Public invited to tour renovated welding lab at Lake Michigan College

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Lake Michigan College will showcase a $1.8 million investment in workforce development when it hosts a community open house of its newly renovated welding lab from 1 – 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26. The lab is located in the Hanson Technology Center on the College’s Benton Harbor Campus located at 2755 E. Napier Avenue.

Enhanced safety, air quality, space utilization, and learning environments were central to the planning of the renovation project. Specific upgrades in the 3,325-square-foot welding lab include a redesigned ventilation system, centralized gas storage, reconfigured electrical system, and 20 metal hardwall welding booths with lighting units.

“These upgrades come at a critical time as we work with manufacturers across Southwestern Michigan to develop a workforce that is ready to step into high-skill job openings,” stated Dr. David Krueger, LMC Dean of Workforce Development. “The improvements provide our students and instructors with an environment that supports top-level skill development.”

The new workstation configuration improves students’ ability to practice their welding skills in an efficient environment. Incorporating centralized gas storage for the entire lab eliminates the need for portable gas cylinders to be stationed at each student welding station. This frees up floor space for instructor-led demonstrations, improves safety by widening walkways, and eliminates the time and effort needed to monitor and refill 20 individual tanks.

Students also benefit from the reconfigured, well-lit hardwall booths that replace previously unlit booths built of a metal framing and fireproof tarp wall system.

The new ventilation system, which replaces one that was nearing the end of its useful life, uses an improved design that further reduces fumes and airborne particulates. It also promotes efficiency by tying stand-alone cutting tables into the primary extrusion system, eliminating the need to move portable ventilation units into position each time the stations are used.

“The lab is where welding students spend up to 80 percent of their class time. These upgrades not only create a safer, healthier environment, they give students better equipment to work with,” stated Nathan Kramb, LMC welding instructor. “Returning students who worked in the old lab last year have all told us they can’t believe this is the same space.”

LMC offers welding training in MIG, TIG, stick, flux core, oxyfuel cutting, plasma cutting, and carbon arc gouging. Currently, 11 classes are running, with each starting the Fall 2025 semester at or near capacity.

While many students enroll in welding classes with the goal of becoming professional welders, others use them as supplemental instruction as they prepare for careers in other areas including machine tool technology, electronics, or robotics.

In addition to students working toward a degree or certificate in the trades, LMC sees students taking welding for personal interest. Among recent students have been a farmer who wanted to perform some of his own equipment repairs, a physician with an interest in building race cars, and several engineers wanting to better understand how the machines they design are later constructed.

“No matter what skill level or personal goal each student has entering a welding class, we push them to be better at the skill and craft of welding,” Kramb stated. “Our goal is to have all students walk away with an understanding and appreciation for the trade, whether it is their chosen profession or simply a component of the overall work they plan to do.”

Area businesses, those looking to enroll in manufacturing technology classes, and the broader community are welcome to tour the welding lab during the open house. Free parking is available in the lot on the east side of the Hanson Technology Center, adjacent to the Mendel Center.

More information about manufacturing programs at LMC can be found at https://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/academics/manufacturing-industrial-technology.