MATERIALS
Above: DesignPro’s CEO Redmond McDonnell (left) with in-house welding robotic integrator Sean Dorris
delighted to develop
this traineeship as we
see it as an opportunity
for learners coming off
our Intermediate and
Coded Pipe welding
WELDING
WWW.MADEIN.IE « MARCH 2021 « 29
DesignPro’s in-house welding
robotic integrator Sean Dorris will be
delivering the course and brings a
remarkable level of expertise with
him; 20+ years’ experience in the
welding trade, 6 years as an instructor
with the ETB as well as being a
certified KUKA and ABB robotics
engineer. He has seen significant
changes within the welding industry
both nationally and internationally
over the last 5 years in regards to the
constantly evolving technology
widening the skills gaps in the
workforce. It was primarily for these
reasons that he approached the ETB
in early 2019 to collaborate on a
traineeship to support the growing
demands on the welding sector. He
had the following to say,
“I have no doubt that welders will
make the best robotic welding
programmers, they will bring with them
their knowledge of welding processes
and utilise them in robotic welding
operating/programming”
The course module was developed
over a 12 month period with the ETB
playing an essential role in making
the traineeship a reality, James
Power, Manager of Shannon Campus
and Contracted Training for the ETB
had the following to say on the
upcoming launch of the course this
Autumn,
“We were delighted to develop
this traineeship in Robotic Welding
with DesignPro as we see it
as a logical progression
opportunity for
learners coming off
our Intermediate
and Coded Pipe
welding courses.
The advantage to
the learner of
undertaking this or
any traineeship
with a company such
as DesignPro is that
the learner has access to
the latest technology and
gains experience in a live
production environment, which
cannot be achieved in an academic
setting”.
As a leading integrator of robotic
solutions across a wide range of
applications within the
manufacturing industry such as;
compact high-speed robots,
collaborative robots, automated arc
welding and tending solutions
DesignPro aim is to continue to look
at new ways of advancing knowledge
within industry. Redmond
McDonnell, DesignPro’s CEO
believes,
“Robotic Welding is a prime
example of where robotics can be
utilised efficiently and effectively to
deliver a strong ROI for the
customer”.
This collaboration
between DesignPro
and the ETB is a
perfect example
of how industry
and educational
institutions can
work together
utilising their
specific expertise
with the common
goal of furthering the
manufacturing industry as
“We were
courses. ”
a whole.
This provision is co-funded by
the Government of Ireland and the
European Social Fund as part of
the ESF Programme for
Employability, Inclusion and
Learning 2014-2020. MADE
/WWW.MADEIN.IE