Basic Metallurgy and Welding Demo - Multimedia Training Course - TWI Software

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Basic Metallurgy and Welding

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Multimedia training
Computer-based multimedia training can provide an efficient alternative to conventional training
methods. It offers a highly effective learning environment in terms of knowledge retention,
without the overhead costs associated with attending a classroom-based training course. It is
generally agreed that the interactivity inherent in multimedia systems sustains the attention of
the student and aids memory retention. By including activities such as exploring a diagram,
searching for the answers to questions, or simply selecting a path through the course, students
are more likely to remember the course material. In addition, the ability to draw on a wide range
of media types to present complex issues can greatly simplify the learning process. For example,
animations are often the clearest way of describing abstract concepts and can depict details that
cannot be recorded on video.

Basic Metallurgy & Welding

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In contrast to more traditional training methods, multimedia systems enable students to study
locally and at a convenient time without having to leave their day-to-day activities for long
periods. Students can work at their own pace, select the material relevant to their needs and
receive immediate feedback on their progress via automated testing.
Lloyds Register and TWI have developed an interactive multimedia training programme that can
be used as a prerequisite to practical-based training sessions. Using this approach, students
undertaking the practical course will have a common grounding in the theoretical issues on which
to build their practical skills.

499 excluding VAT

Contact
E-mail:
support@twisoftware.com
Tel: +44 (0)1223 891162

Interactivity
When designing interactive training courses, there is always a trade-off between incorporating a
high level of interactivity in order to aid memory retention and yet maintaining a structured path
through the information to ensure that all the material is covered. As all of the material on the CD
is deemed essential to the course, the decision was taken to maintain a linear structure while
allowing some branching to encourage the user to 'explore' and hence sustain their interest.
Consequently, the main menu serves as a guide to the logical flow through the course, but the
user is given the flexibility to enter the chapters in any order.

Introduction to Metallurgy main menu

The navigation has been designed to be as simple and intuitive as possible. Each section begins
with a short introduction to the material covered, and ends with a quiz in which immediate
feedback is given so the user can judge their understanding of that section. The student uses the
forwards and backwards arrows to move within a section, and links to further information are
denoted by red clickable text or a 'more' button.

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Page containing link to further information

Successful navigation through the course is, however, only one aspect of user interactivity. The
completion of on-screen tasks by the user is another essential ingredient of multimedia training
software. The figure below shows a 'drag and drop' interaction, where the user is asked to match
the welding system components with the correct terminology.

A 'drag and drop' interaction of a gas shielded welding torch

'Cursor in area' interactions encourage the user to explore a screen. An example of this is the
photograph of the ship below, where positioning the cursor over a component displays the alloy
from which the component is manufactured.

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An example of a 'cursor in area' interaction

Media
The training programme calls upon a variety of media types, each chosen for its relative merits in
a given situation. Video footage has been used in situations where it is useful to see the industrial
application of a welding process. For example, the figure below shows the submerged arc welding
of bridge decking.

Video frame of submerged arc welding

Where detailed microstructures are to be displayed, scanned photographs provide the required
clarity, whereas schematic diagrams can filter out some of the unnecessary details inherent in
photographic material.

Photograph of a microstructure

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Heat affected zone schematic diagram

Complex or abstract concepts which vary over time are best presented as animations. Here they
have frequently been employed to describe changes in molecular structure, such as the growth of
a metallic dendrite shown below.

Growth of metallic dendrite

Each of the sections is introduced by an audio commentary to complement the on-screen text
where a more informal style is required.

Audio commentary

Testing
As with any software, acceptance testing is a vital part of the development process. Thirty Lloyds
Register personnel participated in the trials and any suggestions and observations were fed back
to TWI so that the software could be amended as appropriate. In general, the feedback was
extremely positive.

Course Content
The Basic Metallurgy and Welding training programme consists of three modules:
Introduction to Metallurgy
Welding Processes
Welding Carbon Manganese Steels

Introduction to Metallurgy
The Introduction to Metallurgy module covers general metallurgical principles such as hardness,
strength and the effects of alloying. The course also examines the characteristics of hot and cold
working and the effects of heat treatment.

Welding Processes
Welding Processes provides an introduction to the main technologies currently adopted in industry
and associated consumables. It includes sections on Manual Metal Arc (MMA); Submerged Arc
Welding (SAW); Metal Inert/Active Gas (MIG/MAG); Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG); electroslag and
electrogas welding.

Welding Carbon Manganese Steels

The fusion welding of carbon manganese steels is the subject of the third module. The welding
sequence is examined in terms of the weld metal, heat affected zone, distortion effects and post
weld heat treatment. A discussion of weld properties such as strength, ductility and hardness is
followed by a description of common weld imperfections, their causes and methods of prevention.

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To assess whether the user has gained a satisfactory understanding of the course content, a
multiple-choice test has been included. The answers are presented in a random sequence to
ensure that a student taking the test can not simply memorise the order of the answers.

Summary
The Basic Metallurgy and Welding CD aims to provide an efficient and cost-effective alternative to
classroom-based training. It has already successfully been integrated into the Lloyds Register
training programme, and is expected to become a valuable training resource for a wide range of
welding personnel in the future.

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08/11/2011