| | OCTOBER 202319CXO INSIGHTSVirtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have become popular tools in many industries for training purposes, and post-secondary is no exception.Welding TrainingWelding is a highly skilled trade that requires both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. At St. Lawrence College (SLC) in Ontario, Canada, the use of VR and AR in welder training has improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process. A number of AR and VR welding training units are now used in the mechanical technician, welding and fabrication technician, and welder apprenticeship programs at SLC.Welding involves creating temperatures hot enough to melt metal while upwards of hundreds of amps of electricity flow from the welder's electrode into the workpiece. Fumes are generated inches from the welder's face, and eyes can be damaged if not properly protected by a welding helmet. These conditions have associated safety concerns; however, using VR and AR in welder training provides a safe environment for practice. Enabled by today's cutting-edge graphics and software technologies, student welders can practice in a simulated environment that accurately mimics the real-world conditions of welding without the associated risks.What Makes it Possible?SLC deploys the units AugmentedArc® and MobileArcTM, as well as VRTEX®. While both simulate live welding accurately, the main difference is that the former, by Miller Electric, are AR units, where the helmet cartridge is transparent like a real welding helmet but allows the graphical welding simulation to be superimposed on the lens. The VRTEX®, by Lincoln Electric, features a helmet that is essentially a virtual reality headset worn by the user.Both product lines by Miller and Lincoln closely mimic the look and feel of real-life welding machines. This is a huge advantage for the student welder, as Miller and Lincoln products are ubiquitous across the welding industry. This article will focus on Miller's AugmentedArc® and MobileArcTM, both of which employ augmented reality.The units come with an assortment of "coupons," a term used in welder training and testing to depict standardized metal plates that the welder needs to join in a certain configuration, such as a tee joint, where one piece of metal needs to be perpendicularly joined to another. These coupons are plastic and are emblazoned with QR codes that hold the simulation data. To begin simulating welding, the student powers up the replica machine, puts on the helmet, and holds the electrode in their hand against the coupon, all steps like what is done in real life. The magic occurs as the student AR AND VR TECHNOLOGY IN TRAINING THE WELDERS OF THE FUTUREBy Daniel Liao, Dean, Applied Science, Technology, d Trades and Robbie Renaud, Program Coordinator, Welding and Fabrication Technician, St. Lawrence College, Ontario, Canada
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