AN UPDATE FROM WELD AUSTRALIA’S INDUSTRY GROUPS

AN UPDATE FROM WELD AUSTRALIA’S INDUSTRY GROUPS

Weld Australia’s Industry Groups provide a forum for technology transfer and research and development, linking members with industry and research organisations. Weld Australia works with Technology Network members to ensure they remain diverse and resilient in the ever-changing and increasingly challenging global markets.

WELDING SAFETY COUNCIL

The Welding Safety Council met online in late May, with representatives from Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH), AWS, Industrial Laser Solutions, SafeWork NSW, TAFE Queensland, SafeWork Australia, SafeWork SA, DMIRS WA, WorkSafe ACT, WorkSafe Victoria and Weld Australia in attendance.

The Welding Safety Council is currently addressing several areas of concern, including protective clothing, electric shock, and the dangers of welding fume, as well as hand held laser welders and the lack of standards and regulations around their use.

Bruce Cannon (Principal Welding Engineer, Weld Australia) provided an update on the work of IIW Commission VIII, as well as an update on various Standards. AS 1674.1 Safety in welding and allied processes is undergoing revision and a public review draft should be available later this year.

ISO 11611 Protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes was also discussed. It is likely that this standard will be considered for adoption in Australia once the ISO revision is complete.

The revision of AS/NZS 3957 Lighttransmitting screens and curtains for welding operations is also under consideration, with the ISO Standard currently being updated.

Several case studies were presented by attendees that demonstrated the risks of electric shocks from welding, as well as incidents in which

the cotton clothing of welders have caught fire causing serious injuries. As such, the use of protective welders’ leathers is recommended. David Chippendale (Director of Marketing and Sales, AWS) gave a presentation on welding fume controls and how various controls compare.

Cameron Jamieson (Director, Industrial Laser Solutions) gave a presentation on handheld lasers that are commonly found in the Australian marketplace. Cameron highlighted that while some lasers have high levels of protection and interlocks to prevent inadvertent use of the laser—others do not. Weld Australia is developing a Safety Alert on hand-held lasers that will be widely distribbuted.

Weld Australia is developing two comprehensive online training courses designed to improve safety outcomes across the country. One course is tailored for welders, while the other is aimed at welding engineers and supervisors.

These courses cover a raft of activities across a range of welding processes, from electric arc welding and flame cutting, through to topics like welding in confined spaces, at heights, or in hot and humid conditions. These courses will be completed towards the end of this year and made freely available via the Weld Australia website.

The next Welding Safety Council is due to be held in September 2023.

DEFENCE INDUSTRY NETWORK

Weld Australia hosted the second meeting of its Defence Industry Network in June. The purpose of the Network is to support, grow and sustain the local Australian defence Industry. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Austal, Baker & Provan, Bisalloy, the Department of Defence, DVR Engineering, HRL, Lincoln Electric, Marand, Precision Metal Group, Thales, Uneek and Weld Australia.

The meeting was opened by Chair Jason Elias (Owner, Precision Metal Group), who led a discussion on sovereign industrial capacity priorities in defence. Attendees shared the challenges and opportunities prevalent in the industry at the moment.

Thomas Lau (Senior Structural Design Engineer, Thales) provided a presentation focused on the manufacture of the Bushmaster combat personnel vehicle and the Hawke Eye.

Lively discussion of several topics followed, including skills and labour shortages and ways to help overcome these shortages; the importance of collaboration within Defence supply chains to mitigate risk, share resources and learnings and create sovereignty; and the importance of a range of different certifications and qualifications.

Interested in Joining?

The Defence Industry Network will focus on companies who are either already operating in the defence supply chain, or have ambitions of joining. Our aim is to ensure that contractual commitments to Australian Industry Content and Indigenous Participation are honoured.

The Network will also focus on:

• Contracting issues and the supply chain issues

• Compliance with Australian Standards, and certification and accreditation to Australian Standards

• Australian local manufacture and equal opportunity

• Advocacy to Government

Membership of the Defence Industry Network is free of charge for all Weld Australia Premium Corporate Members. Just some of the benefits include: networking with others in the defence industry, addressing technical and welding issues, discussing supply chain issues and solutions and accessing Weld Australia training, resources and specialist personnel.

To join, contact: Andrew Davies (Manager Technical Industry Networks) on 0438 428 966 or a.davies@ weldaustralia.com.au

POWER GENERATION INDUSTRY GROUP

Boiler Industry Group Meeting

The Boiler Industry Group met in early April, hosted by Synergy in Perth. The meeting was attended by over 30 people representing power generating companies, consultants and industry suppliers.

Geoff Crittenden opened the meeting with an update on Australia’s renewable energy transition, touching on challenges such as the sheer volume of materials and labour that will be required.

Bruce Cannon provided a presentation on updates to Standards and Technical Guidance Notes, including:

• Amendment 1 to AS 3992 was published in February. This fixed some anomalies and issues identified by users following the 2020 revision. It also incorporates some recent changes to welding consumable standards.

• The revision of AS 3788 is progressing well. The draft is currently being prepared for

public comment.

• AS 4458 is being considered for revision, once the revision process to AS 3788 is largely completed.

• Welding safety standards (AS 1674 series) are being revised. Part 1 (Fire) is progressing, Part 2 (Electrical) is being prepared for kick-off and committee reconstitution.

• Consumables standards are being updated.

Tanya Langdon (Oceaneering)—Chair of the subcommittee revising AS/NZS 3788 Pressure Equipment – In Service Inspection—gave a presentation providing a summary of the primary changes to the standard and the reasoning for the changes. A draft of the updated AS/NZS 3788 is currently with editors and will soon to be open for public comment.

Wayne Hill (EnergyAustralia) gave a detailed and informative presentation on a program developed by EnergyAustralia to develop a structured approach for the detection, repair, analysis and prevention of boiler tube failures.

Joseph Freeland (Delta Electricity) gave a presentation of a waterwall tube failure at Vales Point Power Station. Joseph explained the analysis of the failure to determine the root cause and to understand the risk of other similar failures on the boiler. The cause was determined to be an original weld failure. Joseph also described the process for repair of the failure.

Abi Babu (HRL) gave a presentation of strategies to best preserve units during times of storage and layup. In particular, a strategy for dry storage was discussed involving dehumidification and the control of relative humidity.

Damien Charman (IRIS NDT) gave a presentation on Low Frequency Electromagnetic Testing (LFET) on reheater tube standby pitting at Loy Yang A. The project involved 256 cut outs for repairs. This approach uses specific probes for specific tube IDs. There was also a lively discussion of

recent plant issues, safety incidents and key learnings, skills shortages and renewables.

Process Safety Industry Group

The Process Safety Industry Group meeting was held in early April in Perth, attended by 28 people.

Geoff Crittenden opened the meeting with an update on Australia’s renewable energy transition, touching on challenges such as the sheer volume of materials and labour that will be required.

James Ryan (OXT Group) presented on process safety bow ties for power generation. This presentation focused on the idea of creating value through good asset management and building a highly reliable organisation.

Sam Clayton (HRL) gave a presentation improving the operational performance of the Diamantina Power Station (Mt Isa) in terms of maximising plant output and improving operational flexibility.

Salim Talib (Synergy) described a process where Synergy is managing projects, bringing projects to completion and handing over completed projects to stakeholders. The process covers all areas of project management and ensures that projects are delivered as per stakeholder requirements, specifications and budget.

Alex Horner and Ninh Nguyen from Synergy gave a presentation on the installation of additional electric heaters for the deaerators at Muja Power Station.

There was also a lively discussion of recent safety incidents and key learnings.

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY NETWORK

Weld Australia launched its newly created Advanced Manufacturing Industry Network via a webinar in mid-May. The webinar focused on the additive manufacturing (AM) of metals and components with prominent technology providers doing talks on the current state of the technology on the market. There was also a

strong focus on the quality assurance of additive manufacturing with a member of ISO Technical Committee 261 – Additive Manufacturing, doing a talk on the standardisation with regards to the qualification of AM processes, personnel, and 3D printed parts.

Attendees heard from the Chair of the Industry Network, Dr Cornelis Van Niekerk (Business Manager Defence Welding, Weld Australia), and Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia).

Brad Coulter (Senior Technical Sales Consultant, AML3D) provided an overview of the capabilities of AML3D; Professor Stephen Pan (University of Wollongong) spoke about wire-arc AM at the Facility of Intelligent Fabrication; Professor Huijun Li (University of Wollongong) gave an update on quality assurance, including the ongoing work of the ISO Technical Committee 261 and Standards Australia around AM. Finally, David Gerrard (Director APAC, Xiris) gave a presentation on the technology that Xiris has available for in-situ quality management of AM.

WELD AUSTRALIA TO ESTABLISH NEW RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY GROUP

Weld Australia is proposing to establish a Renewable Energy Industry Group to bring together existing generators, new players, manufacturers, suppliers, specialists and consultants.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST

Interested in joining? To register your interest, please contact Andrew Davies (Manager Technical Industry Networks, Weld Australia) on 0438 428 966 or a.davies@weldaustralia.com.au

The Federal Government has established a policy and targets to reduce carbon emissions by 43% by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. These targets will play a key role in limiting global temperature increases and ensuring Australia’s transition to a low carbon future consistent with our commitments under the Paris Agreement.

These targets will necessitate the construction of new infrastructure on a massive scale. A veritable army of skilled workers, including welders, will be required. New technologies will also need to be developed.

Australia’s renewable energy industry will need a raft of additional resources to deliver on these ambitious projects, including:

• Manufacturing and fabrication capacity

• Raw materials (such as steel)

• Generation projects

• Energy infrastructure projects

• Skills and labour

• Contracting and contractor resources

All this is within the context of several broader Australian energy market issues, including:

• Market volatility

• Thermal electricity generation operational limitations

• Energy generation supply and demand gaps

In face of these challenges, Weld Australia’s new Renewable Energy Industry Group will bring together existing generators, new players, manufacturers, suppliers, specialists and consultants to:

• Share knowledge experience, and learnings

• Discuss and workshop renewable energy issues

• Network and collaborate with likeminded industry colleagues

Weld Australia will facilitate meetings on behalf of members of the Renewable Energy Industry Group. Meetings may be face to face, online or a combination of both. The Group members will determine the frequency and structure of meetings, agenda items, and strategic direction of the Group.