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Under Armour Men's Sportstyle Boxed T-shirt8 colors available
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adidas Men's Badge of Sport Basic T-shirt11 colors available
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Whether you're racing down the field, barbecuing a delicious meal on the patio for friends and family or relaxing by a campfire, your apparel can make all the difference in your level of comfort. Sweat-wicking performance shirts with flat seams help keep you dry and comfortable while you're in action, and durable fabrics in camo patterns help you blend into the wild while you're on the hunt. If you prefer a look that's truly one of a kind, shop graphic T-shirts with fun, festive designs that showcase your favorite activities, mottos or sports teams. Expand your wardrobe options with long-sleeve shirts, pullovers, tank tops and T-shirts for men from brands like BCG, Nike, MAGELLAN OUTDOORS, Columbia Sportswear and more.
Dress to impress with polo shirts and button downs made for style and comfort. When you need to go from the jobsite to the office, men's shirts from Carhartt, Dickies and other brands can help. Much like sportswear, many dress shirts for men come with technologies to ensure you look and feel great in your attire. If your job takes you into potentially dangerous territory, browse clothing made with flame-resistant fabrics. If you'll be outside in the heat, a lightweight polo shirt made with UV protection and moisture-management fabric can help keep you cool and dry wherever you need to go. Shop men's shirts in a broad array of styles.


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Posted 8 years ago
(36 items)
These Linen embroidery kittens Dish Towels I believe were from the 60's.
I know my mom always had them hanging on display in the kitchen and were never to be used. I don't know whatever happen to Saturday & Sunday. Can't remember if we even had them. What I found funny is that the label has: CANNON "Mark" in U.S.A. (not the word Made).

subset: commoncrawl


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(Redirected from B.R. 2002)Jump to navigation Jump to search
Significant Events
- In a terrifying turn of events, Megablox outsells LEG-ore this year.
- The Gray Shift occurs
- First mentions of the Assyrian Star Empire
Reports From the Field
|Played by
|WWII Train Assault
|The Allies attempt another surprise attack after their wild success (one survivor) in July of 2000, but this time the Nazis are ready for them.More Pictures
|War of the Bricks
|A soviets vs. Americans Red Moon type scenario by Wayne McCaul of NELUG
|Coalition Research Vehicle 0.937
|The Factions challenge Coalition authority in a race to track down a high-tech Ugly Hat and some porn, in a derelict research vessel in which the development of a new biological superweapon has gone horribly, hilariously wrong.pictureseven more pictures
|Quest for the Alien, part 2
|Coalition and Faction troops return to the derelict research vessel in an attempt to track down and capture the deadly alien lifeforms hidden therein. Sadly, they were no match for the wily bartender droid and his hypnotically irresistible beer. Features some lovely modular space buildings.pictures
|The Nameless horror
|No survivors retained enough of their sanity to tell the tale of what happened on this terrifying night, but the pictures that emerged show Cthuloid demons straight out of H.P. Lovecraft's darkest nightmares mangling their way through ranks of innocent townspeople
|Battle for ButterCat
|Once again, a modular spaceship becomes a killing field for a host of Wamalag troops.
|Way too much carnage
|This battle was so large that nobody seems to have any clear idea of what went on, except that a good time was had by all. A half-dozen or more spacefaring armies weighing in at 500CP apiece laid waste to one another in a small and very unfortunate town.
|Hijinx in the Highlands
|The Studs headed to Mittagong and staged a "BrikWars of truly biblical proportions," with the intention of setting the world's record for Biggest Medieval BrikWars Battle Ever Staged, despite already holding all previous records in that category. The game was in fact truly enormous, and we're eagerly hoping for a write-up. In the meantime, however, there's lots of pictures to gape at.
|The Reverend
|Unusually inspired by the game at Brickswest 2002, the Rev duped his friends into staging a very similar game on his shiny Pergo floors. Suspiciously similar, in fact. The battle was staged in his impressive taown of Brikingham, with all kinds of clever secret missions and heartwarming tactical shenanigans, but as exciting as these details are, they are largely overlooked by other BrikWars fans reading the battle report. Their responses all follow an eerily similar refrain: [actual quote from e-mail:]Is it just me, or did the Rev's BW game include attractive women ?!?!?! The Reverend has clearly hit upon a previously undiscovered vein of deep frustration and even anger felt among the general BrikWars community, and should watch his back if he plans to continue showing off in such an irresponsible manner.
|The Reverend
|Brickingham day 2
|A couple of days later, disappointed that so much of Brikingham had survived the battle unscathed, the Rev and Lila staged a second game and proceeded to flatten large portions of the town.
|Mike Rayhawk
|Capture the flag
|Here's the game we hosted at the BricksWest 2002 convention in Carlsbad, California. Great fun was had by all, and large chunks of the meticulously-constructed city were razed to the ground. Photo Gallery
|GENCON Cyprus Tree Massacre, day 1GENCON Cyprus Tree Massacre, day 2
|James Seibert and Chris Weeks ran a medieval Japanese battle at GenCon which was almost too large for the table.
|BrikVersal Rekonstruktions
|Previous: BR 2,001
|Next: BR 2,003


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Effective SEO will boost the profile of a properly-designed website, this too is a service we deliver.


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Teens accused of stabbing friend 19 times due in court
Two 12-year-old Wisconsin girls accused of stabbing and nearly killing a classmate to curry favor with a fictional online character are due back in court Wednesday.
Attorneys are expected to discuss the results of a mental health evaluation done on one of the girls.
Defense attorney Anthony Cotton has said he believes his client is mentally ill, and a court commissioner previously agreed to have a state doctor examine her.
Cotton says he also has hired a second doctor to do an evaluation.
A motion for prosecutors to turn over evidence to the other girl's public defender also is on the agenda.
Court documents say the girls plotted for months to kill their friend to please the specter known as Slender Man. The 12-year-old victim has been recovering at home.


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It is not me who is saying that. It is the opinion of Islamic scholars and an Islamic website. Now, are they communal and Islamophobic too? ( HERE )
Question put to an Islamic scholar: Is it permissible for us to hold a party to bid farewell to a non-Muslim who was working with us?.
Their answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Holding a farewell party for a kaafir is a kind of honouring and respecting him, and they do not deserve to be honoured because they have disbelieved in Allaah and offended Him.
Imam Ahmad narrated with a saheeh isnaad from Abu Moosa that he said: I said to 'Umar: "I have a Christian scribe." He said, 'What is wrong with you, may Allaah doom you?! Have you not heard that Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 'O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa' (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa' of each other' [al-Maa'idah 5:51]? Why don't you employ a haneef (i.e., a Muslim)?" I said: "O Ameer al-Mumineen, I benefit from his writing and his religion is his own affair." He said: "I will not honour them when Allaah has humiliated them, and I would not want to be close to them when Allaah has cast them away."
See Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 25/327.
'Umar ibn al-Khattaab also said with regard to the Christians in particular: "Humiliate them but do not wrong them, because they have offended Allaah in such a manner that no other people have ever done.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, concerning the ruling on holding a farewell party for a kaafir when his work ends, and the ruling on offering condolences to a kaafir, and the ruling on attending the festivals of the kuffaar:
This is a question which includes several issues:
1 – Holding farewell parties for these kaafirs is undoubtedly a kind of honouring them and showing regret that they are leaving. All of that is haraam for the Muslim. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not initiate the greeting of salaam with the Jews and Christians, and if you meet them in the road push them towards the narrowest part of it." The person who truly believes cannot honour any of the enemies of Allaah, and the kuffaar are the enemies of Allaah according to the text of the Qur'aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever is an enemy to Allaah, His Angels, His Messengers, Jibreel (Gabriel) and Mikaa'eel (Michael), then verily, Allaah is an enemy to the disbelievers"
[al-Baqarah 2:98]
2 – Offering condolences to a kaafir if one of his loved ones – a friend or relative – dies. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning this issue. Some of the scholars say that it is haraam to offer condolences to them, and some say that it is permissible. Some of them added further details and said that if that serves an interest, such as the hope that they may become Muslim and it may ward off their evil which could not be done except by offering condolences, then it is permissible, otherwise it is haraam.
The more correct view is if that offering condolences to them is regarded as a kind of honouring them, then it is haraam, otherwise we should look at what is in the best interests.
3 – Attending their festivals and taking part in their celebrations. If these are religious festivals such as Christmas then it is haraam to attend them, beyond any shadow of a doubt. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible to attend them according to the consensus of the scholars, and this was clearly stated by the fuqaha' who followed the four imams in their books. And Allaah is the Source of strength.


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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) Wide receiver Braylon Edwards is active and will start for the New York Jets in Sunday's season finale against the Buffalo Bills.
Edwards was listed as questionable because of a hamstring/knee injury. He starts in place of Chaz Schilens, who was ruled out Saturday because of a knee injury.
Reserve defensive back Da'Norris Searcy is out for the Bills because of a groin injury.
Online:http://pro32.ap.org/poll andhttp://twitter.com/AP-NFL


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GIANTS: Victor Cruz agrees to long-term deal
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants star receiver Victor Cruz has signed a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2018 season.
The deal with worth $43 million according to media reports.
Cruz was a restricted free agent with three years in the NFL. Last month, he signed a one-year, $2.879 million tender with the Giants, but a long-term deal was already in the works. The Giants could have matched any offers Cruz received from other teams so he didn't get any.
Cruz skipped all of New York's offseason program.
The 26-year-old from Paterson, N.J., was an undrafted free agent out of Massachusetts, but he's become one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. Over the last two seasons, he has 168 receptions for 1,628 yards and 19 touchdowns.


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Banksville retail center taking on new look
The owner of a retail center that is a mainstay for a Greenwich neighborhood and nearby New York residents said he is working hard to sign an anchor store.
Greenwich businessman Guy Sutton, owner of Sutton Properties, has been overseeing the reconstruction of North Street Shopping Center in the Banksville section of town with the goal of luring an anchor tenant to replace an IGA store that closed about four years ago.
"We're actively looking for an anchor tenant. We'd like to find a food provider, but we have to have an open mind," said Sutton, whose family has owned the shopping center, which measures about 20,000 square feet, for nearly four decades. "Once it's done, it will fill up."
Commenting that the retail center was built about 60 years ago, Sutton said replacement of the facades, windows, roofs and the parking lot are all part of the project, and much of it is well underway.
"We've done substantial work. We hope to have the exterior renovations done by the end of November, and the lot will be repaved," he said. "It will look like new. I like improving real estate. It's a job I enjoy."
Tenants have been patiently waiting for the work to be finished, including Robyn Criscuolo, co-owner of Banksville Pizza with her husband, Alfonso.
"I think it (the reconstruction) is fabulous. It's happening slowly but surely. We've been here almost 19 years," said Criscuolo, a Banksville resident who is looking forward to the signing of a new anchor tenant to replace departed IGA. "We wish for a grocery store. That's what everyone in town wants."
In a four-page brochure devised to market the property, Sutton is offering a 6,500- to 10,000-square-foot space for an anchor store. Having an anchor tenant will improve business at the center, which is occupied by an art gallery, a dry cleaner, computer store, kitchen business, tile store, a caterer, a Chase Bank branch and a pharmacy.
Criscuolo isn't the only one at the retail center who hopes that Sutton lands an anchor tenant, preferably a grocer.
"We want our grocery back. People in town do, too. At least two dozen people come in a day and ask when it (an anchor tenant) is going to happen," said Sean Moore, a technician who has worked seven years at North Street Pharmacy. "We're the grocery store for now."
The pharmacy offers eggs, milk and beverages in a cooler, along with snacks and household products.
The North Street Shopping Center is a destination for the entire area, said Sutton, confident that shoppers and prospective tenants will be impressed by his efforts.
"We've got momentum now. We're doing a complete makeover," he said. "We have three small storefronts that are vacant. We've made a big commitment financially. Everyone will do a lot better when we have an anchor tenant."
The revitalized retail center should benefit not only nearby residents, but also visitors to the area, said Marcia O'Kane, executive director of the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce.
"That specific area in northern Greenwich sees a lot of activity -- people going to Grand Slam for tennis, to LaCremailliere to dine or to the polo fields -- but it has been underserved by not having enough shopping options," she said. "Folks not only from Greenwich but from surrounding towns such as Stamford and Armonk frequent that specific area and could benefit from having more accessible local stores. The completion of this shopping mall should definitely help fill the gap."


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New Lezyne Strip Drive LED Video
Our new Strip Drives are powerful five-LED cycling lights with light and durable co-molded lens/body construction. They feature a unique aero and round bar compatible design. Five ultrahigh-output LEDs deliver up to 120 lumens on the front Strip Drive, 25 lumens on the rear version, and 100 lumens on the Strip Drive Pro rear light. A Mode Memory function returns to selected mode after lights are turned off. Each offers 9 combined lumen and flash modes, and an enhanced MOR (Maximum Optical Reflection) lens with built-in side visibility. They all include an integrated cable-free recharging USB stick.
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For additional details about each Strip Drive, including lumen charts and runtimes, click through to their individual product pages here:


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Flash(redirected from Flash (disambiguation))
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia.
When the tape is late by more than five minutes, the current price of a security that periodically displays, or "flashes," on the ticker. This interrupts the delayed prices and keeps investors abreast of where the current price is even if they do not know how it arrived there. The flash price displays every five or 10 minutes.


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An Overview of the Effects of Sulfur on the Orbital GTA Welding of AISI Type 316L Stainless Steel Tubing and Pipe
An Overview of the Effects of Sulfur on the Orbital GTA Welding of AISI Type 316L Stainless Steel Tubing and Pipe
Heat-to-heat differences in the weldability of stainless steel have been recognized since 1967. Although other trace elements may be a contributing factor to these differences, weldability problems with AISI type 304 or 316 have often been found to be the result of low sulfur concentrations in the base metal, or may occur when welding low sulfur heats to heats that are in the mid-range or higher with respect to the sulfur concentration. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the effects of sulfur on the orbital welding of type 316L stainless steel tube and pipe for semiconductor applications. This overview is based on selected papers from the welding literature, observations and unpublished data, successful solutions to customers' welding problems, and current semiconductor applications and practices. To understand this topic we need to consider the following questions:
- What is the effect of sulfur (or lack of sulfur) on the weld
- At what sulfur concentration level does the effect become apparent
- What causes this effect
- When does the sulfur concentration of 316L stainless steel become a welding problem
- What approaches have been used to correct for weldability problems
- How effective are these approaches
- What sulfur ranges of type 316L stainless steel would be most appropriate for the different semiconductor applications
- Where do we go from here?
What is the effect of sulfur on the weld?
The topic of sulfur concentrations in stainless steel was brought to our attention in 1984 by a paper written in 1982 by Fihey and Simoneau at Ontario Hydro in Canada. The paper described the phenomenon of arc deflection that may occur when welding a flat plate of stainless steel (ss) with a very low sulfur to one that was higher in sulfur. These investigators were trying to resolve difficulties in welding instrumentation tubing at a nuclear facility. It was known that autogenous welds on heats of 304 or 316 that were very low in sulfur had a very wide shallow weld bead with a width to depth ratio [W/D( Note: Some authors refer to the D/W ratio.)] of a fully penetrated weld much greater than that of welds on heats in the medium to high sulfur range. Fihey and Simoneau showed when welding heats of 304 or 316 stainless steel of unmatched sulfur concentrations, the arc would tend to deviate towards the low sulfur heat if one of the heats was below about 0.008% sulfur and the other was above this value. Oxygen was found to have a similar but weaker effect to sulfur.
Orbital Welding
Autogenous orbital welding of thin-walled tubing and pipe using enclosed weld heads is commonly done on sizes from 1/8 inch O.D. tubing to 6 inch schedule 5 pipe (O.D. 6.625 inches). The most common application of orbital welding is of 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" O.D. tubing, fittings and other components of gas distribution systems. The practical wall thickness limitation for fusion butt welding of 300 series stainless steel in enclosed heads with a fixed arc gap is about 0.154" which is the wall thickness of 2 inch schedule 40 pipe. Autogenous orbital welding of pipe up to 12 inch schedule 10, with a 0.180" wall has been done for semiconductor oil-free air and general purpose nitrogen lines using open-frame type heads for diameters up to 6 inch pipe or full-function pipe weld heads that mount on a guide ring and crawl around the weld joint circumference for the larger diameters. The automatic arc voltage control (AVC) on these heads provides precise control of the arc gap and thus better control of the heat input allowing for uniform penetration on pipe that may be out-of-round or out of dimensional tolerances. These welds are generally done as a single-pass weld using a square-butt end preparation.
Effect of sulfur on orbital welds
To determine whether Fihey and Simoneau's observations held true for orbital tube-to-tube welds, in 1984 the appearance and quality of orbital welds on various heats of 316L tubing for which mill test reports (MTRs) were available was evaluated by visual examination and measurements of the width to depth ratios of fully penetrated orbital welds. The size range of these materials collected at random from customers was from 1/8 inch O.D. tubing to 1 inch schedule 10 pipe (1.315 inches O.D.). Eleven of the first 13 of these heats had sulfur contents of 0.008% or less, while the AISI specification for Type 304 and 316 SS, (as well as 304L and 316L) has a maximum sulfur concentration of 0.030%. The low-sulfur materials (0.008% and less) had wide weld beads with W/D ratios of greater than 3 compared to a range of 1.5 to 2 for heats having more sulfur. The larger weld puddle is more affected by gravity, tends towards concavity and there is a finer line between full penetration and overpenetration which makes it more difficult to achieve a uniform, full-penetration weld. The affect of gravity is more pronounced on heavier-walled material. Autogenous 5G welds of pipe, with wall thicknesses greater than about 0.065 inches, which exhibit a wide weld bead configuration typically have some degree of concavity at the 12 o'clock position.
|Frames from an AMI in-house video showing lathe welds of 316L tubing using Arc Machine's arc filtration system to view the weld pool. Leftr. Weld of 0.008% to 0.008% sulfur with symmetrical weld puddle. Right. Weld of 0.002% sulfur (top) to 0.014% sulfur. Note asymmetrical puddle. Electrode is centered on the weld joint, while the weld puddle is offset towards the low sulfur heat. Henon, unpublished data.
|0.008% sulfur
|0.002% sulfur
|0.008% sulfur
|0.014% sulfur
Results of AMI In-House Arc Deflection Test Welds April, 1992
In order to verify and document the arc deflection described by Fihey and Simoneau, tubing was obtained from several heats of type 316L, 3/4 "OD., 0.065" wall with sulfur contents of 0.002, 0.008, and 0.014 wt.%; and 1/2" OD tubing with sulfur contents of 0.001, 0.007, and 0.015 wt.% as shown in the table on page 14. The sulfur content was inscribed on each individual tube piece. A video showing arc deflection was made on June 11, 1992 using a direct view camera positioned on the torch. (See frames from the video on the previous page.) The welds for the video were not orbital welds, but were done on a lathe with the torch held stationary. The first weld was a 316L tube with 0.008 wt.% sulfur welded to another coupon from the same tube. The arc was symmetrical and was centered on the weld joint. A weld of tubing with 0.002 welded to another tube of 0.014 wt.% sulfur showed extreme deflection towards the low sulfur side. The weld puddle for this weld was asymmetrical with the trailing edge clearly on the low sulfur side, but the downslope trailed off towards the high sulfur side. Several heats of 316L in the mid and low ranges of sulfur content were orbitally welded and examined for arc deflection on welds between heats (See table). Not all of the low sulfur heats exhibited arc deflection when welded to heats higher in sulfur, probably because elements other than sulfur affect weld pool behavior.
Low Sulfur Memo - 1985
Based on information from the welding literature and our in-house results, a customer memo on the subject of sulfur was drafted in October of 1985. It was hoped that by controlling the sulfur content of type 316L it would be possible to guarantee consistency of weld results making automatic orbital welding a truly automatic process where the same weld schedule could be applied to any heat having the same OD and wall thickness. It was suggested that when ordering stainless steel tubing for autogenous orbital welding that customers specify sulfur concentrations between 0.005 and 0.016% in order to assure optimal weldability. However, weldability is not the only criterion for selection of alloy composition and in the industries in which autogenous orbital welding is used, there are other considerations.
Proposed mechanisms to explain the effects of sulfur on the weld pool
|Above: Fihey and Simoneau thought that sulfur acted to constrict the anode spot producing a more focused arc. They showed that oxygen in the purge gas could constrict the arc and increase penetration. Below: Heiple and Roper (1982) attributed the effect of sulfur to the Marangoni effect on the weld puddle. When the sulfur concentration is greater than 0.008%, the temperature coefficient of surface tension is positive and penetration is deep. When the sulfur content is less than 0.008% the temperature coefficient of surface tension is negative and the weld profile is wide and shallow.
How does sulfur affect the weld pool?
The anode spot theory. Fihey and Simoneau suggested that the weld pool penetration pattern was linked to the anode spot as shown in the drawing on the previous page. The anode or anodic spot is the portion of the weld pool surface where electrons leaving the tungsten cathode enter the weld pool providing the heat for welding. Minor elements in the base metal affected the degree to which the anode spot was constricted. A diffused anode spot resulted in poor penetration while a constricted anode spot resulted in good penetration. Elements having a high electron affinity such as sulfur, oxygen, and halogens when present at certain concentrations produce a constricted anode spot. At low concentrations of these elements or combined with the presence of easily ionized elements such as Cs, K, Al, Ca, Cr, Mn, etc. produce a stable diffuse anode spot and poor penetration welds. Aluminum which is used in the processing of stainless steel, combines with oxygen and thus has a negative effect on penetration. Fihey and Simoneau mentioned a blue ionized metallic vapor emitted from the surface of the weld pool which they identified as manganese. They also described the smoother weld bead surface associated with the lower sulfur material.
Marangoni convection, the surface tension driven fluid-flow model. Heiple and Roper (1981) proposed that elements affecting weld pool shape do so by altering the surface tension. According to this model, fluid flow in the weld pool determines GTA weld pool shape and the force driving the fluid flow is the surface tension gradient. This is called Marangoni convection since Marangoni investigated this phenomenon in the 19th century and discovered that when a surface tension gradient exists on the surface of a liquid, then fluid will be drawn along the surface from the region(s) of lower surface tension to the region(s) of higher surface tension. High speed motion pictures of the weld pool showed that sulfur added to the weld caused AlO2 particles at the surface to move from a ring at the edge of the weld pool towards the center and disappear, while aluminum itself had no effect on movement of the particles.
Pure metals (and low sulfur materials) have a negative temperature coefficient of surface tension. When the area under the arc is heated, the surface tension drops in the center of the weld pool and the direction of fluid flow is from the center towards the edges of the pool. When sulfur, oxygen, selenium, or other surface active elements are introduced to the weld pool at very low levels they cause the surface tension to rise with an increase in temperature. In this case, the direction of fluid flow is from the outside of the pool, where the surface tension is lower, towards the center, thus increasing penetration. Burgardt and Heiple (1985) of Rockwell International proposed that elements changed the GTA weld shape by changing the temperature gradient on the weld pool surface through changes in input power density. Magnetohydrodynamic flow was also considered to explain the effect of trace elements on the weld pool.
Effects of other trace elements. Pollard, 1988. The heat-to-heat variability observed in automating the welding of strips of stainless steel into tubing at tube mills led Pollard (1988) to test the effects of various trace elements on penetration. He found that sulfur had a large effect on the penetration of production heats which were low in oxygen, but little effect on laboratory heats containing 150-200 ppm oxygen. With these higher oxygen heats, good penetration was possible at sulfur concentrations less than 0.005%. Pollard recommended that the sulfur contents of type 304 stainless steel be held to between 0.010 and 0.015% as a good compromise for weldability, hot workability, and formability. He did not consider the effect of sulfur on surface finish or on weld bead smoothness which is of particular interest to the semiconductor industry. Pollard's results were consistent with the surface tension driven fluid flow model of Heiple and Roper.
The negative effect of aluminium on penetration was explained by its interaction with oxygen to form aluminum oxide thus depleting oxygen in the base metal. Manganese and silicon were found to increase penetration at low concentrations, while penetration was decreased at higher concentrations. While not contradictory to the surface tension model, the effects of these elements are thought to result from additional factors such as the effect of silicon on viscosity. Silicon and aluminum were shown to increase the amount of slag inclusions and the ratio of silicon to aluminum to influence the type of slag inclusions formed during welding.
|Above: Data from Pollard (1988) comparing the depth to width ratio of welds on heats of 316, 316L, and laboratory heats as a function of sulfur concentration. In the laboratory heats containing 150 to 200 ppm of oxygen, the effects of sulfur were minimal. Lack of sulfur had a greater effect on 316L than on 316. Below: Plot of weld d/w ratio versus sulfur content for approximately 200 heats of type 304L stainless steel. Each point is an average of multiple sulfur analyses and weld d/w ratio measurements. If single values are used, the scatter is greater. From Burghardt and Campbell, 1992.
Burgardt and Campbell, 1992.
Burgardt and Campbell presented data for over 200 heats of 304L stainless steel and a few heats of 316L. Their results showed that, although there was a clear increase in weld D/W ratios with increasing sulfur concentrations, there was a great deal of variability for a given sulfur concentration. The variability appeared to increase at the lowest sulfur concentrations between 0.001 wt.% and 0.005 wt.%. They attributed the variability to interactions of the surface active elements sulfur and oxygen with other elements in the steel. The effect of trace elements that are relatively weak in the presence of sulfur may be increased as sulfur is reduced.
Calcium interacts with oxygen and also with sulfur to form stable compounds that are unlikely to become surface active. Aluminum and silicon also interact with oxygen to form stable compounds. This leaves the amount of sulfur and oxygen available to segregate to the weld pool surface a complicated function of the total weld pool chemistry. The implications of this study clearly demonstrate that it is impractical to attempt to predict the weldability of a particular heat of stainless steel based on sulfur levels alone. It appears that at the lower end of the sulfur range that other trace elements may have a greater effect than at higher sulfur concentrations either by acting alone or in combination.
Approaches to welding low sulfur heats
Addition of 0.1% oxygen or SO2 to the shielding gas. One approach to obtaining a narrow weld bead on heats of stainless steel with unacceptably wide beads was to compensate for the lack of oxygen or sulfur in the base metal by adding these elements to the shielding gas. Fihey and Simoneau were able to reduce the weld bead width of low sulfur heats of 304 stainless steel by adding 0.1% oxygen to the shield gas to restrict the "anodic spot". This technique resulted in an acceptable weld profile but they found that increasing the oxygen to 1.0% reversed the positive effect. Similarly, attempts to make up for the lack of sulfur by adding SO2 to the shield gas were tried by Heiple and Burgardt (1985). The SO2 is toxic at concentrations used, and the 0.1% oxygen concentration in the shield gas which was found to be effective is equal to 1,000 ppm which would not be acceptable for high-purity applications.
|Fihey and Simoneau (1982) suggested the use of 0.1% oxygen in the argon shield gas to compensate for lack of oxygen in the base metal to constrict the anode spot and increase penetration. The positive effect of oxygen on penetration was reversed at oxygen concentrations of 1%. The photos above show that when 0.3% oxygen was used as a shield gas a fairly narrow weld bead was obtained. However, oxygen at these levels in the shield gas is disallowed for high purity applications because of discoloration and the possibility of particulate generation. Henon, unpublished data.
ID pressurization. Fihey and Simoneau used the application of pressure to the ID weld bead to correct for the overpenetration that resulted from increasing the amperage to overcome lack-ofpenetration defects associated with arc deflection. This technique is widely used today in fabrication of components for HP and UHP gas distribution systems. For thin-wall tubing, 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" OD a pressure gauge is used with a restrictor at the tube outlet to obtain a predetermined I.D. purge pressure during the weld. This allows the welding operator to use weld parameters that would otherwise be slightly too hot, and keep the I.D. flat rather than over penetrating. The use of this technique provides consistent welds with fewer minor adjustments to the weld program. The correct application of ID pressurization on a very low sulfur material can produce orbital welds that are flat on the ID and OD and virtually invisible to the naked eye. However, with single pass welds the weld bead will typically be wider for low sulfur heats than for heats in the mid to high range of sulfur.
Henon and Overton (1988) and Henon and White (1992) discussed the use of pressure gauges to prevent weld blow-out in UHP field installations. The liquid weld puddle can be pushed outwards by the application of I.D. pressure, which if excessive, can result in blowing out the weld. Pressure gauges are used in the field to determine the correct flow rate for each individual weld which will vary depending on the location of the weld with respect to the length and configuration of the system being installed. To set the correct flow rate, a tee is inserted at the weld joint and connected by a length of tubing to a pressure gauge. The flow rate is set to give a predetermined pressure reading, then the tee is replaced by the weld head and the joint is welded.
Orbital welding procedures for UHP piping
It was recognized at an early stage that orbital welding for UHP semiconductor applications required a systematic approach with control and documentation of weld-related procedures such as cleaning, cutting and facing, surface finish, purging techniques including I.D. pressurization, and awareness of material composition including sulfur content (Henon and Overton, 1988).
|Technique of using a pressure gauge to achieve correct ID pressure and a flat inner weld bead. From Henon and White, 1994.
Ohmi technology. Ohmi in a number of publications in the early 1990s proposed an integrated approach to orbital welding for UHP piping. His recommendations included using a shield and I.D. purge gas mixture of 95%argon/5% hydrogen in combination with high speed, multi-pass autogenous welds which were not pulsed in order to achieve a narrow, smooth weld bead. Internal pressurization was used to control over penetration on specially-formulated very low sulfur materials. A higher travel speed at the same welding current will result in a narrower weld bead, but produce less penetration, so more than one pass was needed to achieve a completely penetrated weld using this technique. A narrow weld bead is considered desirable for HP and UHP semiconductor applications because the surface roughness of the I.D. weld bead is greater than that of the electropolished tubing. A narrower weld bead reduces the area of greater surface roughness to which the ultraclean process gases are exposed. Although the appearance of these welds on the electropolished low-sulfur material was generally good, Ohmi soon recognized that making several passes significantly increases the heat input into the weld increasing the size of the heataffected zone and reducing the corrosion resistance in aggressive service environments. Ohmi modified his welding procedure in order to reduce the excessive heat input by recommending a high travel speed and higher amperages to achieve a narrow weld in a single pass. However, with this technique he noted excessive chromium depletion in austenitic materials and began to recommend the use of ferritic stainless steels for UHP piping.
Use of mixed gas. On heats of 304 or 316 stainless, the addition of 5% hydrogen to the arc shield gas will usually constrict the arc resulting in deeper penetration with a narrower weld bead. On heats of low sulfur material with high W/D ratio weld beads, the 95%argon/5% hydrogen mixture does not typically reduce the weld bead width. It does reduce the amount of amperage required to weld them, it produces a smoother weld pool and its reducing action removes trace amounts of oxygen in the purge gas producing a cleaner looking weld. However, using a mixed gas produces a less stable arc and arc wander may occur. It is essential that the composition of the mixed gas remain constant since small differences can affect penetration.
Pulsation. Ohmi tried to eliminate the appearance of ripples in the weld bead by omitting the pulsed current. While the unpulsed welds had a smooth visual appearance without magnification, SEMs of pulsed welds compared to unpulsed welds were similar microscopically with respect to surface roughness (Burton, personal communication, 1997).
|Above: Unacceptable orbital weld (BOP) on a type 316 stainless steel 3 inch schedule 10 pipe with 0.130 inch wall. The weld bead width was 0.47 inches, the W/D was 3.6. The shield gas was 95%argon/5% hydrogen. Below: Orbital weld on the same pipe using an insert ring made from another 316 ss pipe. The full-penetration weld had an O.D. bead width of 0.25" and a W/D ratio of 1.9. The shield gas was argon. Henon, unpublished data.
STEP procedure. The use of a STEP welding procedure during which rotational travel is stopped or slowed during the primary current pulse and resumed during the background current pulse has been found to be effective on some poor weldability heats. This technique allows for greater penetration at the same amperage than welds done with a continuous welding speed. It is particularly effective for tube-to-fitting welds with less than ideal fit up or for joining materials of differing weldabilities.
Use of insert ring for pipe-to-pipe welds.
Autogenous orbital welding of thin-wall pipe up to about 0.154" wall is normally very practical and easily accomplished. However, occasional heats of stainless steel may be problematic. In 1990 a customer was having difficulty obtaining an acceptable orbital fusion butt weld on a 3 inch schedule 10 stainless steel pipe. The wall thickness of the pipe was about 0.130". The weld bead was nearly 1/2 inch wide with concavity over about 30% of the weld and had a concave downslope. The sulfur content of the pipe was listed as 0.007%, but the welding characteristics were typical of the low-sulfur profile. It is common industry practice to add filler which is chemically enriched in elements which are lacking in the parent material or may segregate non-uniformly in the weld metal. For pipe welding the filler material is usually in the form of wire, but since at that time the cost of orbital welding equipment with wire-feed capabilities was significantly more than fusion welding equipment, the customer wanted to do the weld autogenously if at all possible. Washer shaped inserts were cut from a type 316 three inch schedule 10 stainless pipe that had a very narrow weld bead. When welded with the inserts the weld bead on the problem pipe was reduced from 0.47 inches without an insert to 0.25 inches with the insert when argon was used as a shield gas and to 0.21 inches when the shield gas was 95%argon/5% hydrogen. The mixed gas was used to increase the amount of penetration at the same current setting which it did. However, it did not reduce the weld bead width on the pipe with the wide weld bead, but it did reduce the weld bead width when an insert ring was placed in the weld joint. No mill test report (MTR) was available for the pipe from which the insert ring was made. However, it was clear that this technique worked very well as shown on the photos above.
A similar solution was employed on an application in Taiwan with autogenous welds on 4 inch schedule 10 pipe (0.109" wall) which was difficult to weld. The pipe had a sulfur content of 0.001%. As a control, an insert ring from another low sulfur heat was tried, but this ring had no effect, so higher sulfur rings were used in production. Prior to the actual weld, a pass was made at low amperage to blend the materials in the pipe and ring on the joint surface. The customer made over 500 welds with the 0.009% sulfur insert rings. One out of 20 of these welds failed X-ray due to lack of fusion of the ring, but they were able to reweld these successfully. When an insert ring is used it is very important to make certain that all surfaces are completely clean to assure fusion. Today, since the cost of orbital welding equipment with wire feed capability has come down appreciably, the use of a pipe weld head to add wire of a known higher sulfur concentration into the weld puddle would be recommended for pipe welding if the specifications permitted the addition of wire. In the case cited above, a low sulfur material was used to manufacture the pipe because it was softer and thus easier to draw over a mandrel in forming. The contractor was able to save money on the purchase price of the pipe, but the unexpected delay and increase in the complexity of the welding procedure drove up the cost of the installation.
Correcting for Arc Deflection
The semiconductor industry soon discovered that sulfur in the base metal combined with manganese to produce non-metallic inclusions called manganese sulfide "stringers". These "stringers" are removed from the stainless steel surface during electropolishing leaving microscopic voids which may become initiation sites for pitting corrosion. This lead to industry specifications for much lower levels of sulfur to achieve acceptable surface finish and corrosion resistance. However, the presence of the manganese sulfide "stringers" improves machinability, and some fitting manufacturers specified sulfur contents in the mid to high range of sulfur concentrations for type 316L. As a result of mixing materials with widely different levels of sulfur, the incidence of arc deflection problems was increased. A prominent mechanical contractor reported at an Interphex West workshop that arc deflection that occurred on welds between tubing and fittings cost his company $180,000 per year until they discovered the cause of the problem and began to track heat numbers (MacLaren, 1995). Another mechanical contractor complained that the arc in his weld head was coming off to one side. When coupons from the identical heat number were welded together in the head, the problem went away. Heiple and Burgardt explained the arc deflection phenomenon as resulting from a surface tension gradient in the weld pool towards the region of higher surface tension. Since the temperature coefficient of surface tension is negative in low sulfur heats, when the heat of the arc is applied to the center of the weld pool, the surface tension is reduced on the low sulfur side and the direction of fluid flow is from the center outwards, but on the high sulfur side, fluid flow is from the edges of the weld pool towards the center. Logically one would expect that since the low sulfur material typically requires higher amperage to penetrate than higher sulfur heats, that penetration would be greater on the high sulfur side, but this is not the case. When arc deflection occurs the penetration is almost always on the low sulfur side and this deflection may be serious enough to shift the penetration entirely to the low sulfur side completely missing the inside of the weld joint.
One approach to welding mismatched heats when arc deflection occurs is to make a preheat pass at a lower amperage in an attempt to blend the dissimilar materials and even out the sulfur gradient prior to welding. This approach does yield some improvement, but is not entirely effective. When the cause of the arc deflection problem became more widely known, some manufacturers recommended making fittings and tubing from the same heat of material to prevent arc deflection. This is not always practical, but heat traceability for both tubing and fittings is important. A better approach is to track material heats and try to match the sulfur contents on the job as closely as possible. In our experience differences in sulfur do not always result in arc deflection. While welding a heat of 0.001 to 0.007 wt.% no arc deflection was observed, but welds between a heat of 0.002 and 0.008 wt.% did show arc deflection. (See Table).
Restricted sulfur ranges.
AISI type 316L stainless steel, joined by orbital fusion butt welding, is widely used in both the semiconductor and biopharmaceutical industries, and to an increasing extent, in sanitary process piping applications in the food, dairy and cosmetic industries. Type 316L is an austenitic stainless steel containing chromium, nickel, manganese, and silicon in addditon to iron. The carbon content is limited to 0.030% compared to 0.08% in AISI type 316 to reduce the incidence of carbide precipitation that can occur during welding. Sulfur is present in steel as an impurity, but affects weldability to a greater extent than other trace elements. When problems with weldability occur on a jobsite it can result in unacceptable delays and cost overruns. Attempts to weld the material(s) in question may be less than satisfactory. When the AMI customer memo suggested in 1985 that users of orbital welding equipment select materials with a limited sulfur range, this idea met with considerable resistance in the industry, particularly from manufacturers and suppliers of stainless steel tubing.
However, the rapidly developing semiconductor industry soon discovered the need for a smooth inner surface for tubing to be used in gas distribution systems. The need to be able to quickly achieve acceptable levels for moisture in gases passed through a system demanded an electropolished interior surface of lower and lower average roughness (Ra) with similar demands on weld bead smoothness. Manganese sulfide inclusions as well as other types of inclusions containing oxides of calcium, aluminum, silicon and others have been associated with pitting corrosion and make it difficult for manufacturers of tubing and fittings to achieve specified surface finish requirements. The weld bead itself is smoother with the low inclusion materials. Thus it would be desirable for reasons of surface finish and corrosion resistance to severely limit the amount of sulfur present in type 316L.
|SEMs of orbital welds on 316L stainless steel tubing. Above: Orbital weld on VOD melt at 50X magnification. Below: Orbital weld on EB melt at 100X magnification. The EB melt which has fewer impurities in the base metal has a much smoother weld bead. Courtesy of Valex Corp.
Stainless steel melt methods for high purity applications have become more and more effective in eliminating inclusion-forming impurities. Older melt methods such as electric arc were replaced by AOD (argon oxygen decarburization) or VOD (vacuum oxygen decarburization) which remove a significant amount of trace elements and make it possible to limit sulfur to concentrations to as low as 0.001 wt.%. Double refining techniques such as AOD/VAR (argon oxygen decarburization/ vacuum arc remelt), and VIM/VAR (vacuum induction melt/vacuum arc remelt) remove even more impurities. Electron beam (EB) refining technology involves the use of several stages of increasingly high vacuum and the resulting product has virtually no sulfur or slag-forming elements. The SEMs shown above clearly show the relationship between impurities in the base material and weld bead smoothness.
Semiconductor sulfur range. There is general agreement that type 316L stainless steel has adequate corrosion resistance for most semiconductor process gas line applications. Gases such as HBr and HCl are not very corrosive unless moisture is present thus corrosion damage tends to occur when the sytem is opened such as for changing gas bottles. While it is not considered necessary in most cases to specifiy a more corrosion resistant alloy for these applications, it is important to optimize the corrosion resistance of type 316L. The semiconductor industry, i.e., SEMI, has chosen to restrict the sulfur content of type 316L for the most critical applications. For high purity gas distribution systems (SEMI E49.8-96) the sulfur content includes the entire range of sulfur specified in AISI type 316L which has a maximum of 0.030 wt.%. Sulfur contents for UHP gas distribution systems (SEMI E49.9-96) have different specifications depending on the diameter of the tubing. For tubing over 1/2 inch, sulfur is limited to less- than- or- equal- to 0.005 wt.% to 0.015 wt.%, while the sulfur content of tubing of 1/2 inch or under is limited to less- than- or- equal- to 0.003 wt.% to 0.012 wt.%. Tubing of 1/2 inch OD and under are commonly welded with some type of ID back pressure and typically have thinner walls which facilitate the welding of the lower sulfur materials. SEMI F2-94 Specification for 316L Stainless Steel Tubing for General Purpose Semiconductor Manufacturing Applications limits sulfur for type 316L stainless steel to between 0.003 and 0.010% for all nominal sizes. This is somewhat lower than would be considered to be ideal for welding but avoids the lowest sulfur levels. However, an even lower sulfur concentration (0.001 to 0.004%) is recommended by SEMI F20-95 for 316L stainless steel bar which is used for componenets for high purity chemical (gas or liquid) distribution systems. While some of the SEMI standards recognize that the lowest sulfur content materials may present difficulties for welding, particularly in the larger sizes, SEMI F20 specifies sulfur concentrations to provide superior surface finish and corrosion resistance for which the ideal sulfur concentration would probably be zero.
|Above: Arrows show location of orbital welds on a low sulfur (maximum of 0.005 wt.%) 316L electropolished stainless steel valve. Left: ID of an orbital weld viewed through a Sight-Pipe®. Welds are inspected for full penetration, absence of discoloration, good alignment and workmanship.
|Above and below: Orbital tube-to-tube and tube-to-fitting welds on 1/4" OD 316L cut open to show inner weld beads.
Specification for the pharmaceutical industry. The ASME Bioprocessing Equipment Standard (BPE - 97) has recently addressed considerations for the design and construction of bioprocessing equipment and piping in order to achieve systems that can be maintained in a clean and sterile condition [CIP/SIP (clean-in-place/sterilize or steam-in-place)]. The industry requires smooth, crevice-free corrosion resistant welds in order to limit the growth of microorganisms. This standard limits the sulfur content of 316L to between 0.005 and 0.017% in order to eliminate the lowest end of range which may be difficult to weld and the highest end of range which typically has a rougher weld bead. The ASTM A270 Standard has adopted the recommendations of ASME BPE-97 and added a supplement, S2 for Pharmaceutical Grade Tubing to this standard. This industry commonly uses 316L tubing in sizes of 1 to 4 inches OD with 0.065 inch wall thicknesses and the recommendations for sulfur are comparable to those of the larger diameter tubing specified by SEMI E49.9-96 for UHP gas distribution systems.
However, all specifications are subject to change and Art Tuthill, an expert on corrosion and a consultant to the Nickel Development Institute, citing concern for higher corrosion rates of materials having significant amounts of manganese sulfide inclusions has proposed at a recent ASME Seminar that 316L stainless steel strips used to make welded tubing for bioprocess applications be limited to a maximum of 0.005% sulfur. For tanks, vessels and similar equipment which are welded by different processes he recommends that sulfur concentrations be limited to 0.001 wt.%.
Other restrictions in chemical composition
Restricting sulfur content would not solve all problems associated with poor weldability. In an attempt to eliminate problem heats and to define the ideal composition for weldability Cohen (1997) examined 5 "trouble" heats of 316L stainless steel that had presented difficulties on a large installation. He found that higher copper levels seemed to promote arc wander, tin was present in higher than usual concentrations in 2 of the "trouble" heats, and another "trouble" heat was higher in manganese.
Collins et al. (1999) demonstrated a strong relationship between the cosmetic quality of the welds on various heats of 316L and the base metal chemistry as expressed by the ratio of the chrome equivalent (Cr eq) to the nickel equivalent (Ni eq) where chromium, silicon, niobium and titanium contribute to the Cr eq, and nickel, manganese, carbon, nitrogen and copper contribute to the Ni eq. Collins proposes the use of insert rings to adjust the chemistry of weld components to achieve a favorable Cr eq/Ni eq which will produce cosmetically attractive welds with good corrosion resistance.
Implications of Sulfur Content for Successful Orbital Welding
Maintaining repeatability of the welding process. Orbital welding is a highly repeatable process with the capability of producing a large number of high-quality welds at a high level of consistency. For orbital welding to be most effective, certain factors must be controlled. These include dimensional tolerances for tubing OD and wall thickness, shield gas composition, tungsten length which determines the arc gap length, tungsten geometry, gas purity, gas flow rates, etc. Changes in weld procedures from autogenous welding to procedures requiring the addition of filler material or the use of an insert ring, or a change in arc gas composition from pure argon to a mixed gas are considered to be essential variables according to ASME Section IX of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and require requalification of the welding procedure. Since requalification is both time consuming and costly, it is important to be able to use the same welding procedure for all material heats for a particular application. While minor changes in amperage are easily accommodated, a major change in the weld procedure from heat to heat may result in weld quality that is not acceptable for the application and a loss in productivity.
While the use of insert rings is certainly an effective method for achieving desirable weld quality on heats with excessively wide weld beads, it adds a degree of complexity to fusion butt welding procedures. Where the use of an insert ring (or filler wire) is necessary, for example for welding an alloy such as AL-6XN (Henon, 1989), a welding procedure using the insert ring or filler wire of specified composition must be qualified to ASME Section IX. This is a somewhat more complex procedure than fusion butt welding, but produces satisfactory, repeatable results.Thus it is not the procedure itself, which if planned for can be factored into the cost of a project, but the unexpected change in procedure and failure to achieve the expected level of weld quality that is problematic.
Successful Fabrication of Low Sulfur 316L. Orbital welding of very low sulfur 316L stainless steel need not be a problem when done in a systematic way. High-production orbital welding on small diameter tubing and components has become routine for the Veriflo Division of Parker Hannifin, which manufactures valves and regulators for UHP semiconductor applications. Dan Miller reports that they do approximately 100,000 orbital welds each month on welds of tube or fitting-to-valve or regulator body with a reject rate of only 0.05%. Not all of the rejected parts are due to welding defects but include operator errors such as welding a male nut to a part instead of a female nut. This extremely low reject rate is being achieved on materials with a maximum sulfur concentration of 0.005%.
Veriflo's fabrication area includes 22 orbital welding stations operating on 3 shifts a day with a total of 55 people making an average of about 200 welds each per shift. The welds are done in a single pass with a 15 second downslope. The OD weld bead widths are presently about 3 T or 3 times the wall thickness of the joint. Miller has found that a 95%argon/ 5% hydrogen mix does help to make the weld bead narrower even on these low sulfur heats and intends to incorporate the mixed gas into his welding procedures in the near future. This procedural change will also help to maintain the high levels of cleanliness required of these components.
Chip Doherty and Roger Ames of Amescor also reported success with orbital welding of small diameter, low sulfur materials. They routinely weld materials conforming to SEMI E49.9 and have not experienced any changes in weld acceptance rates with variations in sulfur content. They pressurize the weld during welding by restricting the flow at the weld outlet and have an acceptance level of 1-1/2 T for weld bead width.
Even though UHP semiconductor fabricators are consistently welding materials in the 0.003 to 0.005 wt.% range of sulfur concentrations shown by Burghardt and Campbell to show the greatest variability in D/W as well as weldability, this does not seem to be a problem, especially for the smaller tubing sizes. The success of fabricators today in dealing with the lower sulfur materials may be the result of newer melt methods and improved control of base metal chemistry, or it may simply be due to improved standard orbital welding practices such as high purity cleaning procedures, better end preparation, improved shield and purge gas purification, and control of weld bead pressurization during welding.
Some fabricators of components for UHP gas distribution systems routinely weld thousands of joints a week using only very low sulfur materials. Photo courtesy of Advanced Micropolish , Inc.
Sulfur Concentrations of 316L for Orbital Welding. For more critical applications using small diameter thin-wall tubing, sulfur concentrations of 0.001 to 0.005 wt.% sulfur are routinely and successfuly orbitally welded but may require more complex welding procedures and allowances made for higher weld bead W/D ratios. Cost considerations of achieving an excellent surface finish and optimal corrosion resistance for orbitally welded piping systems must include the cost of more complex welding procedures, including training of welding personnel, that may be needed to weld these materials. For less critical applications where weldability is of foremost consideration, a sulfur range of 0.005 to 0.017 wt.% may be appropriate.
On installations where there may be heats of 316 with a large range of sulfur concentrations it is essential that installers carefully track the heats of tubing, fittings, and other system components being welded and attempt to keep the sulfur contents of materials being joined as similar as is practical.
In so far as possible, it is necessary to aim for consistency of orbital welding procedures and to avoid unnecessary changes in procedures. An understanding of the effects of sulfur concentrations in stainless steel is essential for making the best choice of materials for a particular application, but be aware that sulfur is not the only element controlling the weldability of 304 and 316 materials and that the effects of other trace elements and combinations of elements may also have a significant effect. Limiting the sulfur range of 316L in order to optimize orbital fusion butt welding would eliminate some, but not all of the weldability problems associated with sulfur. Inaccuracies of the MTRs, lack of reporting of some trace elements such as aluminum, selenium, manganese, iodine, and others that may affect weldability, and the unpredictability of interactions between the various trace elements make it impossible to predict from the MTRs whether or not a particular heat of stainless steel will be weldable using conventional orbital welding techniques.
Although the incidence of problem heats is very low, at least one major end user of 316L semiconductor grade stainless steel tubing has their materials prescreened for weldability prior to purchase to assure that orbital welds on every heat they purchase will meet their stringent weld quality requirements.
Presented by Barbara K. Henon, Ph.D., Arc Machines, Inc. at the SEMI Workshop on Stainless Steel, Semicon Southwest Austin, Texas October 16, 2000.
1. Ames, R. and C. Doherty, Amescor, Presentation at the Semi Workshop on Stainless Steel, Semicon Southwest, Austin, Texas, October 16, 2000.
2. ASME Bioprocessing Equipment Standard (BPE -97). American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 3 Park Avenue, New York, New York. 1997.
3. ASTM A270 American Society for Testing and Materials, 106 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohoken, Pennsylvania 19428-2959.
4. Burgardt, P. and R.D. Campbell. Chemistry effects on stainless steel weld penetration, Ferrous Alloy Weldments. Trans Tech Publications. Switzerland, 1992. pp. 379-415
5. Burgardt, P. and R.D. Campbell. The effects of chemistry on weld profiles in partial and full penetration welds. International Trends in Welding Science and Technology. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Trends in Welding Research, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA, June 1-5, 1992.
6. Burton, C. Effect of stainless steel melt methods on the corrosion resistance of welds in UHP gas lines. Presented at the MICROCONTAMINATION Conference, San Francisco, CA, 1997.
7. Burton, C. Theory behind improved corrosion resistance after welding. Dendrite correlation to solute content. Valex Corp., 1997.
8. Campbell, R.D., C.R. Heiple, P.L. Sturgill, A.M. Robertson, and R. Jamsay. Surface preparation effects on GTA weld shape in JBK-75 stainless steel. Welding Journal, Weld. Res. Suppl. 67- s-77-s, February, 1993.
9. Cohen, R.M. Identifying trace elements affecting the weldability of 316L stainless steel tubing. Future Fab International Issue 2, Vol.1. p.271-282, 1997.
10. Collins, S.R., P.C. Williams, P.C., and B. DeForce. Weldability and corrosion studies of AISI 316L electropolished tubing. Stainless Steel World 99 Conference, 1999.
11. Fihey, J.L., and R. Simoneau. Weld penetration variation in GTA welding of some 304L stainless steels. Presented at the American Welding Society Conference, Kansas City, MO, May 16-19, 1982.
12. Heiple, C.R. and P. Burghardt. Effects of SO2 shielding gas additions on GTA weld shape. Welding Journal, 64(6): 159-s to 162-s, 1985.
13. Heiple, C.R. and J.R. Roper. Mechanism for minor element effect on GTA fusion zone geometry. Welding Journal 61(4): 97-s to 102-s, 1982.
14. Heiple, C.R. and J.R. Roper. Effects of minor elements on GTAW fusion zone shape. Rockwell Int. RFP 3224, 1981.
15. Henon, B.K. Customer advisory on fusion welding of low sulfur heats of stainless steel. Arc Machines, Inc., 1985.
16. Henon, B.K. Orbital welding of 316L Stainless Steel Tubing. The Fabricator, May, 1997.
17. Henon, B.K. Orbital welding of corrosion-resistant materials for bioprocess piping applications. Presented at the ASME Bioprocess Engineering Symposium, San Francisco, California, 1989.
18. Henon, B.K., and J.S. Overton. Part 1. Design planning for class 1 UHP stainless-steel process- gas piping system. Part 2. Constructing a class 1 UHP stainless-steel process-gas piping system. MICROCONTAMINATION, February, 1988 and March, 1988.
19. Henon, B. and J. White. Use of ID pressurization to control weld profile in semiconductor ultra-high-purity process gas lines. Arc Machines, Inc. in-house publication, 1994.
20. MacLaren, Ian. Process Piping: Construction issues. Presented at the ISPE Conference at Interphex West, Anaheim, California, 1995.
21. Miller, D. Veriflo Division of Parker Hannifin Corp. Presentation at the Semi Workshop on Stainless Steel, Semicon Southwest, Austin, Texas, October 16, 2000.
22. Miyoshi, S., K. Kawada, and T. Ohmi. High performance, high speed one-revolution welding technology for piping construction - Corrosion free, non-catalytic and fume free. Tohoku University, Japan. 1993.
23. Mizuguchi, Y., T. Ohmi, and K. Sugiyama. Butt welding technology for ultra high purity gas delivery system. Department of Electronics, Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University, Japan, 1989.
24. Pollard, B. The effects of minor elements on the welding characteristics of stainless steel. Welding Journal, September, 1988.
25. SEMI E49.8-96 Guide for High Purity Gas Distribution Systems in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, 805 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043.
26. SEMI E49.9-96 guide for Ultrahigh Purity Gas Distribution Systems in Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, 805 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043.
27. SEMI F2-94 Specification for 316L Stainless Steel Tubing for General Purpose Semiconductor Manufacturing Applications. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, 805 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043.
28. SEMI F3-94 Guide for Welding Stainless Steel Tubing for Semiconductor Manufacturing Applications. Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, 805 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California 94043.
29. SEMI F20-95 Specification for 316L Stainless Steel Bar, Extruded Shapes, and Plate for Components used in High Purity Semiconductor Manufacturing Applications.
30. Tuthill, Arthur. Corrosion Control. Presentation at the ASME Bioprocessing Seminars, Bioprocess Equipment Design, September, 2000.
31. Walsh, D.W. and W.F. Savage. Technical Note: Bead shape variance in AISI 8630 steel GTAW weldments. Welding Journal, Weld. Res. Suppl. pp. 137s-139s, May, 1985.
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By Woodrow Bellamy III | June 5, 2014 Send Feedback
[Avionics Today June 5, 2014] A committee providing aviation industry insight on the FAA's implementation of NextGen has produced a new list of the top four priorities that the industry wants the agency to focus on in its rollout of the shift from radar to satellite based Air Traffic Management (ATM) in the United States.
"We're in no way declaring victory, but what makes us optimistic is the process that went into focusing on these four [priorities]," said Ayer. "We're really in a new way of functioning, and this is the idea of joint FAA-industry collaboration….we're telling you we're making progress and we have a high level of confidence that this is going better."


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Are you reading this post from a "retina" display on your brand new iPad? We wouldn't be surprised, since Apple just released its third-generation tablet to the public. That news unsurprisingly peppered our top Apple coverage for the week, but that's not all that happened. We also compared iTunes' new 1080p movies to Blu-ray, reviewed iPhoto for iOS, examined the third-generation iPad teardown by iFixit, and more. Read on if you've been avoiding news all week and need a refresher:
1080p video smackdown: iTunes vs. Blu-ray: Now that Apple is selling and renting movies and TV shows in 1080p, the obvious question is: how do these downloads compare to Blu-ray? Ars investigates.
Review: iPhoto for iOS out-does Adobe for mobile image editing: Apple's image editing and photo organizing software has made the leap from the Mac to iOS with impressive results. Ars goes hands-on on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 to see how well it stacks up.
iPad 3 teardown: my god, it's full of lithium ions: Masters of repair iFixit have disassembled one of the first third-gen iPads sold in Australia. Not surprisingly, the inside is mostly dedicated to a high-density lithium ion battery—one that's roughly 70 percent larger than that of the iPad 2.
Poll Technica: are you buying a third-generation iPad?: Is the third-generation iPad compelling enough to buy immediately? Vote in our latest reader poll.
Throttled iPhone user balks at AT&T settlement request, vows to help others (Updated): Matthew Spaccarelli won a ruling against AT&T after the carrier throttled his "unlimited" data plan to his iPhone last month. Now, he's trying to help others do the same despite attempts by AT&T to settle.
Which iPad should you buy on Friday? Your questions answered: The third-generation iPad hits the streets on Friday, March 16, but there are still plenty of decisions to make besides whether you're going to buy one. Which carrier should you choose? What are the data plans? What does LTE mean? And where can you buy one?
Early benchmarks confirm third-generation iPad has 1GB of RAM: The rumor mill predicted that the third-generation iPad would come with twice the RAM as the iPad 2, and now some early benchmarks appear to confirm it.
Sparrow leaps from Mac to iPhone, but Apple limits its appeal: Sparrow isn't just for Mac users anymore: Sparrow for iOS is a playful, but usable, alternative e-mail client for the iPhone. However, background processing limitations mean some important features aren't there.
Mini review: iPhones get a charge from Third Rail: Third Rail Mobilty's case and battery kit extends the life of the iPhone 4 and 4S—and anything else that takes a charge over USB—away from an outlet.
iPhone Configuration Utility enables running iPhoto on original iPad: Using a tool designed for enterprise deployment, users have installed and run iPhoto on the A4-powered original iPad.
Have a great weekend everyone! Try not to overdose on your iPad RDF.


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I love the web. I love web development, I love web applications, and most importantly I loved where we were going with web applications. I was obviously a huge proponent of rich Internet applications and capturing a better user experience inside of the browser. Combine a great user experience with all of the good things about running in the browser (deployment, ubiquity, cross-platform, free publishing) and I thought that was a winning combination.
Then the App Store came along. Now everything is about standalone mobile applications. It feels like the web has taken a backseat as developers plunge head first into building native applications and users download them in droves. What bugs me the most is that I'm the same way. Most of the applications I use on my phone have perfectly good browser equivalents but I use the native app.
Dancing With Wolves
So what the hell happened? I think it comes down to two things. One, the app store provided a much better economic model for developers. One problem with the web was the downward pressure it put on the economics of content. Actual dollars were replaced with eyeballs and people started giving away the content and making money on advertising. (Think about how this affects Google, the ultimate web company; With revenue driven by advertising, they get a cut. With revenue driven by the App Store, Apple gets a cut.) With the App Store, developers can go back to charging directly for stuff they create instead of giving it away. It's also insanely easy. They don't have to worry about taking a credit card, setting up payments, or anything else that developers don't want to worry about. They just have to build software, set a price, and the checks come in. That's incredibly compelling. Especially if you're doing development in your free time as a hobby. Now you can easily get paid for it without having to do any of the business tasks that might bog you down if you tried to do it on your own. That frictionless entry has changed the game for a lot of developers and created a huge supply of native mobile applications.
But that doesn't explain the consumer demand for applications. I think that lies in user experience of applications. Prior to the explosion in mobile apps, we were getting close to a native-like user experience with RIAs in the browser. The components were better, the user interactions like drag-and-drop were appearing, and we were tackling problems like offline access directly in the HTML5 spec. Even the browsers were one-upping each other to be faster so we could get closer to native performance. The gap between a desktop experience and an in-browser experience was closing quickly.
Then quality mobile devices came along and changed everything. Instead of a mouse pointer we were dealing with fingers. Instead of worrying about offline access we had a ton of new functions on the phone including built-in GPS, accelerometer, camera, and a compass. The fastest and best (and in some cases only) way to take advantage of these new features was with native applications. Furthermore, the web experience was very much stuck in the old "pointer" mode. Mobile Safari on the iPhone made HUGE improvements to the mobile browsing experience, but nearly all of the websites were built for big screens and mouse pointers. Using the mobile browser on the iPhone (or any smartphone) is a lot of zooming and dragging. Even worse, some of the things we worked so hard on when it came to RIAs, like drag-and-drop, didn't work the same way (or at all) and became more of an annoyance than a great feature.
So almost overnight all of the user interface paradigms the web had moved towards were rendered useless for this generation of mobile browsers. There were some initial attempts at fixing the issue, the best example is iUI by Joe Hewitt, but most people moved towards native apps. With better access to all of the new features, who could blame them?
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
So what does this mean for Flash developers? To be honest, I've been a little nervous. There is a huge drive to get Flash on mobile devices when the world seems to be crazy about apps. If you want to build apps with Flash, you can do so with AIR for Android (and eventually other platforms). But I don't want apps. I want the web. Up to now, a lot of the interest/debate has focused on consuming basic content in Flash. People want Flash on their devices so they can watch video and play games. But we were making huge progress on in-browser RIAs with Flash. I want that momentum back in mobile form.
But what if we can revolutionize the in-browser mobile application experience the way Flash helped revolutionize RIAs on the PC. There is already an undercurrent of anti-native sentiment in the development community. Take a look at Sencha Touch, which is a fantastic looking mobile application framework designed specifically for i-devices and the mobile browser. And their first marketing campaign is even better, declaring the "end of native" at WWDC..
That's exactly what the Flash community should be striving for. What's so great about native? The performance? The user interface? Those are both things we can overcome with better technology and better design. Is it that it's so easy to make money? Then the web is ripe for a better business model. The biggie is feature access. But here's where Flash has always led the pack. We've had camera/microphone access forever and have always led the way in expanding the functionality the browser could take care of. If we can follow that trajectory on mobile then Flash developers are in a great position to make mobile browser apps a reality.
And that's what I'm excited about. Screw native. I'm a web developer.


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Courts Should Reject Blizzard's Assault on the First Sale Doctrine
from the contract-or-copyright? dept
We've written before about the ongoing fight over the legal status of end-user license agreements. Many software companies have tried to claim that breaking an EULA is copyright infringement, which often carries harsher penalties and stronger remedies than mere breaches of contract. The courts have generally resisted these arguments, holding that a copyright holder cannot expand the scope of copyright simply by attaching a "license" to its products. The Electronic Frontier Foundation points to the latest skirmish in this debate: Blizzard has taken the position that using a piece of software called Glider to cheat in World of Warcraft is not only contrary to the game's license agreement but is copyright infringement as well. Indeed, on Blizzard's theory, any violation of the license agreement would constitute copyright infringement.
Public Knowledge has submitted a brief in the case pointing out the real problems the courts would cause if they accepted Blizzard's argument. For example, among the terms of the World of Warcraft license are rules about what you can name your in-game characters. Blizzard's theory would mean that if you choose a name that violates those rules (such as naming your character after a "popular culture figure, celebrity, or media personality"), you would not only get kicked out of the game, but you would be liable for copyright infringement too! This is plainly not how copyright is supposed to work, and PK rightly urges the court to reject Blizzard's over-reaching argument. Perhaps most troubling, accepting Blizzard's argument would mean that software vendors would have the power to dictate who may make software that interoperates with their products. Outside of the much-reviled DMCA, copyright law has never given software vendors this kind of control, and there's no good reason to start now.
Filed Under: copyright, eula, first sale, world of warcraft
Companies: blizzard, eff


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TEQs in summary
Caroline Lucas MPTEQs would provide the fair and transparent system we believe is needed to reduce energy demand, and give each person a direct connection to the carbon emissions associated with their lifestyle. It would guarantee that the UK's targeted carbon reductions are actually achieved while ensuring fair shares of available energy.
Caroline Lucas MP, former leader of the Green Party
Colin ChallenA concept of brilliant simplicity, offering a predictable and orderly reduction of greenhouse gas emissions year-on-year, with flexibility in an enclosed system, independent of taxation and providing complete transparency between goals and delivery.
Colin Challen, Founder Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Group on Climate Change
Jeremy LeggettWhat I like about TEQs is the fairness of it. When the energy crunch hits us, it will behove government and industry to ensure equitable access to available energy, within a national budget. TEQs is a route to synergistic efforts of the kind we will need if we are to mobilise the infrastructure of a zero-carbon future fast, under pressure. It would increase the chances of working our way through the grim times to renaissance-through-resilience.
Jeremy Leggett, author, and Chairman of Solarcentury - a member company of the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil & Energy Security
Tim Yeo MPI firmly believe that tradable personal carbon allowances could make a big contribution to reducing energy consumption and therefore carbon emissions in Britain. I also believe that it is extremely urgent for Britain, and all developed countries, to move away from a fossil fuel-based economy as quickly as possible.
Tim Yeo MP, Chairman, House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee
Lord Smith of FinsburyRationing is the fairest and most effective way of meeting Britain's legally binding targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Lord Smith of Finsbury, Chairman, Environment Agency
John Hemming MPWe urgently need to have a system in place to mitigate the economic and social consequences of peak oil. I believe TEQs provide the fairest and most productive way to deal with the oil crisis and to simultaneously guarantee reductions in fossil fuel use to meet climate change targets.
John Hemming MP, Chairman, All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil
Rob HopkinsA watertight proposal that deserves to be spread as widely as possible, as it is an idea of its time. Take the time to read and understand this mechanism thoroughly. New situations require fresh thinking.
Rob Hopkins, co-founder of the Transition Towns movement
Jonathon PorrittThis eloquently presented proposal merits very serious consideration by all political parties. There remains an undeniable gap between the current policy mix and what we actually need to do urgently both to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and to avoid the potentially devastating consequences of declining fossil fuels. TEQs offer significant policy advantages in addressing both those pressing imperatives.
Sir Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director, Forum for the Future
David FlemingLarge-scale problems do not require large-scale solutions. They require small-scale solutions within a large-scale framework.
David Fleming (1940-2010), inventor of TEQs
Shaun ChamberlinThe Government pre-feasibility study into TEQs in 2008 described the system as "ahead of its time" and pledged to consider implementation if further research changed the likely cost or value of carbon savings. The 2011 All Party Parliamentary report demonstrated conclusively that this condition has been met, drawing on work by the Institute for Public Policy Research, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee. The time for action is long overdue.
Shaun Chamberlin, author of The Transition Timeline, and Managing Director of The Fleming Policy Centre
1. TEQs (Tradable Energy Quotas) is an electronic system for fairly reducing consumption of carbon-intensive energy, at the national scale.
2. There are two main reasons why policy to introduce TEQs may be desirable:
a) maintaining a fair distribution of fuel and electricity during challenging times.
b) providing a method to guarantee achieving national carbon reduction targets.
3. TEQs (pronounced "tex") are measured in units.
4. Every adult is given an equal free Entitlement of TEQs units each week. Other energy users (Government, industry etc.) bid for their units at a weekly Tender, or auction.
5. When you buy fuel or energy, such as petrol for your car, units corresponding to the amount of energy you have bought are deducted from your TEQs account, in addition to your money payment. This is the only time you need TEQs units, and transactions are generally automatic, using credit-card or direct-debit technology.
6. All fuels and electricity supplies carry a "carbon rating" in units; one unit represents one kilogram of carbon dioxide – or the equivalent in other greenhouse gases – released in the fuel's production and use. This determines how many units are needed to make a purchase (thus giving a competitive advantage to low-carbon energy).
7. If you use less than your Entitlement of units, you can sell your surplus. If you need more, you can buy them. All buying/selling takes place at a single national price, which rises and falls in line with demand. Buying and selling is as easy as topping up an Oyster card or mobile phone.
8. The total number of units available in the country is set out in advance in the TEQs Budget. The size of the Budget goes down year-by-year – step-by-step, like a staircase.
9. The Budget is set by the Committee on Climate Change, which is independent of the Government. The Government is itself bound by the TEQs system; its role is to support the country in thriving on the available carbon/energy.
10. Since the national TEQs price is determined by national demand, it is transparently in everyone's interest to help each other to reduce their energy demand, and to work together, encouraging a national sense of common purpose.
To find out more, you could view the presentation below, take a look at this popular 2005 booklet, this 2011 Parliamentary report or this 2015 peer-reviewed paper, or visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
Videos of Caroline Lucas MP, John Hemming MP and others discussing TEQs available here


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Last year we posted several Q&As with former Bell Curves students (Lauren Sickles, Gabe Perez, Rhomaro Powell, Denitresse Burns, and Radina Russell) in which they shared their experiences in business school and how it benefited their careers. The insights were well-received, so we decided to conduct a few more with a slightly different focus. This time around we were interested in hearing from MBAs that recently completed their first year.
For our first offering in this installment, Goreleigh Willis shares his experiences and insights.
Prior to pursuing his MBA at Cornell University's Johnson School, Goreleigh was an Associate with the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan in New York City. For five years, he worked with families to manage their wealth, as a Banker Analyst, and more recently as a Trust Officer. Previously, he spent four years in management consulting within the firm. At Johnson, Goreleigh is a Vice President of the Old Ezra Finance Club. He is also the Vice President of Alumni Affairs for the Black Graduate Business Association and a Vice President of the Johnson Soccer Club. Goreleigh will be an investment banking Associate at Lazard this summer.
Goreleigh holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science with Honors distinction from Swarthmore College.
What was the most surprising aspect of your first year in an MBA Program?
The most surprising thing for me was the pace of Johnson. Many of the core courses are 8 weeks long, so there is no time to fall behind. Even though I heard from the second year students beforehand, it was still a challenge to balance academic work with recruiting. Efficient time management is crucial!
If you had to tell prospective MBAs one thing about your school or about business school, what would be it?
Johnson is one of the best places in the country to go if you have a focused career plan. The immersion programs are fantastic and have far exceeded my expectations.
What's the best way to get ready for the rigors of business school?
The more you can focus your career plans early, the better. If you have time to review accounting and finance before starting school, I would recommend it. You may have taken these courses in college, but business school teaches them in more depth and at a much faster pace. If you haven't taken them, enroll in undergraduate level courses at a local college – you won't regret it! If anything, you may be able to test out of certain core classes. Exempting core classes allows you the flexibility to further tailor your MBA program to your needs.
Did preparing for and taking the GMAT get you ready to tackle your classes?
Absolutely. All business school programs require the same base knowledge obtained from GMAT preparation. GMAT preparation forces you to return to serious study mode, which is essential to acclimating to a rigorous academic environment. Balancing your GMAT study with work and other activities is a preview of the time management challenges you will experience during business school.
For more information on how Bell Curves courses and tutoring could help you maximize your GMAT score to improve your graduate business school prospects, visit us at gmat.bellcurves.com.


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You may be good, but are you savvy?
Success as a professional musician requires much more than talent and luck! Whether hoping to augment your income, stand out from a competitive field, add variety to activities, or erect an empire, savvy musicians find ways to thrive under any circumstances.
THE SAVVY MUSICIAN, by Dr. David Cutler, is a thorough and comprehensive book created to help you 1) build a career, 2) earn a living, and 3) make a difference. It examines critical elements often overlooked or misunderstood by musicians, such as entrepreneurship, product development, branding, marketing, networking, the new recording paradigm, personal finance, funding, relevance, and legacy. This book helps you take control of your career by discovering opportunities that are both prosperous and meaningful.
"If you've ever wondered why someone else succeeds instead of you, read this book. Much more importantly, you will discover countless ways to make sure it's you that people are wondering about the next time!"
– Jeff Nelsen, hornist, Canadian Brass
Home Base for Music Careers
The Savvy Musician's mission is to become your first (and often last) stop for music career related issues. If information exists elsewhere, we'll point you in the right direction. If not, we'll bring it to you directly:
- Resource Center. 1000+ valuable links.
- Blog. Homebase for music careers and entrepreneurship.
- Newsletter. Designed with your interests in mind.
- Bookstore. Products helpful to musicians.
Let us know if there's anything we can do to make The Savvy Musician even more valuable in your quest towards professional success.
TSM Newsletter
Be sure to subscribe to The Savvy Musician newsletter. Beginning in November 2009, this bi-monthly e-zine can be sent directly to your in-box free of charge. Featuring artist profiles and articles by leaders in the field, you can even submit your questions or stories (from unprecedented successes to disastrous nightmares) to be considered for inclusion. This is the rare breed of newsletter, designed with your interests in mind, that you will eagerly anticipate each time!


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Rajiv Shetty '94 Gives Back through Impact Investing
At the age of four, Stevens alumnus Rajiv Shetty (B.E. in Computer Engineering, 1994) knew he wanted to leave his hometown of Mumbai, India and get his college education in the United States. What he didn't know was that his life would eventually come full circle – thanks to the education, work experience and life lessons he gained as a Stevens undergraduate, today he is giving back to the entrepreneurs and business owners in his native country and other developing areas facing similar challenges.
When Shetty was a teenager in India excelling in his high school math and science classes, he caught the entrepreneurial bug while working at the family-owned business, a printing company his father built from scratch. But prior to enrolling at Stevens in 1989, Shetty had no idea of corporate experience whatsoever.
"I was the first in my family to go to work in the corporate world, so I had no frame of reference from my early years," said Shetty.
The future software analyst also had no computer experience.
"I had never used a PC before, but had heard people discuss them and felt this was something interesting and modern that I might be good at," Shetty said.
Stevens, he said, was instrumental in developing both skills. He chose it for its strong engineering curriculum, its proximity to New York City, its small size, and most importantly, its Cooperative Education (Co-op) program, which allowed Shetty to self-finance his education.
"For a foreign student, the Co-op program was a life saver," he said. "I was struggling with finances, culture shock, looming career decisions, and more, and Co-op was my rock in the storm."
As he progressed through his Computer Engineering major, Shetty held five summer Co-op assignments, gradually increasing his responsibilities, networking with important future connections, and learning generally how to excel on the job. His first assignment was at Manhattan-based Nautical Technologies, which developed databases for managing various shipping functions. Next he worked at postal equipment manufacturing company Pitney Bowes as a member of a team working to create new product lines in a state-of-the-art electronics research facility. Finally, he had three assignments at Dialogic, which specialized in telephony technology such as call processing hardware and software. As Shetty helped get Dialogic's voice recognition software out of the lab and into development, the company was growing rapidly and in need of talent, and at the end of his final assignment Shetty received a hard-to-pass-up offer.
"Dialogic was soon going public and management wanted to double the size of the organization. They made me an open offer to join any department, with a package that included stock options," Shetty said.
Although honored by the vote of confidence, Shetty had other ideas. With enough on-the-job knowledge to understand what he really wanted out of a full-time position and the confidence that comes with having a great job offer stashed away in his back pocket, Shetty applied to only one company – Salomon Brothers, which was then known as the Wall Street leader in technology.
"Almost every trading and investment technology used in finance was originally developed at Salomon Brothers, and at the time the company had a massive budget for technology research and development," Shetty said.
After a grueling interview process, Shetty was selected for what he was later told was "the best technology job Salomon Brothers offered that year" – as an analyst on an advanced technology research team which guided the technology strategy of the company.
"The work and visibility was amazing," Shetty said. "I got to work with key trading departments and on projects for senior executives at the firm."
Shetty stayed at Salomon Brothers for about three years before pursuing an opportunity as a technology strategist specializing in risk and trading systems at Long-Term Capital Management, which in 1997 was a major hedge fund at the top of Wall Street. However, the following year the firm failed, leading to a bailout by other financial institutions under the supervision of the Federal Reserve.
"It was an incredibly intense and valuable experience being at ground zero of the financial crisis of 1998," Shetty said. "I stayed on during Long-Term Capital Management's reincarnation as JWM Partners, a slimmed-down version of the original."
That decision helped Shetty make the transition from the technology side to the investment side of the financial industry. In that capacity, he has since worked for Banc of America Securities, Harcourt Investment Consulting AG, and today, AlphaMundi, a Zurich-based company which specializes in "impact investing."
"We make investments in social enterprises in emerging and frontier markets that are addressing the major challenges faced by the world's working poor, such as access to clean energy, sustainable agriculture, affordable education and microfinance," said Shetty, who also holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from INSEAD.
Shetty said he's thrilled to be able to combine what he's learned in the classroom, in industry and in life to connect the world's problems to the business and financial markets.
"It's great to reconnect with my own upbringing and use the experience I've gained in the financial industry to work on bridging the worlds a little bit," he said. "There are lots of great partnerships being made between businesses, governments, nonprofits and philanthropists."
Shetty lives in Zurich with his wife, Virginie, who he proposed to eleven years ago at Castle Point, and his two-year-old son, Rohan.