Lincoln Electric supports CRAW competition at FABTECH 2015

Oct. 19, 2015 – Lincoln Electric will provide a robotic welding cell for use during the third annual AWS Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW) Competition at FABTECH 2015. The company’s recent acquisition Wolf Robotics also will supply a second cell for the competition.

CRAW Competition contestants will have the chance to prove their robotic welding prowess in a two-part challenge, which includes a hands-on practical test and a written examination. Both portions are timed, with the practical exam requiring a thorough knowledge of the art of robot programming, safety and weld inspection. The practical portion will be judged based on speed, accuracy and quality of the completed weld.

For the first time this year, contestants will be divided into two separate classes: amateur and professional. The amateur class will include students or potential students in the robotic arc welding field, while the professional class is reserved for competitors already employed in a robotic welding field.
 
A team of AWS Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI) will judge the competition, based on criteria of AWS D16.4. Winners will receive cash prizes, including $1,200 for the first place professional winner and $500 for the first place amateur winner. The CRAW competition winners will be announced during FABTECH on November 11.

Additionally, Lincoln Electric is accredited by AWS as a CRAW training and exam site. Tests are proctored by an AWS Certified Welding Inspector and seminars offered at the company’s headquarters are also taught by an AWS Certified Weld Inspector. In this welding-focused program, current and prospective robotic technicians are trained on how to reference AWS code and prepare for the CRAW exam.
 
The Lincoln Electric Automation School also offers a CRAW Prep Course, providing three extra days of training for the AWS CRAW exam. The program includes demonstrations and discussions of the various welding processes, as well as a discussion and review of AWS D16.1-4, Specification for the Qualification of Robotic Arc Welding Personnel, on which the certification and competition is judged.