Fabtech International/AWS Welding Show offered the venue for the Industrial Laser Community's (ILC) inaugural Laser Cutting Certificate program. The intent of the program was to allow attendees to participate in an interactive, hands-on demonstration optimizing the operating of a CNC laser cutting machine.
ILC Chairman Neil Ball considers the event to have been a great success. He offers the following report: "The program went off without a hitch; the students were enthusiastic and asked lots of intelligent questions. The OEM technicians were professional and articulate. Mr. Ian Ferguson was an exceptional instructor and the student feedback forms scored the course 5 out of 5. We had a diverse group of students: a community college instructor, engineers, plant managers, and a process specialist from one of the gas companies as well as a senior engineer with a steel provider."
Interestingly, Ball notes that four of the 13 students were intending to buy lasers for the first time, "They felt the class would help them determine what their actual requirements were."
Ball also gives special thanks to the participating OEMs. The organizing committee intends to meet before year end to review the program and lay out plans for next year.