management Styles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technical Experts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=313</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[America has a wildly popular and successful internal business management recipe for putting our own companies out of business: shift focus from getting more profitable, to "cutting costs".

It's a subtle yet critical difference.  "Cutting costs" seems harmless and sounds sooo responsible.  But it tends to ignore the value and necessity of essential core technical expertise and instead mislabels them as financial liabilities that could be trimmed.  Is it a matter of ignoring, or of ignorance?  Instead of pressing groups for ideas and project execution to improve profits, they press for input on which essential business functions to cut. The mantra is usually "we all hate to do this, but we don't have any choice."  The result of this lose-lose is a painful decision to eliminate the very expertise that drives the effectiveness of Continuous Improvement, visionary process quoting, training, process stability, IT systems, and much more.  In short, it creates a top-down management culture of plant-closing through "slow-motion-suicide".<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=313&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/cutting-costs-or-slow-motion-suicide/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
	
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			<media:title type="html">WeldSparks</media:title>
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		<title>The Fall Guys</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/fall-guys/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/fall-guys/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:54:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Career Blindsides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engineering Staffing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unethical Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Managers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poetry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiters]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Scapegoating - the practice of selecting a "fall guy" to take the blame, thus deflecting deserved outrage away from those at fault, and saddling the (mostly) innocent with undeserved suffering, penalties, and a mud-smeared reputation.  Of course the most dastardly versions of scapegoating fire the fall-guy so that he can't defend himself or correct the concocted stories.  And if his boss is too noble to go along with the ploy, well, you have to fire him too.  But one of the most neglected aspects is illustrating the penalties and costs paid by the people still at the company... however long it might survive its' management malpractices.

Last year (not long ago), a consulting engineer mentioned to me that he had lost track of how many times executive staff had used him as a scapegoat.  And not long ago, I was inspired to write a poem that I suspect many can relate to.  I've decided to publish it here, as my tip of the hat to all those talented, honest and dedicated engineers who have suddenly found themselves struggling for breath and blinking at the sky as the Fall Guys. May it inspire better decisions, greater boldness, more nobility, and a more wisely wary outlook for all.
I personally know several people who can intimately relate to such episodes. I've also met a few who pretend that such unethical behavior is only wrong if you get caught. I assert that real men are more grounded in reality than that, and that noble behavior is not dead - like stepping up and admitting that you didn't listen and made a poor decision.  But with nervous manufacturing staff feeling more at risk in a depression economy, has scapegoating become a more widespread problem in engineering and management circles?  If so, what are the causes?  And how can we work to prevent or avoid such situations?<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=292&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>The Weld Shop Role of CWI’s and NDT Inspection Techs</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/the-weld-shop-role-of-cwis-and-ndt-inspection-techs/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/the-weld-shop-role-of-cwis-and-ndt-inspection-techs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:07:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Welding Careers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Certified Welding Inspector]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CWI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NDT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=281</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is no question in my mind that there's a great need for "skilled non-WE technicians/inspectors in the industry". The level of that need depends on what the exact industry is, more specific than the "welding industry" which includes everything that gets welded. The more welding codes involved, the more exotic the materials, the thicker the materials, the more demanding the customer application, and the lower the annual volumes, the more likely it is that many or all of the customers will require a CWI environment in order to assure quality and reduce risks.
In manual welding environments these skilled technicians provide valuable, accurate on-the-floor analysis of welding quality, and to varying degrees a source of techniques and hands-on training. In many cases (especially true if there is no WE), it takes a CWI to establish facts of welding quality in the floor culture, and dissolve mythical opinions and expertise which are "tribally" assigned. In the absence of these technicians, a Welding Engineer will spend a great deal of time in welding, yet be stripped of a lot of time to engineer.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=281&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	
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		<title>Where Pulse Waveforms Meet Excellence</title>
		<link>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/where-pulse-waveforms-meet-excellence/</link>
		<comments>http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/where-pulse-waveforms-meet-excellence/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:54:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Brian Dobben</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Core Process Expertise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulsed GMAW MIG/MAG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Welding Engineer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Class Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Automotive Welding Engineering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Benchmark Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Manufacturing Welding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulse MIG]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pulse Waveform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welded Assemblies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welding Automation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://weldsparks.wordpress.com/?p=272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some say that “a factory waveform is already optimized and pulse is pulse”.  That’s ignorance. The Pulse-GMAW process is the waveform, and hinges on the consistency of waveform reproduction and stability. Every waveform produces a unique balance in target criteria such as travel speed, deposition rate, resistance to burn-through, spatter production, out of position capability, fit-up gap variations, sidewall penetration, bead width/depth, etc.  Whenever stepping into the potential advantages of pulsed-GMAW (pulsed MIG/MAG), you need to exercise caution to avoid stepping into a nightmare and unleashing a costly disease on your company, and be aware that you may have to explore welding system retrofits as a first step.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=weldsparks.wordpress.com&amp;blog=6724407&amp;post=272&amp;subd=weldsparks&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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