Prima Power Laserdyne Contributes Metallurgical Microscope to Technical College in Support of Robotic and Laser Welding Program

Initiated in the fall semester 2020, the certificate program is designed for students with a basic welding background who want to advance their career.

According to Jay Gerdin, one of the college’s welding instructors, industry is finding it difficult to get experienced welders with both welding skill and an understanding of the metallurgical process that occurs during welding.

Today’s welders need to know multiple welding processes and understand metallurgy interactions inside welds to help ensure weld integrity. Gerdin says that learning to use the metallurgical microscope will allow students to better understand the metallurgy of different metals using different welding processes.

“Now that we have Prima Power Laserdyne onboard with the donation of the metallurgical microscope,” Gerdin says, “we are able to analyze the weld characteristic, heat-effected zone and check for porosity in the weld. The microscope also allows students to evaluate pulse characteristics of laser weld programs for size and aspect ratio. This allows students to see how their work conforms to American Welding Society (AWS) standards.”

“We are proud to share our technology and knowledge with the outstanding laser curriculum at Anoka Technical College.” says Dominic Louwagie, Prima Power product and marketing manager. He adds that “laser welding in manufacturing is a rapidly growing industry.”

Chris Rasmussen, Prima Power applications engineering manager, says that Prima Power’s sharing with the laser welding program is a benefit to the student who gets up-to-date knowledge and to the manufacturer who hires a student able to apply that knowledge to in-house processes: “It is a win-win for everyone.”

Prima Power manufactures Laserdyne^® systems for precision laser cutting, welding, and drilling.