The steel-welding industry stands to bene- fit from welding company Hydra Arc Group’s Mshiniwami Artisan Academy, which has been equipping young people with welding skills through theoretical, practical and in-field training since October last year, when its first learners started with their training.

The Hydra Arc Group tells Engineering News that the training academy eventually aims to qualify more than 1 000 artisans a year, which will include welders, boilermakers and pipe fitters.

Hydra Arc adds that the steel-welding training programme, which aims to qualify the youth, spans three to four years, after which the learner apprentices may be classified as double-coded welders and will undergo a trade test if found competent.

Hydra Arc tells Engineering News that the company ensures that it continues to develop new technologies through welding research, and that these developments are usually prompted by the challenges that clients face.

“Over time, we developed weld overlay consumables with our suppliers to meet the specific needs of our clients. We also manufactured our own custom-made welding booms to effectively overcome project-specific challenges,” the company says, adding that two of its employees are pursuing their master’s degrees in welding-related matters, with topics taken directly from industry examples.

Environment Friendly
Hydra Arc says it is also committed to environmentally sound and sustainable workplace practices. For instance, the company’s Sky-Hill fabrication facilities in Secunda, Mpumalanga, use only natural light during daytime operations.
Hydra Arc also used boreholes for its local water supply, which means the company does not rely on the local municipality for water.

The company adds that its recycling drive promotes the recycling and reuse of waste and scrap metal.

Robust Operations
With more than 27 years of specialised experience in the petrochemicals, construction, mining and power-generation industries, Hydra Arc Group considers itself a leader in the welding field.

“We have a large procedure qualification record and welding- procedure specification database, which enables us to weld a variety of exotic steels,” says the company.

Hydra Arc tells Engineering News that it has also implemented an advanced project management system and associated software to deal with its growing workload.

The company has also benefited from the longevity of its current management team, most of whom have been working at Hydra Arc for more than 20 years. The company says this enabled it to ensure continuity and an understanding of its operations, from the workshop to top management.

“This has also prompted significant reinvestment in the company, enabling us to grow at a positive rate. The direct result of this continuous reinvestment is a facility that is truly a cut above the rest in terms of the physical size of the workshop, lifting capacity and specialised equipment,” says the company.

Hydra Arc’s opinion is that its scale of operations makes it stand out in the steel industry, even in previously secluded markets abroad. “We also have an aggressive marketing campaign that we use to explore new avenues.”