Nov 4, 2009
Media contact: Patty Wellborn
Office: 604-795-2819
patty.wellborn@ufv.ca
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| UFV welding students Brayden Welsh, Roxanne Meer, Travis Medley, and James Motion all had a hand in working on the huge Rotary symbol taken on as a special project for the Abbotsford-Sumas Rotary Club. |
UFV Welding students create huge Rotary wheel
Rotary International’s large symbol of the wheel conveys many images…. but not usually of university students hoisting welding torches.
This fall, the Abbotsford-Sumas Rotary Club commissioned a group of the University of the Fraser Valley’s first-year welding students to produce one of the largest, and for sure the heaviest, Rotary wheels to be found in B.C.: it measures 12 feet in diameter and weighs 1,400 pounds.
“The Abbotsford-Sumas club approached me about a year ago and it seemed like it would be an interesting opportunity for the students to get some additional welding and fabricating experience,” explains UFV Welding instructor Sheldon Frank. “Whenever we do a project like this, it’s a learning experience for all students going through the program — not just the handful who worked on it.”
Rotary International’s wheel has been the organization’s official emblem since the early 1920s. Originally, it was a wagon wheel, but was modernized in 1923 into a gear-shaped wheel with six spokes, 24 cogs, and a keyway. The wheel is to symbolize civilization and movement; the cogs, spokes, and keyway represent a ‘working’ wheel, as Rotarians work on many projects within their communities and internationally.
Frank liked the idea of doing a community project and decided it would be something different for this year’s intake of brand-new welding students. UFV offers welding levels C, B, and A, and Frank says he liked the extracurricular work for some of the new students. This year, there are 80 students taking welder training at Chilliwack’s Trades and Technology Centre.
The raw material, 3/8-inch carbon-plated steel, was donated by the Rotary Club to UFV and arrived at the TTC in seven, very heavy, 4x8-foot pieces. Frank drew the wheel on AutoCAD and programmed it to a computer numeric controlled (CNC) burning table, and then the group cut the metal pieces using a plasma torch. The students were then left with seven big pieces of metal and the task of getting them, prepared, fitted, and finally welded together.
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| UFV Welding instructor Sheldon Frank, far right, stands beside the huge Rotary wheel to demonstrate how tall it stands. |
The completed wheel will be installed on the large grassy area beside Highway #1 at the Sumas Road exit to Abbotsford. Luckily, the wheel is designed to break down into two pieces for shipping, but a hoist will be required to position it at the roadside location.
Other than the experience, what does UFV get out of the exercise? Well, Frank explains that the university keeps all the extra pieces of metal, which the students can use for welding practice. He estimates it’s about $1,000 in raw materials and that represents a lot of welding practice for students in all programs.
“I see UFV as a part of the greater community,” he adds. “We should be building relationships, not only with organizations but also with individuals. This is a great example of that."
UFV offers Level C, B, and A Welding and Fitting programs at the Trades and Technology Centre at the Canada Education Park in Chilliwack. To find out more, call 604-847-5448 or visit
www.ufv.ca/trades .
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