Miller in an interview described the subject matter as “widely established material but not well known” by many design engineers. “Most people don’t get this kind of training, 
but it’s critical to the performance of products that are made,” Miller said. “Otherwise, people come up with solutions that are suboptimal.”
American Welding Society officials, who use their annual educational event as a way to endow scholarships for students studying welding, described the 87 people who attended this year as nearly triple what previous events have drawn.
David Landon, manager of welding engineering for Vermeer Corporation and past president of the American Welding Society, praised a “truly synergistic relationship” with CIRAS that allows both entities to share valuable knowledge with their constituencies.
CIRAS metallurgist Paul Berge said he hopes to see more collaboration with professional organizations in the future.
“Welding and fabrication are very important aspects of manufacturing in Iowa,” Berge said. “The automotive and transportation industry in Iowa, the vehicle and trailer builders, the truck axle companies – there’s a lot of fabricating that goes into those products. I want to reach those people to tell them about our services, and going through the welding society obviously is a great way to do it.”
For more about the American Welding Society, visit www.awssection.org/iowa. For more information about CIRAS materials assistance, contact Paul Berge at pmberge@iastate.edu or 515-294-5972.