IIW REPORT ON PRIORITIES OF THE GLOBAL WELDING INDUSTRY

International Welding News

IIW REPORT ON PRIORITIES OF THE GLOBAL WELDING INDUSTRY

The International Institute of Welding (IIW) recently asked industry representatives about their key priorities in the international welding space. IIW members, industry representatives, standard developers, training and research institutions, and global association representatives were involved in the survey. Interviewees were asked to rank the global issues affecting their industry.

Global Issues Affecting Industry

When asked what the most pressing global issues affecting your industry, respondents returned the following answers, ordered by relevance:

1. Lack of welders and welding personnel in general

2. Lack of interest in welding, specifically in young generations

3. Inhomogeneity of welding regulations and requirements, locally and globally

4. Health, safety, and environment

5. Limited support to manufacturing in developing countries.

According to the IIW, these answers underline the importance of developing knowledge of all aspects of welding. This knowledge has to be shared on a global scale and at all levels and to all personnel directly involved in the industry (from welders through to welding engineers), indirectly involved (standardisation and inspection bodies, design and purchasing departments, and so on) and the regulatory institutions.

How IIW Can Help Industry

Those interviewed also identified the areas of study where IIW can help the industry to deal with the technical issues affecting manufacturing:

1. Less conservative fatigue approach (optimised fatigue design to consider a probabilistic approach)

2. Characterisation of failures

3. Automation for production

4. Joining of new materials and multi-materials

5. Sustainability (health and safety, cost, and quality assurance)

6. Energy transition industry (battery, lightweight, ITER)

7. Management and prediction of welding distortions

8. The virtual domain, including digitalisation, big data, artificial intelligence and digital twins.

The IIW continues to develop a suite of activities through working groups, focused on the areas of the highest impact and relevance:

• Efficient design of welded structures

• Behaviour of joints with new, high-performance materials

• Development of appropriate consumable materials and joining techniques

• Modern welding technologies, manufacturing processes, digitalisation and big data

• Welding personnel to meet industrial needs in a global market, technical and soft skills

• Healthier and safer welding environments

• Harmonisation of rules and requirements at the global level

• Increased training, qualification, certification and witnessing.

What is the International Institute of Welding (IIW)?

The International Institute of Welding (IIW) was founded in 1948 by the welding institutes or societies of 13 countries that considered it crucial to make more rapid scientific and technical progress possible on a global basis. Today, IIW membership comprises welding associations from 51 countries worldwide, with ever more nations continually indicating interest. IIW is recognised as the largest worldwide network and centre of reference for welding and allied joining technologies. It operates as the global body for the science and application of joining technologies, providing a forum for networking and knowledge exchange among scientists, researchers, industry and educators, and disseminating leading-edge information and best practices. The IIW is a standardising body approved by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) to develop standards in the field of welding and related processes. IIW’s Technical Database constitutes the world’s largest online resource for welding information available today. The most outstanding papers are published in the prestigious journal Welding in the World registered in Thomson Reuters Science Citation Index® since 2009.

Weld Australia is the Australian representative member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). For more information, visit: iiwelding.org