Layout workers, using blueprints, mark off dimensions on the metal plat from which the boiler sections will be formed. Fitters check the accuracy of the size and shape of the various parts of the boiler, tank, or other vessel after they have been cut or otherwise shaped, by assembling the parts in a temporary fashion to see if all parts fit together according to the required specifications. After the boiler is assembled and installed by the boilermaker, continued maintenance of the heater is also done by the boilermaker. They are actually handling repairs and inspections.
Boiler Makers Duties
The development of the boiler-making occupations is closely related to the expansion of the Industrial Revolution. Throughout the nineteenth century, great progress was made in the use of boilers in industry, so has its jobs in HVAC’s. The use of boiler-making trade products has expanded tremendously, both in total amount and in variety, in the twentieth century. The number of boil makers (including layout workers and fitters) has increased to meet the huge demands for power and storage for the U.S. Industry. Naval shipyards and other federal installations, the construction industry, steel manufacturing, petroleum refineries, railroads, the chemical industry, and the gas and electric companies have become frequent users of the boilermakers’ skills.
Part of their HVAC careers, boilers are often operated at very high pressures. Faulty construction, repair, or operation can therefore be sources of great danger. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, attempts were made through local regulations to prevent accidents caused through careless construction. But it was not until 1908 that a code of such rules and regulations was developed to apply to any sizeable area. Today, as a result of the combined efforts of industry, labor unions, and government, safety codes are practically universal. Furthermore, boilermakers work at the site where the boiler, tank, or vat is to be installed and put into use. Such sites include petroleum-producing areas where storage tanks are to be filled and refineries where gasoline is made. Schools and other institutions require large heating boilers and atomic energy plants where installations must withstand the high pressures.
Boil-makers may also do repair work at the site. The installation must be checked to identify the specific source of weakness or trouble. It may be necessary to dismantle the boiler or other units and repair or replace worn or defective parts. Occasionally, joints or supports require strengthening. Both repair and installation must be done in compliance with state and local safety codes.
To easily acquire HVAC employment, boil-makers must be skilled in using many types of tools and equipment in installation and repair. Power shears, power rolls, power presses, and oxyacetylene torches are used for cutting and bending metal plates to specifications. Welding equipment and riveting machines are used. Some installation jobs require complete knowledge of the use of rigging equipment such as hoists, jacks, framing, and rollers.
Boil-makers find a lot of work in the ship and boat building industry as HVAC technicians. They repair hulls, bulkheads, and decks and remove damaged parts by drilling out rivets and cutting off the heads with a chipping hammer. They make wooden patterns from the damaged plates or take measurements of them from which to make new plates, as well as installing the new plates. Sometimes, similar work is done on ship’s boilers, condensers, evaporators, loaders, gratings, and stacks. Boilermakers ream and align rivet holes and then fasten on new plates by driving in rivets. Boiler-maker layout workers and fitters work in the shop or factory where boilers and similar vessels are fabricated. Both layout and fit-up workers read and interpret blueprints and specifications in their work.
Layout workers prepare metal plates and tubes that are put together to make a boiler, they mark on the plates and tubes all the curves, lines, and dimensions that are necessary as directions to the workers who will cut and shape the parts, using various metal-cutting and metal-shaping techniques and equipment. Fitters take over after the metal parts have been formed as part of the HVAC mechanic job. To check the accuracy and fit of each part, the fitters assemble them into a unit by bolting or tack-welding the pieces together. If there are inaccuracies in cut or shape, they can be corrected. Today, it is customary to require that an applicant to the boiler-making trade is preferred to have a high-school diploma. Such a diploma is almost essential for advancement to any supervisory or promotional position.
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