Thom Burns
Thom Burns
Professional Experience
- Aluminum Welding
- Cost Reduction
- Waste Elimination
- Discontinuity/Defect Evaluation
- Aluminum Welding Seminars
Mr. Burns is one of the leading experts in the world on aluminum welding, has consulted NASA, the US Navy, and most of the top transportation manufacturers on best welding practices. He has designed, fabricated, and patented welding devices that supported welding operations and delivered over 50 seminars on improving performance for Aluminum welding. His career includes the following accomplishments:
- Resolved technical issues involving welding equipment, practices, and product characteristics including sample analysis and customer complaint documentation
- Developed and documented practices and procedures to meet government, military, society, customer welding specifications
- Developed and Manage the Weld Process Specialists team to provide the Value-Added Proposition to customers in support of sales for welding equipment, consumables, and technology
- Evaluated, developed, and audited welding procedures for the purposes of improving performance and reducing failures
- Trained personnel on techniques and procedures on Aluminum Welding
- Provided support for the purchasing of welding equipment and related materials
- Provided onsite audits for Aluminum Welding process evaluation
- Certified Welding Inspector for 18 years
- Trained radiographic personnel
- Developed weld procedures including those for High-Current Density welding using large diameter wires
- Granted industrial patents on products that improve wire feeding and improve productivity on welding operations
Mr. Burns has published many articles and been a key member of the technical staff of several companies resulting in process and quality improvements in all cases. He is the current Main Committee Member, D1, Structural Welding Code an the current Vice Chair, Aluminum committee, D1.2 Structural Weld Code for the American Welding Society.
Education
Mr. Burns holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Education and Metals Technology from the Northern Michigan University and Masters of Business Coursework in Strategic Management from Davenport University.