4 About the Authors William A. Bowditch has an extensive teaching and welding background. He has been a teacher, department head, and supervisor of special needs and vocational programs. In addition to his formal college training in preparation for teaching, Bill has taken several specialized courses in industry, such as the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology and American Welding Society courses. He is a member of the Association for Career and Technical Education and a life member of the American Welding Society. As a coauthor of Modern Welding, he has guided this Goodheart-Willcox book through many revisions to keep it up-to-date and technically correct in order to maintain its value as an authoritative welding text. He is also a coauthor of Welding Technology Fundamentals. Kevin E. Bowditch is a welding engineer specialist for Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. His welding experience includes working for two automotive fi rms, two aerospace fi rms, a construction company (building nuclear plants), and a precision sheet metal fi rm. While working for one aerospace fi rm, Kevin designed resis- tance welding and soldering equipment, designed special equipment for custom applications, and worked to develop correct welding and soldering schedules for customers. He has a bachelor’s degree in welding engi- neering from The Ohio State University, has taken welding courses at the Hobart Institute of Welding Tech- nology, and has attended specialized conferences and courses sponsored by the American Welding Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and American National Standards Institute. Kevin joined his father as a coauthor of Modern Welding, beginning with the 1984 edition, and has been a coauthor of Welding Technology Fundamentals since its fi rst edition was published in 1991. Mark A. Bowditch joined the Bowditch team of welding authors in 1998, when he coauthored Oxyfuel Gas Welding with his brother Kevin. Mark has more than ten years of experience as an educator, holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and has taken classes at the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology. In addition to employing his expertise and communication skills in preparing this edition of Modern Welding, he has also assumed respon- sibility as a coauthor with his brother and father for the 2005 and later revisions of Welding Technology Fundamentals. Mark is also an offi cer in the United States Air Force Reserves.