Bruce Cannon Wins the IIW 2022 Thomas Medal

Weld Australia would like to congratulate Bruce Cannon (Principal Welding Engineer, Weld Australia) on winning the International Institute of Welding (IIW) 2022 Thomas Medal. Bruce was presented with the award at the Opening Ceremony of the 75th IIW Annual Assembly of the International Institute of Welding (IIW) in Tokyo. Established in 1997, the Thomas Medal is awarded to an individual who has been involved in IIW and ISO international standards activities for over 10 years, and is recognised by their peers as having actively promoted international welding standardisation. It requires the presentation of a lecture that illustrates the incorporation of global studies in the standardisation of welding technology.

An Exceptional Contribution to Australian and International Welding Standards Bruce Cannon has made an exceptional contribution to the Australian welding industry over the last 40 years. He has personally helped to ensure that welding quality standards are paramount, improving safety both for welders, as well as members of the general public. Since 2004, he has been instrumental in the direct adoption of more than ten ISO standards. His involvement with ISO commenced in 2001 as Chair of Australian/New Zealand standards committee WD-003 Welding of steel structures. He has also been the Australian representative for several other Australian/New Zealand Standards Committees, including Terms and Definitions (WD-001), Health and Safety (WD-004), Weld Testing (WD-006) and Steel Structures (BD-001).

In these voluntary positions, Bruce has liaised with Pacific Rim countries, reviewed countless standards and other documentation, advising Standards Australia accordingly. In particular, Bruce’s review of ISO 9606-1 Qualification testing of welders – Fusion welding led to much of it being adopted in Australia in 2004 and New Zealand in 2007. Bruce Cannon’s Biography Bruce completed his degree in Applied Science (Metallurgy) in 1976, graduating from what is now Federation University at Ballarat in Victoria. His first graduate role was with the former AI&S at Port Kembla which later became BHP, BHP Steel and now BlueScope. He gained experience in mechanical testing, metallography and technical marketing in his early years Bruce Cannon is presented with the Thomas Medal in Tokyo by Dr Rick Polanin, President of AWS before moving to the Welding Development group in 1985. He rapidly gained experience in testing of steels, weldability testing, electroslag roll reclamation, weldability of quenched and tempered steels, quality management and auditing, and technical advice to customers. In 1993, Bruce was seconded to Weld Australia as a Welding Engineer where he remained until June 1995. Bruce returned to BHP following his secondment, where he focused on the fields of delayed hydrogen cracking, special testing of steels, weld repair, stud welding, welding of coated steels, weldability of quenched and tempered steels, and in-service welding of linepipes.

In 2003, Bruce was awarded an International Welding Engineer (IWE) certification. In the following decade, Bruce supported BlueScope facilities and their customers both locally and internationally, working in additional areas such as resistance seam welding, flash butt welding, welding monitoring systems, and weathering steels. Bruce retired from BlueScope in November 2015, and joined Weld Australia in February 2016.

L to R: Doug Hawkes, Bruce Cannon and David Lake (Chair, Weld Australia). The winners of the 2022 IIW Awards. Third from the left: Bruce Cannon.