CanWeld celebrates 10th anniversary in Halifax

For 10 years CWB Group’s CanWeld Conference has drawn welders, welding technologists, and educators together to share insights into the latest critical welding technologies, processes, and research. This year will be no exception as the conference makes its way to Halifax, Oct. 9-10, at the Halifax Convention Centre.

The theme for CanWeld 2019 is Current Waves. As a conference centred around different welding processes, and the host city’s proximity to the ocean, it seemed a fitting theme for the conference. The event not only highlights the welding industry, but it increases the visibility of Canada’s Atlantic region and the manufacturing sector, which recently has been making waves in the news.

“This year’s CanWeld Conference theme synergizes the welding current and the power of the ocean,” said Dan Tadic, executive director, CWB Association. “The conference is in co-ordination with the CWB Association, Education, and Foundation in support of our many thousands of association members and over 7,000 CWB clients. The conference programs have been designed for a broad audience and provide information on industry trends and advances in various technologies. We are also working with speakers and making investments to capture their presentations for sharing with our audience across the country.”

Keynote Address: Mark Sansom, Irving Shipbuilding

One of the highlights of CanWeld is always the keynote address, usually presented by a local industry leader. This year is no exception: The keynote address will be given by Mark Sansom, welding manager at Irving Shipbuilding.

It is an exciting time to be a shipbuilder at Irving Shipbuilding. Since 2012 the company has invested more than $400 million in facilities, people, processes, and technology, making Halifax Shipyard one of the most modern and capable shipyards in the world. In September 2018 the company launched Canada’s lead Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship, the largest Navy ship built in Canada in 50 years. And they’re just getting started. Over the next few decades the more than 2,000 shipbuilders at Halifax Shipyard will construct 21 modern patrol ships and surface combatants for the Royal Canadian Navy.

The work underway at Halifax Shipyard is revitalizing Canada’s shipbuilding industry and providing the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy with the ships they need to protect Canada’s interests at home and abroad.

Sansom will offer attendees an insider’s view of this growth process. He is a leading international welding engineer who has applied his expertise to major naval build and maintenance programs in the United Kingdom and Canada. He joined Irving Shipbuilding in May 2019 as a welding manager at Halifax Shipyard.

Weld Fume Safety

The conference sessions, as mentioned previously, will include technical research findings and useful shop management tips. An example of the latter is Duncan Beaumont’s presentation on “Weld Fume Safety Practices for Working in Enclosed Spaces.”

Duncan Beaumont

This session will offer information about practices shops can put in place to overcome health concerns related to welding fume. When welders are working in tight or enclosed spaces, such as inside silos or fuel tanks, controlling weld fumes and keeping them out of the welder’s breathing zone are challenging. The dangers of weld smoke, the special challenges of controlling fumes in enclosed areas, engineering control options, and personal protective equipment (PPE) will all be discussed during this presentation. It is an ideal session for welders, fabrication shop owners, plant managers, health and safety professionals, and others concerned with weld fume safety.

Beaumont is executive director for Translas Canada. He brings more than 15 years of project management and sales experience in industry. In his current role, he helps the welding and fabrication sector select and implement air quality systems to mitigate health and safety risks and ensure regulatory compliance.

Welding Simulations and Productivity

In terms of technical research, a good example of what will be available at the conference is Satya Gajapathi’s presentation, “Are Welding Simulations Key to Next-level Growth in Welding Productivity?”

This presentation discusses practical welding problems from industry and how simulations are applied to find solutions. Using an example of a stud welding model, Gajapathi details the optimization of welding parameters to obtain a specific microstructure. Further, multiple examples of thermomechanical analysis of large fabricated structures will be given. He will also discuss distortion minimization through optimizing welding sequence, fixturing, pre-bending, and thermal straightening.

Gajapathi is the innovation lead for the advanced manufacturing and welding division of CCNB-INNOV. In his role to foster advancement of the welding industry in Atlantic Canada, he collaborates with manufacturing companies to develop solutions in the areas of welding automation and robotics, welding simulations, residual stress, and distortion management.

Technology Updates

Some sessions will also tackle advanced welding technologies, such as Jeffrey Noruk’s presentation on welding robots equipped with special 3D laser vision systems designed to help with welder shortages.

In recent years the evolution and concept of manufacturing has been driven by the adoption of industrial robots, particularly in large industry. Increased robot intelligence and flexibility, reduced ecological footprint, as well as easy teaching and collaboration with a human being are required to expand this technology among small and medium-size companies.

Noruk is president of Servo-Robot Corp., a manufacturer of 3D laser vision systems for controlling welding automation, including joint tracking, joint finding, adaptive robot control, and inspection.

Satya Gajapathi

These are just the tip of the conference session iceberg. Other topics include: Understanding welding corrosion in marine environments; Advances in engineering methods for non-destructive measurement and beneficial redistribution of residual stresses; and Plate girder flange fractures – lessons learned. For more information on topics and speakers, visit conference.cwbgroup.org.

Networking Opportunities

As always, CanWeld Conference also will offer multiple opportunities for networking, including an opening night reception on Oct. 8 and a social event and awards celebration on Oct. 9.

To sign up for the conference, visit the CanWeld website. If you wish to get involved in this conference or future events, I encourage you to contact your local CWB Group representative to let them know.

Rhea Gill is marketing communications specialist at CWB Group.

Jeffrey Noruk