School this week

[welder19]

Hi everyone,
Just thought I'd let you know what I'm doing this week, I am in Peoria IL this week for Cat training, the coarse is called Applied Failure Analysis, it's all about how to analyize failed parts, all about different fractures, wear marks and patterns and such, basically CSI for equipment and engines and components and such.
Tomorrow we are going over to see the crankshaft heat treating process which should be pretty interesting, Cat makes cranks from about 3' long up to 20' long so the process is pretty amazing. I wanted to take pictures but cameras are prohibited in there since Cat's heat treating process is a trade seceret, which is one of the reasons Cat products are superior, especially there hardware, nuts, bolts, washers,etc.
So far it has been a pretty in depth class and would be a lot easier if I had some metalurgy education prior to this. This week is part 1 then I'll be bak out here in December for part 2 and then in the spring for part 3, then with some luck I'll be a Cat certified failure analysis.
I am already learning things about metals that I did not know before and hopefully I will be able to utilize this knowledg and experience to blacksmithing and someday knife making.
If by chance any of you work for Cat or a Cat dealer, tepps, mepps, or amd then I will highly recomend this course if you have access to it
Of coarse some of you with college degrees or who work in some type of metalurgy feilds would probably think it to be basic stuff. Who knows maybe I might be looking at change of job titles.
If I can get some pics of anything I'll post them.
Sorry if my spelling and grammer are a bit rough, I'm falling asleep.
The class is good but being away from home for a week just isn't like it used to be before I had my daughter.

welder19

[the_sandy_creek_forge]

Welcome to central Illinois!!!! When you are getting certified, I am no more that 20 minutes away from where you are! If I'd of known sooner, I'd have invited you up to the forge, but, unfortunately, the rest of the week is hectic to say the least. Oh well, maybe in December if I can get my act together and get the forge at least in a presentable state of being. Just wondering, but are you taking the course at the Tech Center? I know a couple of the guys that work over there (one being my father-in-law). Anyways, enjoy central Illinois, and if you don't like the weather, just hang around for a day, it'll likely change
-Aaron @ the SCF