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SkillsUSA Arizona 2008 Championship Welding Contest

CONTESTANT INSTRUCTIONS

 SkillsUSA Arizona Welding Contestants & Advisors: 

Welcome to the Arizona SkillsUSA Welding Championship Contest.  By appearing at this state level contest, you have prepared yourself to compete with other welding students in the following practical skill areas:  the Gas Metal Arc Welding process, the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding process, the Shielded Metal Arc Welding process, the Oxy-Fuel Cutting process, and the Plasma Arc Cutting process.  In addition to these practical skills, you are saying you have prepared yourself academically in the areas of welding fundamentals, shop math, visual weld inspection, geometrical layout, and Blueprint reading. This contest has been designed to test your abilities in each of the above listed areas and to select the best ‘all around’ student weldor to represent the state of Arizona at the SkillsUSA Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, in June of this year.

 In each practical contest area, you will receive a contest drawing, coupons, welding supplies, access to welding/cutting equipment, and a safe place to do your work.  Please be advised that the power sources, torches, and other welding equipment, provided for your use at the contest, are on loan to this contest and are not to be abused in any way.  Intentional abuse resulting in damage to the welding equipment will be cause for immediate dismissal from this contest and you will be held responsible for any damages incurred.

 The Interview and Visual Weld Inspection (VWI) areas have been included in the Welding Contest to closely simulate the SkillsUSA Championships.

·         Interview - each contestant should have been notified through SkillsUSA Arizona to bring a prepared resume to be submitted during the job interview portion of this contest.  You will be graded on your resume, and communication skills. Hint: Be brief, enthusiastic, professional, and cordial.

·         Visual Inspection Workstation (VIW) - will require contestants to identify weld defects/discontinuities.  Gauging will be provided for measuring defects and other weldment attributes.

   The doors of the Phoenix Civic Plaza will open promptly at 8:00AM on Thursday, April 28, 2008.  The welding contestants will bring their tools and proper welding attire & safety gear to the contest area.  When assembled, the contest chairman will introduce the welding technical committee and proceed with roll call to ensure that the students, signed-up for the contest, are actually present.

 Once everyone has been identified you will then only be known by your student number id assigned from AZ SkillsUSA.  Place your number on the back of your welding jacket and keep that number visible for the judges.  You will then be called out by that number and assigned to a contestant group (1 thru 10).  Each contestant group will contain eight contestants.  Once eight students have successfully been assigned to a contestant group, they will be escorted away from the general assembly area (to their assigned contest area) for further briefing and a welding apparel safety inspection from the process supervisor.  Any contestants not wearing appropriate welding clothing, including work boots, and other safety equipment, will not be allowed to compete and will be removed from the contest at this point.  Any questions about the contest should be asked during this time.

After arrival at the initial process station and subsequent apparel safety inspection the contestants can get prepared for the contest start.  For those contestants starting in one of the welding or cutting processes, this would be a good time to put on your leathers or additional protection needed for those processes.  You will be asked to stand-by and wait to enter your process station until the buzzer sounds indicating the beginning of the contest.  Inside the welding/cutting process station, all the materials needed for you to complete your task will be provided.  Do not enter the process station until told to do so. 

 Helpful Hints:  Everyone likes a little help to do better, so here is the best help we can give you:  Be sure to read and understand all written instructions carefully.  When instructed to enter and begin; read and understand the B/P, identify the coupon details, visualize the task at hand, layout coupon to ensure proper location of coupon details, and follow B/P instructions, paying close attention to weld progression directives.  You will be judged on all aspects related to your project.  Be aware that you may be the best weldor in the state of Arizona and still not win the contest, if you do not follow the specific instructions.

 The contest is scheduled to start promptly at 8:30 AM.  In the event the roll call takes longer than anticipated, an alternate start time has been devised to start at 8:45 AM.  Don’t worry, the contest will start as soon as possible.

 Once the contestant enters the contest, they will follow all instructions.  The contestant may ask for help concerning welding perishables, faulty equipment, and etc.  Do not just stand there if there is a problem with the equipment, drawing, or coupons, alert one of the process monitors so that we can fix your problem.  The contestant may not ask for help with contest specifics such as B/P or weld symbol interpretation issues.

 Once the contest begins, the contestant will not be allowed to talk to his weld advisor, fellow welding competitors, or school friends outside the rope.  Even casual conversation may be perceived as information sharing and result in disqualification from the contest.  For those occasions when the student is required to sit and wait, the student should position himself whereas the contest activity is behind him and out of direct sight.  This is to ensure that each student will have the same advance information of the contest.  Be forewarned that any coincidental glimpse of a welded coupon may not provide accurate advance information to contestants if it is not welded correctly.  Just be confident of your own abilities and concentrate on doing your own work.

 Each contest station is time limited to thirty minutes.  At the end of each contest period, the students will be instructed to stop immediately, pack up his/her tools, and proceed to the next process station.  There are only five minutes to transition from one station to another.  After the five-minute period, the next contest station will begin, whether or not every contestant is ready.  Contestants will, once again, stand outside the process station until instructed to enter.

 Contestants may leave the contest area to use the restroom or drink water only under the surveillance of the contest chairman or other designated contest support staff.  Contestants will not be allowed to borrow ‘shared’ tools from a fellow student.  Contestants will not be allowed to ‘give up’ and walk away from the contest without consulting the contest chairman.

 Baring mishap, the welding contest should conclude around 2 PM.  At that time all students will be asked to gather their personal property and leave the contest area.  Although the offer to help is appreciated, there will be no need for contestants to stay and help tear down the contest area.  During the next hour, while the contest is being torn down, the calculations will be underway to determine the Medallists for this years’ contest. 

 At around 3 PM., after clearance from the Contest Chair, those contestants that wish to claim their welded coupons are welcome to do so.  After 3:30 PM, any unclaimed contestant coupons will be considered forfeited and will be removed from the contest area.  You can not take any other weldments than your own. Taking completed projects from another school or competitor will result in immediate disqualification of the student that removed the competitors project and possibly the entire school’s list of competitors should an advisor remove another school’s project.  The only exception made will be where the advisor has asked via e-mail or in writing to the contest chairman to have another advisor take his student’s projects back for them because of travel logistics or presence.

 The contest points, contest agenda, contestant progression and a sketch of the contest area have been appended to this letter for more information regarding the Contest.

 Good luck and this committee of industry professionals sincerely hope that this is a rewarding and career enhancing experience for you.

Cordially,