Even if you couldn’t make it, it’s not too late to catch some of the action at the 2010 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, the premier annual competition for career and technical skills students.

This year, SkillsUSA is offering live Webcasts twice daily from the championship floor, where you can watch the action and drama unfold in real time as students vie to be named the best in the nation in their respective fields of expertise. In the welding portion of the competition, students will compete to build the best barbecue grill.

Many of you took part in past SkillsUSA competitions, and we’re sure that checking out this year’s competition will bring back fond memories. Enjoy!

Time is running out to sign up for Miller’s free online Webinar—Keeping Cool: Managing Heat Stress For Welders. During the one-hour presentation we’ll be discussing the causes and symptoms of heat stress, how to properly monitor and implement a heat stress control plan and how Miller’s new CoolBand™ and CoolBelt™ products can fit into a heat stress control plan.

The Webinar will be at noon on June 23, 2010, and will be archived for free download on the ISHN Web site for one year. Visit ISHN magazine’s

Wondering if upgrading to Pulsed TIG for your stainless steel applications will net your company any tangible benefits? Then look no further than the test results of a recently completed comparison between standard TIG and four different pulsing programs.

In short, pulsed TIG yielded a 52 percent narrower bead width,  34 percent increased penetration, 60 percent lower heat input, 35 percent faster travel speeds and better overall weld quality!

Need more proof? Check out the full test details along with an explanation of how to select the optimal pulsed program for your application.

Building on the proven reliability and performance of our XR Control aluminum MIG push-pull wire feeder, Miller introduces two new models, the XR-S Control and XR-D Control, designed to meet the specific needs of basic and more advanced aluminum MIG applications.

Featuring adjustable run-in, jog & purge, a digital wire feed speed display and the option of using pre- and post-flow, the XR-S Control feeder meets the needs of basic aluminum MIG push-pull applications without all the bells and whistles that aren’t needed & that might lead to inconsistencies between operators.

Taking things a step further, the XR-D Control features point-of-use remote voltage control, digital voltage display, programmable pre- and post-flow, and adjustable start and crater settings.

Check out the XR-S & XR-D news release for more information about the features and benefits of these new products as well as the applications and industries they are designed to serve.

Summer is still a couple weeks away, but you can get a jump start on it by taking advantage of our new Summer Savings promotion. We’re offering up to $150 cash back on a wide variety of welding equipment and accessories packages, including our most popular MIG and TIG welders, welding generators, plasma cutters and welding helmets.

Visit the promotion page for full cash back details and to complete your cash back redemption form.

Also, Miller has extended its PowerLINE zero-percent, 12-month financing offer for new equipment purchases over $10,000. You can now qualify for financing through December 31, 2010. Visit the PowerLINE page for complete offer details.