Aerospace Welding Apprentice Program

Quality Work & Skilled Aerospace Welders!

Spacetron Philosophy

To instill and teach the art and science of Aerospace Welding.

Goals

To partner with the College of the Canyons Welding Technology department and the Aerospace Industry..
To teach the apprentice the hands-on techniques, procedures, and quality workmanship needed to become a Class A aerospace welder.
 

Biography of Mr. Rick Montoya

Spacetron’s President, Mr. Rick Montoya, has over thirty five years experience in the field of metal welding. Mr. Montoya’s formal education in welding began in 1967 at the age of 17. After completing his tour of duty with the United States Navy, he continued his career in welding by accepting a position with a contractor who had a contract at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. During his three years with the company, he became certified as an ASME section VIII & IX welder, specializing in the field of Nuclear Piping assemblies. Then in 1975, he moved to the aerospace industry by joining Metal Bellows. In this specialized environment , he became an expert in the art of welding materials such as titanium, inconel, stainless steel, aluminum , Nuclear piping and bellows assemblies. Rapidly rising through the ranks he became one of Metal Bellow’s premier welding experts. By 1982, Mr. Montoya decided to pursue his dream of owning his own welding company. He therefore left Metal Bellows and launched his company, Spacetron. Starting with off load work from his former employer, Mr. Montoya rapidly added customers such as the U.S. Navy, Rockwell International, Aeroquip and many more. The programs these customers worked on included the B-1 bomber, the MX missile, The Space Shuttle, ABL program, NASA’s Hyper-X program, and the F-35 program. Throughout the years Mr. Montoya’s reputation continued to grow as he was awarded several prestigious contracts based on his extensive knowledge of welding exotic materials such as titanium. Among these was a contract to design and build a vacuum chamber specifically to perform the titanium welding of the aft thrust structure for the Space Shuttle Endeavor. In addition, he was also contracted to design, fabricate, and weld the titanium thrust beam for the K-1 rocket for Northrop Grumman. Now, Mr. Montoya’s goal is to use his forty years of experience and instill it into the aerospace welders of future.

Program Outline

1. Program

1.1 Qualified Apprentice will go through a one year program working on actual aerospace hardware, and will learn the techniques for welding Groups I, II, III, IV, and VI. Then by the end of program he/she will meet the requirements and become a certified aerospace welder.

1.2 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training working in an argon atmosphere environment .

1.3 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training on the techniques of safety, cleaning, and handling of aerospace hardware.

1.4 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training on instructions of welding symbols, welding procedures, blueprints and per employers requirements.

1.5 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training in fit-up and tack welding processes before welding begins.

1.6 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training on NDT processes such as pressure tests, helium leak testing, penetrant testing, and radiographic testing.

1.7 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training in GTAW welding (semi-automatic and automatic), chamber welding, hand welding and laser welding.

1.8 The Apprentice will go through rigorous training on the techniques of welding bellows, tubing, ducting, hose assemblies, tanks, pressure vessels, piping and machined parts.

Employer Benefits

Benefits

1.1 Allows your company to maintain its production schedule without reallocating Welding and QA Staff for training purposes.

1.2 Having the apprentice observe, learn, and prepare for the welding of the Aerospace hardware to be performed by a certified aerospace welder, Spacetron.

1.3 Being able to meet production schedules and ship hardware to your customers, meeting all your company while the apprentice is going through the On the job apprentice program.

1.4 Able to increase new programs by adding new certified aerospace welder and /or welders to your company team.

1.5 After the completed Apprentice Program , you will have a certified aerospace welder and /or welders ready to join your team with the experience needed to work on your aerospace products, with the freshness to be molded into your company’s operating philosophy.