Timiskaming District Secondary School Purchases an XVC 1000 Weld Camera Kit
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Chris Code back in May of 2016 at the Skills Ontario Competition for Secondary Schools, the largest of its kind in Canada. Chris is a teacher and weld instructor at Timiskaming District Secondary School (TDSS) and he had students participating in the event. TDSS offers a special program in Northern Ontario called the Specialist High Skills Major Program (SHSM) in manufacturing. The program gives students exposure to the many careers associated with manufacturing. Students work with CAD tools, hand and machine tools as well as welding and fitting on community based projects. Students can also work toward CWB certification.
Chris was in the process of deciding between the purchase of a weld simulator and a High Dynamic Range HDR) weld camera. He and his students had worked with a simulator and found it to be most beneficial for students who had never welded and could adjust their body position and not waste any welding materials. From his perspective however, students did not really grasp the art of welding with continued use of a simulator. It is beneficial for helping them learn the angles and distances for holding a torch, but beyond that it’s just not realistic. With a weld camera, students can see how the arc and puddle react to different techniques and procedures, not just have simulated scores pop up.
Another benefit of a weld camera is the ability to record examples of any defect and show the students how it was formed. The camera can see the torch angle and position while at the same time show detail in the weld. A simulator can’t provide that much detail or immediate visual feedback. Students can record their welds and go over them with Chris after the fact for feedback, particularly helpful in a multi student setting where immediate individual attention is not always possible.
With the XVC-1000, Chris and his students are able to change the optics of the camera to alter the field of view to allow for a small magnified view of the wire going into the puddle, as shown in the TIG images below, to a larger view to record the weld of an entire 8” coupon, seen in the stick welding image.
Large FOV Stick Weld Small FOV TIG Weld
Beyond the use of a weld camera as a teaching tool, Chris determined there were additional benefits attained with an in-house weld camera. By having a HDR camera, students are able to learn about camera technology, as Chris allowed his students to play a lead role in camera set up and software configuration as he felt they will be exposed to more vision systems in the future. Chris also intends to work closely with the school’s marketing teacher to use the images captured to market the welding component of the SHSM program.
Thank you Chris, it has certainly been a pleasure to work with you and we intend to keep a close eye on your progress!!
Xiris has a great collection of weld videos, sorted by process, that have been created using the XVC-1000.
Visit the Xiris Weld Video Library
You can also sign up to automatically receive our Weld Video of the Month
For more information on how Xiris Weld Cameras can help monitor your weld processes, visit Xiris.com
