CanWeld comes to Winnipeg

Winnipeg has a diverse manufacturing base that includes major players in the aerospace, heavy vehicle, agri-business, and food processing industries. The variety of OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers makes it an ideal place to learn about the newest advanced manufacturing processes being adopted by such companies.

On Sept. 12 and 13, CanWeld Expo & Conference 2018 will give welding industry professionals the opportunity to learn more about how they can improve their welding operations, covering topics as diverse as fume management, automation, testing, and welding processes. Local experts and industry leaders and academics from across Canada and overseas will be there to share their knowledge.

Keynote Speaker: New Flyer’s Paul Soubry

The keynote speaker for the event will be Paul Soubry, president/CEO of New Flyer Industries Inc. (NFI Group). As readers of Canadian Fabricating & Welding will know from past articles about the company, Soubry has been an important part of its growth in becoming the largest bus and motor coach manufacturer and parts distributor in North America, with 32 fabrication, manufacturing, distribution, and service centres across Canada and the U.S.

The company employs 1,100 welders in North America. And because it has a substantial number of welders in Manitoba, NFI Group has been on the leading edge of new welding technology implementation. The company is a leader in welding fume management and has met the challenges created by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommendations for exposure limits, which are now law in Manitoba. Soubry will explain how NFI has diversified and transformed its business through a focus on culture, lean operations, and technology leadership.

International Welding Know-how

Industry perspectives from around the world will be shared in other conference sessions.

“We have experts coming from many different countries to speak at the conference, including Argentina, China, Germany, Iran, and Russia,” said Dan Tadic, executive director of CWB Group. “People have a very positive experience at this conference. They like the networking opportunities, and the opportunity to learn about research and development from their colleagues.”

As in previous years, conference sessions cover a broad scope of subjects. Some of the highlights are:

• Next-generation welding technologies: innovations and applications
• Robotic welding for large-sized parts
• Exporting Canadian manufactured products: fabrication considerations and business strategies for success
• Weld fume safety practices for working in enclosed spaces
• Aluminum deposition using robotic GMAW
• Out-of-position weld cladding experimentation with single- and twin-wire GMAW processes

“We will also feature a presentation on quality challenges with overseas fabricated pressure pipe spools and components,” said Tadic. “Canadian industry, particularly in the oil sands, imports a lot of fabricated products and, unfortunately, the oversight in some of those countries is not that great. One company is going to showcase the repairs that they do on such products to meet Canadian standards.”

The CanWeld Best Welder competition will be held on the show floor once again.

Whatever challenges you may be dealing with in your welding operations will no doubt be covered in one of the education sessions.

Celebrating the Future of Welding

The CWB Group plays a key role in promoting the welding trade across Canada and, as in past years, this will be a highlight on the tradeshow floor and in the conference sessions.

The CanWeld Best Welder competition will be held on the show floor once again. Young welders will have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in welding booths set up at the heart of the tradeshow.

In addition to the Best Welder, a virtual welding competition will be an opportunity for both novices and pros to try out their skills.

“Using welding simulators, students and novices who have never welded will be able to try their hand at welding,” said Tadic.

Earlier this year the CWB Group launched its own Enhanced Welder Apprenticeship Training (EWAT) model, which creates an opportunity for apprentices to experience a greater variety of work and learn many more welding techniques and processes by rotating among at least three different companies over the apprenticeship period. Tadic will discuss how the pilot program in Hamilton, Ont., is proceeding during the conference.

“We are close to launching EWAT in Winnipeg and Saskatoon, followed by Edmonton,” said Tadic. “Eventually we plan to have similar programs in Halifax, Vancouver, Moncton, St. John’s, Charlottetown, and Montreal.”

“This year’s conference agenda highlights the full scope of the CWB and its position as a centre for excellence in all things welding, not only in Canada but also internationally,” said Michelle Stanford, senior vice president, CWB Group.

“Our full capabilities within and across our business units, including our expertise in knowledge, service, education, public safety, and enforcement, will be showcased alongside leading-edge thinking in many disciplines within welding. During breakfast and lunch on Wednesday, we will showcase advancements in welding education and ways to support your personal and professional goals. We will share CWB Foundation’s efforts and investments working with schools and students across the country to increase exposure for and excitement around welding as a great career option, as well as the proprietary and compressive learning solutions available for students, schools, and companies across the industry through CWB Education and our ACORN offerings,” Stanford said.

For more information about the conference and tradeshow, visit www.canweldexpo.com.