i am asking this question for my friend. Hes is a welder in pa and they have taken away there afternoon break. is this allowed? how many breaks are you leagally allowed to to take? for an 8 hour day?

Pennylsvania law does not require meal periods or rest breaks for employees over the age of 17. Therefore, what the employer is doing is not illegal, at least according to state wage-and-hour standards. (Don't know why this didn't show up as a hyperlink; you can cut and paste it into your browser.)
http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?a=142&Q=61106&landiPNavCtr=|#10

Based on what he does, however, there may be a safety factor involved. I'll let someone who is more knowledgeable than I about OSHA standards, etc. opine on the safety issue.