Page 18 - Spring 2014 World of Welding

THE WORLD OF WELDING http://www.welding.org

AWS PRESENTS EXTRAORDINARY WELDING AWARD TO
TIMES SQUARE NEW YEAR’S EVE BALL

The American Welding Society (AWS), the world’s largest
organization dedicated to advancing the science, technology
and application of welding, presented an Extraordinary
Welding Award to the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball
during a special ceremony on Monday, January 6, 2014.

The award, which is voted on by AWS’s Past-Presidents
Committee, celebrates technical design or outstanding
development in welded fabrication, recognizing welding
excellence in construction, fabrication and manufacturing,
and designating those welded structures whose purpose has
importance in, or influence on, history.

The New York City icon is a welding and engineering marvel.
Created by Hudson Scenic Studios, the ball is a geodesic
sphere, 12 feet in diameter and weighing 11,875 pounds. The
Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process was utilized in its
aluminum frame construction.

Dean Wilson, president of the American Welding Society,
presented the award during the annual ceremony to re-light
and raise the ball back to its perch above One Times Square.
The ball will remain there for all Times Square visitors to see
until it drops back down to ring in 2015.
Tim Tompkins, President, Times Square Alliance; Dean Wil-
Previous winners of AWS’s Extraordinary Welding Award son, President, American Welding Society; Roger Bardwell,
include the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., the Trans-Alaska P.E., C.W.I, Hudson Scenic Studios; Jeff Straus, President,
Pipeline and the Georgia Aquarium. Countdown Entertainment

JON BRITTINGHAM COMPLETES

ART PROJECT

Hobart Institute welding instructor
Jon Brittingham completed the
crane to fulfill a specific order he
had for one of his sculptures.

He used sheet metal cut from a
trash can for the wings as each
feather was welded into place
individually.

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