Australian Welding Q4 2015

AUSTRALIAN 1

WELDING Q4 | DECEMBER 2015 www.wtia.com.au

JOURNAL OF THE WELDING TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA

Welding Technology Institute of Australia

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

World’s First 3D Printed Metal Bike.

P14 P32 The 2015 WTIA Conference & Awards.

WTIA NATIONAL OFFICE

TRAINING MANAGER

ABOUT THE WTIA

Unit 50, 8 Avenue of the Americas Newington, NSW 2127 (PO Box 6165 Silverwater, NSW 1811) T: +61 (0)2 8748 0100 E: info@wtia.com.au

Nic Bothma T: +61 (0)2 8748 0100 E: n.bothma@wtia.com.au

A not-for-profit, membershipbased organisation, the Welding Technology Institute of Australia (WTIA) represents Australia’s welding professionals. Our primary goal is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains locally and globally competitive, now and into the future. The WTIA is the Australian representative of the International Institute of Welding (IIW).

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Geoff Crittenden T: +61 (0)2 8748 0100 E: g.crittenden@wtia.com.au TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Bruce Ham T: +61 (0)418 391 534 E: b.ham@wtia.com.au QUALIFICATION & CERTIFICATION MANAGER Annette Dickerson T: +61 (0)2 8748 0121 E: a.dickerson@wtia.com.au

MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Donna South T: +61 (0)2 8748 0107 E: d.south@wtia.com.au ADVERTISING George Zervas T: +61 (0)2 8748 0110 E: g.zervas@wtia.com.au EDITORIAL Sally Wood T: +61 (0)434 442 687 E: sally@wordly.com.au

CONTENTS Q4 2015

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The Future of US Manufacturing.

P10 CONTENTS

Q4 2015 From the WTIA CEO

New Frontiers of Welding in Oil, Gas & Energy.

P28 Subscription to the Australian Welding Journal is a WTIA member benefit included in annual membership fees. It is also available through the WTIA at a cost of AU$220 (or NZ$230) per annum within Australia, or $265 internationally.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of the WTIA. The WTIA and its agents are not responsible for statements or opinions expressed by contributors in this publication, which are not necessarily those of the WTIA. Publication of any advertisement does not constitute endorsement by the WTIA of any product, nor warrant its suitability.

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Inside the Industry Breaking News Industry Alert International News First 3D Printed Bike Secret of Winning Tenders Business Essentials Training & Certification Health & Safety Project Spotlight

6 9 10 14 16 18 21 22 26

Feature Oil, Gas & Energy

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Inside the WTIA WTIA Awards & Conference SMART Industry Groups WTIA Hotline Report For Your Diary AICIP Update

32 58 60 62 63

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

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FROM THE WTIA CEO

From the

WTIA CEO The ABC’s 7.30 Report recently aired a segment focused on the oversupply of Chinese steel, which is plaguing the steel industry worldwide. As a consequence, Australian steelmakers are struggling to survive, as cheap raw and fabricated Chinese product floods our market. On the back of this public recognition of the widespread challenges faced by the Australian steel industry and welding and fabricating professionals, the WTIA has embarked upon a public awareness campaign.

Following the recent 7.30 Report exposé on the oversupply of Chinese steel that is plaguing the steel industry worldwide, the WTIA has written to every Federal Member of Parliament, asking them to pledge their support to the Australian steel industry.

We have asked all House of Representatives and Senate MPs to pledge their support for: mandatory standards for all imported raw and fabricated steel; penalties for importers that do not provide accurate product specifications to ensure compliance with the standards; and procurement policies that support greater use of Australian-made products.

In response, we have identified a number of key political figures who have expressed interest in the cause of Australian welders and fabricators, and the wider Australian steel industry.

A key objective of the WTIA and our industry partners is to ensure that steel is an election issue at the next Federal election in 2016.

As such, we are working to raise awareness of the safety issues, and the risks being run by the Australian public, because of importation of fabricated products that do not meet Australian Standards.

We are raising awareness of the failure of Standards Australia to adequately protect the Australian public from the dangers of an unknown amount of added Boron in imported steel.

If these problems are not tackled now, it is inevitable we will see a steel structure collapse, with the potential for loss of life.

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n embarking upon this course of action, our end goal is to spark action that will finally bring the Australian and overseas fabrication industries onto a level playing field.

Geoff Crittenden, WTIA CEO.

We regard the Australian steel industry as a fundamental component of our society and economy. It is regrettable that it is invisible in our major capital cities, although it is everywhere to be seen—in our buildings, railways, bridges, and other infrastructure.

Steel forms the backbone of our economy, particularly in the mining, resources, and oil and gas industries, which rely totally upon acres and acres of steel infrastructure, which, in turn, relies upon Australia’s skilled welders to maintain the optimum efficiency of this infrastructure.

Unless action is taken now, we will certainly see the demise of a vital Australian industry.

We simply cannot risk circumstances where we rely on imports for every piece of steel that is used in Australian construction projects.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Inside the Industry:

Breaking News BlueScope to Keep Port Kembla Steelworks Open

FABTECH Features Brightest Welding Minds

BlueScope Chairman Graham Kraehe AO announced that steelmaking at Port Kembla would continue, subject to ratification of the new enterprise agreements that will see its workforce cut by 500 people.

FABTECH 2015, North America’s largest collaboration of technology, equipment and knowledge in the metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing industries, assembled a lineup of impressive keynote presentations, industry panel sessions and special events for the four-day event, which took place from November 9 to 12 in Chicago.

Mr Kraehe said BlueScope is confident that the costout commitments would deliver more than $200 million in operational savings in Australia by FY2017.

“We applaud the contribution by our employees, site management and the combined unions in helping to secure $60 million per annum in labour cost savings.

“We also thank the NSW Government for deferring $60 million of payroll tax payments over the next three years, as well as reductions in other charges. The arrangement we have struck demonstrates the Government’s clear support for our employees, our business and Illawarra and it has been a key component in the Board’s decision to keep the Steelworks open,” said Mr Kraehe.

Speakers and expert panel participants came from companies such as Dell and GE Ventures. Special event presentation topics ranged from additive manufacturing and 3D printing to safety risks, women in manufacturing and the importance of teamwork. The annual event was attended by over 1,500 exhibitors and 40,000 delegates.

The crowd at FABTECH 2015.

The Port Kembla Steel Mill.

Turnbull Turns His Back on Ship Builders According to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed his first serious test of political leadership, turning his back on Australian shipbuilders and placing an order for a new Australian icebreaker offshore.

“The new icebreaker is a billion dollar project that should be built here in Australia,” said Glenn Thompson, Assistant National Secretary of the AMWU. “Malcolm Turnbull is touring Australia talking up the need for innovation and enterprise and yet here he is sending jobs offshore as the Australian shipbuilding industry withers on the vine because of a lack of new orders.”

Welding Lesson Secures Place in Guinness World Record Book Once more, welding has secured a place in history, setting the Guinness World Record for the largest ever welding lesson. Walter Berkowicz, an adult volunteer and welding champion for the Boy Scouts of America organised the lesson for 275 Boy Scouts in Illinois.

This lesson consisted of three distinct, individual instruction components: welding safety, welding and cutting processes, and welding careers. In addition, after the lesson, 122 scouts earned the welding merit badge, which is part of the BSA’s science, technology, engineering, and maths curriculum. The scouts performed a number of welds, from gas metal arc and flux cored arc to shielded metal arc welding depending on the equipment available.

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: BREAKING NEWS

BOC and Qenos Deliver Australian-made Ethylene to LNG Export Sector BOC, leading gases and engineering company, and Qenos, Australia’s exclusive manufacturer of polyethylene, have shipped the first refrigerant grade ethylene to the major LNG plants in Queensland and the Northern Territory in a partnership that will significantly reduce reliance on ethylene imports.

The ten-year multi-million dollar sourcing agreement will see, ethylene, manufactured by Qenos to produce polyethylene for the plastics industry, is now available for large scale LNG export plants and will be delivered across the nation by BOC. Colin Isaac, BOC South Pacific Managing Director, said securing a domestic source of ethylene through its partnership with Qenos will provide greater supply security to the multibillion dollar Australian LNG export industry. It will also cut delivery time

L to R: Jonathan Clancy, Qenos Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman, with Colin Isaac, BOC South Pacific Managing Director at the Qenos Altona site. for ethylene significantly as previous supplies of ethylene were shipped from Northeast Asia.

BOC funded the investments in the supply chain including the Qenos upgrade to the bulk ethylene filling bay at its Altona site to allow BOC

tankers to fill and transport to its Dandenong site. BOC also increased capability at its Dandenong site to enable filling of ethylene into special shipping containers for delivery to customer sites.

CSIRO Launches $6 Million 3D Printing Research Facility The newly-opened $6 million CSIRO Lab 22 Innovation Centre will provide Australian companies with access to 3D printing technologies, promising increased efficiency and productivity for the nation’s manufacturing sector.

The centre has brought on nine Australian businesses as industry partners since May, offering them unique access to advanced technologies, including 3D printers that use titanium, aluminium and even sand.

CSIRO’s Lab 22 Innovation Centre.

Officially opening the centre in late November, the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne, said “Manufacturing remains a key driver in our economy, but as the industrial landscape changes, the sector needs to transition to more innovative and economically viable technology,” Mr Pyne said. “Emerging technologies such as metal 3D printing offer huge productivity gains and have the potential to turn Australia’s manufacturing industry on its head. The centre will enable manufacturers to innovate with less capital investment risk – one of the major barriers in adopting 3D metal printing.”

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Inside the Industry:

Breaking News Researchers Develop Weld Technique For ‘Un-Weldable’ Metals After 10 years of research, engineers at Ohio State University in the United States have developed a new welding technique that consumes 80% less energy than a common welding technique, yet creates bonds that are 50% stronger. The new technique could have a huge impact on the auto industry, which is poised to offer new cars which combine traditional heavy steel parts with lighter, alternative metals to reduce vehicle weight.

The new technique is called vaporised foil actuator (VFA) welding. In VFA, a high-voltage capacitor bank creates a very short electrical pulse inside a thin piece of aluminum foil. Within microseconds, the foil vaporises, and a burst of hot gas pushes two pieces of metal together at speeds approaching thousands of kilometers per hour.

Microscope view of copper (top) welded to titanium (bottom). Image by Glenn Daehn, Ohio State University.

The pieces don’t melt, so there’s no seam of weakened metal between them.

Instead, the impact directly bonds the atoms of one metal to atoms of the other. The technique uses less energy because the electrical pulse is so short, and because the energy required to vaporise the foil is less than what would be required to melt the metal parts.

So far, the researchers have successfully bonded different combinations of copper, aluminum, magnesium, iron, nickel and titanium. They have created strong bonds between commercial steel and aluminum alloys—a feat which is impossible normally. Also, high-strength steel and aluminum join together with weld regions that are stronger than the base metals.

Vaporised foil actuator welding. Image

by Glenn Daehn, Ohio State University.

Jemena to Build North East Gas Interconnector Jemena has been selected by the Northern Territory Government to build and operate the North East Gas Interconnector (NEGI), connecting the Territory’s vast gas fields to the east coast gas market. The 623km pipeline will link Tennant Creek in the Territory to Mt Isa in Queensland, and cost around $800 million to construct.

“Building the NEGI will drive commercial exploration and development of currently untapped gas reserves, unlocking the next phase of economic growth for the Territory and helping build a stronger Northern Australia,” said Jemena Managing Director Paul Adams.

Gas from the NEGI pipeline will flow to east coast markets from 2018.

During planning, construction, and commissioning, Jemena will create up to 600 jobs for locals and offer up to 100 contracts for local businesses, worth around $112 million. It also expects to staff ongoing operations and maintenance teams at both Tennant Creek and Mount Isa from local workforces. Construction of the NEGI is expected to be completed by 2018.

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: BREAKING NEWS

Industry Alert:

AS/NZS 1554 Changes For internal procedural and governance reasons, Standards Australia have removed some important provisions in AS/NZS 1554 Parts 1, 5 and 7 via a correction amendment published on 23 September 2015. Specifically, this involves Clauses 2.1, 4.7.7.2 (for Parts 1 and 5 only) and 5.3.1 relating to the use of steel with boron content equal to or greater than 8ppm (i.e.

0.0008% by weight).

Regardless of this published amendment, the WTIA technical advice remains as follows: 1. Members are to satisfy themselves of the chemical content of steel to be welded including total boron. As not all suppliers list all the required elements on their test certificates, fabricators should request the information in writing from their supplier. If not forthcoming: a. assume non-compliance if not disclosed; or b. get their own chemical analysis performed; or

Welding Technology Institute of Australia

c. purchase steel from a supplier who will provide the required information.

2. Parent material containing total boron equal to or exceeding 8ppm should be treated as non-prequalified. When qualifying these steels, weld heat affected zone (HAZ) Charpy testing shall be performed in

lieu of the parent plate Charpy tests (only applicable to Parts 1 and 5).

3. For steels containing total boron equal to or exceeding 8ppm advice should be sought from the parent material manufacturer regarding welding and preheat requirements.

If you are in any doubt, please call the WTIA Hotline 1800 620 820.

Join the WTIA

Help secure the future of Australia’s welding industry: become a WTIA member.

The WTIA is dedicated to providing members with a competitive advantage through access to industry, research, education, government, and the wider welding community. Our primary goal is to ensure that the Australian welding industry remains both locally and globally competitive, now and into the future.

www.wtia.com.au

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

International News:

The Future of the US

Manufacturing Industry

By Carlos Plaza, Associate Director Education, American Welding Society Manufacturing has a long history in the US, as both an economic mainstay and key source of American ingenuity. That will likely continue to be the case, but post recession American manufacturing is otherwise characterised by slow growth and lots of change. So what can we expect from our recovering patient? Like most diagnoses, the future of American manufacturing contains the good, the bad, and the not-too-ugly.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Manufacturing has a long history in the US, as both an economic mainstay and key source of American ingenuity. That will likely continue to be the case, but post recession American manufacturing is otherwise characterized by slow growth and lots of change. So what can we expect from our recovering patient? Like most diagnoses, the future of American manufacturing contains the good, the bad, and the not-too-ugly.

The Good Compared to previous years, manufacturing in America has been getting undeniably stronger.

According to the American Manufacturing Partnership Steering Committee, manufacturing has added over 700,000 jobs in the last five years, experiencing steady growth after more than a decade of decline.

In fact, US census data from 2012 shows that manufacturing was a top 3 employer in 25 states. The sector provided jobs to about 11.9 million people with an average income of $53,500. Both these figures are an increase from the year before, when manufacturing employed 11.7 million with average incomes of $52,300.

That upward trend continued with over 190,000 jobs added in 2014.

A slow shift back to American shores has added to the uptick in US manufacturing jobs. Until recently, overseas production in countries like China offered cheaper options for manufacturers looking to build factories. However, the

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rise of China’s economy has seen an increase in wages for Chinese workers. Now, companies like Beijing-based Lenovo, who recently opened a manufacturing line in Whitsett, North Carolina, are finding it more cost effective to manufacture inside the United States.

The Bad The resurgence of US manufacturing has been slow. There are currently about 12 million Americans working in manufacturing, but it will probably be a long time before the sector sees the number of factory jobs return to the levels of the 1990s, when there were more than 17 million factory positions.

Manufacturers are also seeing, and coming to expect, higher output from fewer workers thanks to technological improvements. This means that industry leaders may not necessarily require all the employees they would have hired 25 years ago.

In fact, higher per-worker output within the US is part of what’s driving foreign manufacturers to consider opening factories on American soil.

U.S. manufacturers now produce three and a half times more output per worker hour than they did in 1979 when manufacturing peaked at 19.7 million jobs. This increase in productivity is great for the economy but it limits the availability of jobs.

This is because many gains in productivity come from sending lowvalue jobs overseas and replacing workers with machines.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Changes in manufacturing technology are also changing what manufacturing jobs mean. That is, as new manufacturing methods like 3D printing become more common, the jobs the industry creates may not be the jobs that potential employees are prepared to fill.

The Not-Too-Ugly American manufacturing may not be in the position to drastically expand job openings, but moving their facilities back to the U.S. is still a very good thing. It’s also very plausible. According to the Boston Consulting Group the U.S. could have lower manufacturing costs than Japan or Europe this year, which would drastically improve the likelihood of large-scale manufacturing movement to the U.S. Also, although the recent upswing in manufacturing has been small compared to decades past, any improvement is still good for the economy and provides jobs. Those jobs may not be the same as they were in the 1980s, but it’s important to remember that the impact of technological change on work and wages has been generally positive.

Of course, smarter machines require smarter workers, so education is key.

National Manufacturers Survey A recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) revealed that although two-thirds of US manufacturers remain positive, economic and policy challenges continue to curb their optimism.

Close to 80 percent of manufacturers continue to cite an unfavorable business climate as the top business challenge, and roughly 64 percent believe there are still sufficient weaknesses in the US economy, and, as such, the Federal Reserve should wait until the beginning of 2016 to raise interest rates.

Sales, production and employment growth slowed in the third quarter of 2015 for the majority of US manufacturers. However, manufacturers still expect sales to grow by 2.0 percent over the next 12 months (down from 4.5 percent in December and 2.7 percent in June). Similarly, production numbers in the third quarter were down 2.8 percent from June, and employment growth has slowed from 2.0 percent in December 2014, to 0.8 percent in June 2015, to 0.3 percent now.

“The global economic climate continues to pose challenges to

manufacturers,” said NAM Chief Economist Chad Moutray.

“This latest survey highlights the anxiety manufacturers continue to feel in the face of headwinds like the strong dollar and weaker growth in key international markets.”

“The Federal Reserve has said that it is data-dependent, and manufacturers in this survey have cited a preference for the Federal Open Market Committee to wait until these headwinds die down a bit before beginning the process of raising short-term interest rates.”

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The Bottom Line It’s difficult to predict the longterm future of manufacturing in the United States, but a few things are clear. The first is that manufacturing remains a mainstay of the US economy. It accounts for 12 percent of GDP and continues to grow.

The second is that the sector continues to become more technologically sophisticated in its efforts to increase productivity and remain competitive within today’s global market.

That means that in the future, the pool of workers will likely be smaller, smarter and more adaptable.

In a recent radio interview about the future of American manufacturing, Planet Money’s Adam Davidson put it like this, “If you want to succeed for the coming decades, you don’t just need to be trained and then a few years later retrained. You need a continuous improvement in your education. The main skill you need is the skill to learn more skills.”

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Facts About US Manufacturing •

Manufacturers contributed $2.09 trillion to the US economy.

This figure has steadily risen since 2009 when manufacturers contributed $1.73 trillion, accounting for 12.0% of GDP.

•

For every $1 spent in manufacturing, another $1.37 is added to the economy, the highest multiplier effect of any sector.

•

Manufacturing supports an estimated 17.6 million jobs in the United States—about one in six private-sector jobs. More than 12 million Americans (or 9% of the workforce) are employed directly in manufacturing.

•

In 2013, the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $77,506 annually. The average worker in all industries earned $62,546.

•

Manufacturers in the US are the most productive in the world, surpassing the productivity of any other major manufacturing economy, leading to higher wages and living standards.

•

Manufacturers in the United States perform more than threequarters of all private-sector R&D in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector.

•

Taken alone, manufacturing in the United States would be the ninthlargest economy in the world.

Source: National Association of Manufacturers.

US manufacturers, such as The Boeing Company, are investing in advanced equipment, automation, and robotics in order to drive down the cost of production and compete in the global economy. Manufacturing operations using highly sophisticated new tools and new materials require highly trained workers capable of learning new skills.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

First Metal 3D

Printed Bicycle Frame Renishaw, the UK’s only manufacturer of a metal-based additive manufacturing machine that prints metal parts, collaborated with a leading British bicycle design and manufacturing company, Empire Cycles, to create the world’s first 3D printed metal bike frame. Empire Cycles designed the mountain bike to take advantage of Renishaw’s additive manufacturing technology, allowing them to create a titanium frame that is both strong and light, using topological optimisation - the new frame is some 33% lighter than the original.

How Strong Is It? Titanium alloys have a high Ultimate Tensile Strength of more than 900 MPa when processed using additive manufacturing and near perfect densities of greater than 99.7% are achieved; this is better than casting and, as any porosity is both small and spherical, it has little effect on strength.

The project’s aim was to produce a fully functioning bicycle, so the seat post bracket was tested using the mountain bike standard EN 14766; it withstood 50,000 cycles of 1,200N. Testing continued to six times the standard without failure.

Testing of the completed bicycle frame will continue, both in the laboratory using Bureau Veritas UK, and on the mountainside using portable sensors in partnership with Swansea University.

What Is Topological Optimisation?

Topological optimisation software is the term given to programs that are used to determine the “logical place” for material – normally using iterative steps and finite element analysis. Material is removed from areas of low stress until a design optimised for load bearing is evolved. The resulting model is both light (due to low volume) and strong.

The historical challenge in manufacturing these shapes can now be overcome with additive manufacturing, enabling physical 3D models to be realised.

How Light Is It? Titanium alloys are more dense than aluminium alloys, with relative densities of around 4 g/cm3 and 3 g/cm3 respectively. Therefore, the only way to make a titanium alloy version of a part lighter than its aluminium alloy counterpart is to significantly alter the design to remove any material not contributing to the overall strength of the part.

The original aluminium alloy seat post bracket is 360g and the hollow titanium version is 200g, a weight saving of 44%. This is just the first iteration; with further analysis and testing it could be reduced further.

The original bike frame weighs in at 2,100g. Redesigned to make use of additive manufacturing, the weight drops to 1,400g, a 33% weight saving.

There are lighter carbon fibre bikes available, but Chris Williams, Managing Director at Empire Cycles, has researched this already and says, “The durability of carbon fibre can’t compare to a metal bike, they are great for road bikes, but when you start chucking yourself down a mountain you risk damaging the frame. I over-engineer my bikes to ensure there are no warranty claims.”

How Was The Project Managed?

Chris Williams had already produced a full size 3D printed replica of his current bike before he approached Renishaw. Renishaw originally agreed to optimise and manufacture the seat post bracket only, but after this proved successful, decided the whole frame was a practical goal. Chris updated his design with guidance from Renishaw’s applications team, and the frame was sectioned to fully utilise the AM250’s 300mm build height.

The key benefit for Empire Cycles is the performance advantages that this construction method bestows.

The design has all of the advantages of a pressed steel ‘monocoque’ construction used in motorbikes and cars, without the investment in tooling that would be prohibitive for a small manufacturer.

The potential performance has not been completely explored yet, but Renishaw hopes to develop the project. As no tooling is required, continual design improvements can be made easily; and as component cost is based on volume and not complexity, some very light parts will be possible at minimal costs.

Research into bonding methods resulted in Mouldlife providing the adhesive, and 3M provided test facilities.

The wheels, drive train and other components were provided by Hope Technology.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: FIRST 3D PRINTED BICYCLE FRAME

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Benefits of Additive Manufacturing in Titanium Alloy Design freedom: • Rapid iterations; flexibility to make design improvements right up to production • Ability to make shapes derived by topological optimisation • Ultimate customisation and tailoring - make one-offs as easily as production batches Construction: • Complex shape with internal strengthening features • Hollow structures • Built in features, such as the rider’s name Performance: • Seat post bracket 44% lighter than aluminium alloy version • Extremely strong - tested to EN 14766 • Corrosion resistant and long lasting

Empire MX-6 bike with original aluminium frame.

The entire bike frame was arranged in sections with the seat post bracket on one build plate, fabricated in one go.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

The Secret of

Winning Tenders Caroline Boot is a director of Plan A, Australasia’s largest and most experienced tender writing company. In this article, she details a ten-step blueprint designed to help you with your next tender. For information and assistance with tender writing, please visit www.tenderspecialists.com. Caroline will be running a series of seminars on behalf of the WTIA in 2016.

Let’s face it, developing proposals or tenders is probably not your core business. But the difference between a great tender - and an average one - could take your business to new heights this year.

Evaluators constantly complain that the information they asked for is absent, difficult to find, or hard to understand. “If only they’d answer the question!” Well written, compelling tender documents are rare - and valuable. And they have a far, far higher chance of winning than the same old stuff that evaluators see, again and again.

Preparing a winning tender involves focused research and planning, before you start to write. It’s not a simple process: it takes a combination of project management, analytical, and documentation skills to get it right.

This ten-step blueprint is designed to help you win your next tender.

1. Understand Your Client What the client says they are looking for, and what they really want, may be two different things. Talk to your contact, explore their website and their company profile, and contact others who know them and their business.

What values are important to them?

What experience (positive and negative) do they have of other providers? How will your offer make a unique difference to them?

2. Analyse the competition Buying decisions are often shaped

by the evaluators’ previous experience with you and/ or your competitors. Find out who you’re up against, and any information you can about their previous performance.

Consider: 1. What size of company can best supply the product or service your client is after?

2. What relationships already exist?

3. What does your client think of them (and you)?

4. What is the competition’s track record like (and how can you make yours look better?)

3. Pin Down Your ‘Win Themes’ Knowing how your strengths compare against others, as well as against your client’s priorities, is your first step. Put yourself in your client’s shoes just after they have awarded the contract: give two or three simple, clear reasons why your company won it. These ‘win themes’ should be the basis of your Executive Summary. Word them clearly and concisely, and reinforce them throughout your tender.

4. Polish Your Presentation A sure way to get your client’s attention is by providing a great looking document (of course, you need great content as well!).

• Make sure your logo is on the front cover. Put together a table of contents that’s simple, brief and clear – if possible, keep it on one page.

• Insert photos with relevant captions to showcase capabilities and reinforce your ‘win themes’.

A good graphic designer can add great value to your tender, as well as provide designs that can be re-used.

5. Seek Outside Inputs Early and Chase Them If you need to get prices or information from other parties (such as subbies), plan this and ask for their input as soon as possible. Give a firm deadline that gives you enough time to assess their contribution. The last thing you want is last minute information that could affect longterm contract profits.

6. Set Out Your Proposal Structure Evaluators’ decisions depend heavily on how easy it is to find what they need to score. If you know what factors they are evaluating, set out your document structure so it matches those criteria – exactly!

A proposal overview or Executive Summary at the front of the document helps set the scene, identifying what’s important to the client, and how your tender will meet their needs.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: WINNING TENDERS

E

ffective tender writing is like an iceberg. To create a brilliant document – the 20% above the surface on which your client will award the contract - you need to invest 80% of your time and effort ‘below the surface’: analysing, structuring, planning, reviewing, proofing, and editing.

• •

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Use short paragraphs (2-3 sentences) and lots of subheadings to ease readability.

Get your proposal proofed by your nearest Grammar Police(!)

10. Critical Review There are several different dimensions to effective tender reviews; each involving a different mental process: 1. Is there a strong ‘win theme’, reinforced throughout?

2. Does it answer the questions?

3. Is the depth of information appropriate to the weightings?

4. Is it logical, easy to follow and direct?

5. Is it internally consistent?

6. Is it technically correct?

You should either review your document several times sequentially—each time for a different one of these factors—or ask different people to review for different dimensions. Where possible, get an independent peer review or shadow evaluation: it’s worth it!

7. Weight the Sections and Allocate Space Some Requests for Proposal tell you the evaluation weightings that will be applied. Where possible, apply a proportionate amount of energy (and space) to the sections which are heavily weighted.

8. Write Simply, and Focus on the Benefits Now you are ready to start writing your proposal. It’s always tempting to get bogged down in technical detail, giving chapter and verse on your solution. This is only relevant when it’s in context – how will this meet your client’s needs? Ask ‘So What?’ as you write each sentence – so there are clear linkages between the features of your offer and the benefits to your client.

Remember to keep your language simple – technical details and complex concepts are less likely to sell your proposal than simple, direct statements that help readers to trust that you will deliver on your promises.

The ‘win themes’ that you identified earlier should be used throughout your document, building confidence in your abilities to deliver what they want.

9. Edit, Proof, Edit and Proof Use clear, easy to follow language, even for the most technically complex proposals. Here are some tips: • Use bullet points and lists wherever possible.

• Ensure your formatting is consistent.

• Keep one main idea in each sentence. Avoid waffle and repetition.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Business Essentials: Marketing

In the Digital Age

In today’s digital age, there are so many more choices when it comes to marketing, media opportunities, and communications tools and platforms. There is more competition from varied sources, particularly as the Internet has made it possible for companies around the globe to compete virtually. What used to be a matter of identifying needs and communicating product or service features and benefits now requires immersive experiences that engage consumers. Digital marketing necessitates the seamless integration of a whole new range of skills and capabilities.

Once upon a time, marketing for small to medium sized businesses in industrial sectors consisted of manning exhibition booths, print ads in trade publications and printed brochures.

To meet the challenges of marketing in the digital age, a new approach, a new mindset and new skills are required.

These days, you still have to contend with these traditional mediums, but on top of that there is a whole new world of algorithms, apps and social media platforms to master. To meet these new challenges, a new approach, a new mindset and new skills are required.

Objectives Must Come First Identifying clear objectives allows you to set specific priorities. No marketing budget is unlimited and identifying a particular area of need not only allows your business to focus its creative energies, but ensures you spend your money in the most effective way to improve your business.

However, simply identifying your priorities is not enough. You must overlay your basic objectives and priorities with actionable, practical strategies aimed at specific target markets. It is not worth setting an objective, if there is simply no means by which to achieve it.

Social Media is A Powerful Thing

Data and Analytics Rule

Social media is a powerful marketing tool. It enables you to give a human face to your brand and connect with clients one-on-one in real time. If you employ prompt, public social media interactions that are consistent and authentic, you can foster the kind of goodwill that creates lifelong brand ambassadors. You can even get a feel for customer pain points.

With so much of marketing moving online, the availability and use of data has increased infinitely. These days, you can analyse just about all aspects of online consumer behaviour, from click-through rates to purchasing profiles. Best of all, this data can be used to improve, test and optimise marketing at just about every stage of the sales funnel.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: BUSINESS ESSENTIALS

Google Is King

Technology Enables Creativity

No longer is search marketing and search engine optimsation the domain of tech-geeks and IT wizards. More and more, they really are becoming part an essential element of mainstream marketing.

Technology offers not only more options for sharing and promoting marketing messages, but also more options for creating these messages.

There is a range of tools available to improve communications and create high-quality graphics and videos.

Inexpensive video cameras and online graphic design software mean businesses can create do-it-yourself media to save both time and money.

Just be sure that the quality of these materials is consistent with your desired brand image.

“

These days, if your business can’t be found on Google, then it won’t be found at all.

Search marketing covers all efforts to gain traffic and visibility from search engines (like Google) through both organic (search engine optimisation) and paid (search engine marketing) efforts. Search marketing is all about ensuring that, when Internet users type your targeted search term into Google, your website ranks as high as humanly possible.

Brands Need A Social Conscience The concept of being a ‘good guy’ makes excellent business sense— companies that are perceived as socially responsible generally perform better. Surveys show that consumers like to support brands that are good citizens because it makes them feel like they are also making a difference in the world. To be effective, your

19

social commitments must be part of your brand’s purpose and seamlessly align with your business goals.

Tried and True Marketing Techniques Still Work Despite the many new opportunities available to businesses in the digital age, tried and true marketing techniques still work, particularly in the industrial sectors. Sometimes, nothing beats a face-to-face chat at an exhibition stand.

Ultimately, successful marketing is about identifying a target market, understanding its needs, and communicating the business’ compelling solutions to these needs via multiple channels. If your marketing messages are on-point, and concisely convey how consumer needs can be met by your products and services, your marketing is likely to be a success.

Maximise Your Earning Potential.

Did you know? You may be eligible for internationally recognised qualifications without any further training or exams, particularly if you gained any of the following: Prior to January 2007 > WTIA Welding Inspector

Prior to July 2005 > Any AS 1796 Certs 1-9

Prior to July 2003 > AS1796 Cert 10 > AS2214 Welding Supervisor

> WTIA Welding Supervisor

Give Your Company the Edge.

Stand out from the crowd. Companies certified to ISO 3834 enjoy increased credibility in today’s global market. Certification improves customer satisfaction, and gives your business an edge.

Get certified by the WTIA. Show the world: You’re a cut above the rest.

Want to know more? Phone +61 (0)2 8748 0121. Email: a.dickerson@wtia.com.au Welding Technology Institute of Australia

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

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Training & Certification:

Bridging the Skills Gap Baby Boomers’ impending mass exodus from the workforce is expected to result in a huge skills gap at all levels. Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) will make up 75% of the workforce within ten years, and will be required to step into senior roles much earlier than their parents or grandparents, with much less experience.

According to the Australian Government’s Skills Outlook, over the four years to December 2019, the number of job openings for structural steel and welding trades workers is expected to grow at an above average rate.

O

ver the next decade, there is the potential for thousands of new jobs to become available; these must be filled to strengthen Australia’s economic health, and global competitiveness.

However, two-thirds of hiring managers say they struggle to find talented people to fill job openings.

Recent employment statistics reflect the urgency, and growing problem, of this skills gap. Approximately 5.2 million new skilled workers will be required by the Australian economy by 2025, and currently 50% of skilled jobs remain unfilled. These disproportionate statistics impact workers (who remain unemployed for long periods), and businesses, which are unable to find the employees they need to grow their business.

How Can Companies Help Bridge the Skills Gap? Open the Lines of Communication To ensure that the knowledge transferred from experienced to lessexperienced workers is as effective as possible, use guidelines, job aids, individual employee development plans and structured on-the-job training. Group activities that encourage the discussion of problemsolving techniques and welding best practices can also be useful.

Invest in New Technology Companies should examine new technologies and automation to help supplement the loss of retiring welders and fabricators.

Improve Employee Education All welding and fabricating professionals should be encouraged to enroll in continuing education programs, or to attend industry events, to expand their technical knowledge. Industry events help educate younger workers, giving them the opportunity to network and learn best practice.

Create A Succession Plan Manufacturing companies that have a workforce comprised heavily of employees reaching retirement age should create a succession plan to ensure workforce stability and knowledge transfer.

Create Your Own Talent Pool Start creating a talent pool within your company now. Keep your existing employees engaged with your company. Start working strategies into your recruiting process now that will effectively address the skills gap over the next ten years.

Develop Partnerships with Education Providers By reaching out to local high schools and TAFEs, welding and fabricating workshops can tap into future technical resources and employees.

There is even the opportunity to provide students work experience and apprenticeships in order to position your company as attractive to local graduates.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Health & Safety: Weld Fume Control & Extraction For many gas and arc welding processes, the fume concentration in the immediate vicinity of the weld can be well above the recommended exposure limit. The amount of fume generated is determined primarily by welding process, consumable and procedure. However, a number of aspects can influence the degree to which welders are exposed to fume, including welding position, location, type of workplace, and exposure duration. As welders using the same process may be exposed to different levels of fume, the risks for each job should be assessed individually.

Weld Fume Generation Welding fumes are generated from: • The filler metal and flux • The parent plate or its contaminants, or • From the action of ultraviolet radiation from a welding arc on the surrounding air Particulates are produced only in the immediate vicinity of the heat source.

They are largely confined to the plume of heated gases, which rises from the weld zone. This plume is often visible to an observer, but not to the welder.

The gaseous decomposition products of contaminants remaining on the workpiece are more widely distributed, and are generated from the heated portions of the workpiece.

Ozone is generated in a volume of the atmosphere beyond the arc zone. It is not concentrated in the plume to the same extent as particulates. Most welding processes with a visible arc generate levels of ozone, which place the welder at some risk of exceeding exposure standards unless controls are implemented.

Oxides of nitrogen may be generated by reactions in the air near the welding zone. However, they are unlikely to be generated at levels approaching exposure standards. Oxides of nitrogen are usually only an issue in plasma cutting processes that use nitrogen additions in shielding gas.

A number of factors influence welding fume exposure, and should be controlled to ensure the safety of the welder and all workers.

Weld Fume Influences Welding Position The welding position (flat, vertical, horizontal or overhead) and proximity of the welder to the fume plume affect exposure. As the welder naturally bends over the workpiece, the flat position induces the highest level of fume in the breathing zone.

The welder should adopt a working position which ensures that his head is away from the plume.

Location and Type of Workplace Welding in a large workshop, or outdoors, prevents build-up of fume and gases. However, in a small workshop, fume will not be readily dispersed and the welder may be subjected to a higher than average

exposure. Working in confined spaces, requires an efficient, monitored, ventilation system to control exposure, and ensure there is no depletion of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Exposure Duration Exposure is usually intermittent, particularly during arcing. There should be relatively little exposure between arcing periods but this may be influenced by the presence of other welders, effectiveness of control measures and general ventilation. Furthermore, as the work pattern (arcing time and down time) vary from day-to-day, average exposure may often only be assessed by frequent sampling.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: HEALTH & SAFETY

Weld Fume Control Measures Modification of Processes for Less Fume Shielding gas can be modified to reduce fume by changing the species in the gas mixture, their balance, or by introducing reactive components.

Significant reductions in fume generation rates can also be obtained by reducing the energy of the arc. Unfortunately, the size of these effects cannot be reliably predicted from current knowledge, and these fume control methods must be supported by measurements of workers fume exposure.

Isolate Workers from the Hazardous Fume Automation of processes allows workers to be remote from fume sources. General ventilation of the workplace must then be adequate to prevent an excessive increase of background levels of fume.

Exhaust fume from LEV equipment should be adequately filtered, including for ozone, if it is to be discharged. If it is to be discharged outside the workplace, the relevant environmental regulations should be followed, and it should be isolated from any air intake to the workplace.

Ozone generated between the arc and the operators breathing zone may require additional control measures.

PPE Control Methods When deciding on respirators as a control method, consideration must be given to fellow workers who may also be exposed to fume, and any effect on equipment maintenance or performance caused by the fume. Care must be taken regarding hygiene, maintenance and correct facial fit. Respirators must filter both particulates and ozone.

For further details, refer to WTIA Technical Note 7 Health and Safety in Welding.

Engineering Control Methods There are two types of engineering control methods: Breathing Zone Ventilation (BZV): pollutants are prevented from entering the operators breathing zone by sweeping them away with a cross draft of air. A minimum cross draft away from the operators breathing zone of 0.5m/s will ensure protection against particulate and ozone. A pedestal fan is generally adequate for this purpose. All workers in must be positioned to avoid fume from other operators, and an adequate level of general ventilation must be provided. Inexpensive instruments for the measurement of air velocity are available from suppliers of fume extractors, air conditioning and laboratory equipment.

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Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV): captures fume at its source before it enters the operators breathing zone or the workshop atmosphere. LEV should be positioned to capture the plume in which the particulates are concentrated. A minimum capture velocity of 0.5m/s, measured at the fume source is required for protection of the welder from particulate and ozone near the arc.

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High air velocities at the fume extractor lead to greater efficiency of capture of fumes. Most gas shielded welding processes can tolerate air velocities around the weld zone of about 2 m/s. Where adequate welds cannot be made due to disturbance of the gas shield by fume extraction, the shielding gas flow rate may be increased, or the process may be changed, or the welder may use personal protective equipment (PPE).

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Poor weld quality on pressure containing internal piping.

About JVA Engineering JVA Engineering provides an end-to-end, tailor-made solution for all types of steel fabrication and structural projects, including concept, design, manufacture, installation and maintenance.

Autoclave back dome end with all nozzles removed for repair.

JVA has a wealth of knowledge in pressure piping, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, heaters, furnaces, boilers and tanks. JVA’s experience extends to structural and general fabrication and installation, and installation and maintenance of machinery, pumps, turbines and compressors.

JVA also has experience in the fabrication and inspection of a broad range of materials, including carbon steel and alloy, chrome moly, all grades of stainless steels, inconel, monel, copper nickel, duplex, super duplex, titanium, and aluminium.

Poor quality workmanship and material on structural components for quick actuating door hinge.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY: PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

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Project Spotlight:

Autoclave Inspection Project Overview • • • •

Company: JVA Engineering Client: Confidential Date: February 2015 to current Services Provided: engineering design, fabrication, installation, repair, turn key maintenance, plant shutdowns, specialised welding in all material grades and pressure equipment inservice inspections

Project Background JVA Engineering was initially contacted to inspect a new autoclave, air receiver, air dryer and cooling tower. The majority of the items had been ordered from China directly by the client, with very little information or supporting documentation supplied.

Upon inspection, JVA Engineering discovered that neither the autoclave nor the cooling tower complied with Australian standards for registration.

In light of this lack of compliance, JVA Engineering requested Quality Assurance (QA) documentation from the accredited Chinese manufacturer.

After numerous requests, JVA Engineering eventually received a blanket accreditation certificate and endorsement from the original manufacturer for the autoclave design.

Left with few options, JVA Engineering contacted the QA accrediting body, supplied photos of the poor quality workmanship and requested that the Chinese manufacturer’s QA accreditation be revoked and audited.

Faced with the threat of losing QA accreditation, the Chinese manufacturer began corresponding with JVA and supplying the necessary documentation. This documentation claimed that they had magnetic particle examined all welds on the vessel, radiographed all longitudinal butt welds and hydro-tested the vessel. In view of the poor quality workmanship, JVA Engineering soon realised that the remainder of the documentation was inaccurate as the vessel and all welds did not meet any of the design and designated standards or requirements.

After reviewing the design drawings and details of the vessel, JVA Engineering had all the nozzles ultrasonic and magnetic particle examined. Test results revealed a complete non-compliance to the design criteria, which called for a set-through, full penetration weld for all nozzles. The ultrasonic examination revealed 100% lack of penetration and compliance to the design standard, together with the magnetic particle examination revealing excessive undercut and lack of fusion.

There were many structural locations that (according to the design drawings) required full seal weld, which were not completed. There were also numerous structural components and attachments that did not comply with AS1554. The detailed drawings provided were generally conflicting, with multiple variations between the actual vessel and the design.

JVA Engineering’s Solution The vessel was completely stripped externally. All nozzle flange welds were cut off, all nozzle to shell welds were gouged out, re-prepped to 100% penetration and welded in compliance with the actual design requirements. All the flanges were re-installed and welded out in accordance with the JVA Engineering approved weld procedures, complying to appropriate standards.

The vessel and piping installation is now almost complete. The original vessel design code has been reviewed

by WorkSafe, but is not recognised as an accepted design and construction code for registration within Australia.

The vessel is still required to undergo complete design verification prior to registration, commissioning for integrity and acceptance by WorkSafe.

The vessel arrived in Australia in February 2015, and will not be in use, due to heavy fines, until the design is verified, accepted and registered by WorkSafe in February 2016.

Unfortunately, the client’s intention to save money by buying cheaper Chinese imports has not gone to plan. The end result is inadequate quality that does not meet required registration standards, production loss, time blowout due to lengthy re-work (estimated at 8 weeks but now 12 months) and a substantial amount of money. There is much to be said about collaborating with highly qualified, local Australian suppliers that understand and deliver on quality requirements.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

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FEATURE: OIL, GAS & ENERGY

New Frontiers of Welding in

Oil, Gas & Energy As oil, gas and energy production advances into challenging new environments, technological innovations are required to minimise the potential for structural failures, which pose both safety and environmental risks. In this environment, welding technology, consumable and techniques, structural integrity assessment, and quality assurance are more important than ever.

Oil and gas production in severe environments often results in significant technological challenges, particularly when it comes to welding quality assurance.

The elevated pressures associated with underwater environments (in which oil and gas production regularly occurs), require complex safety systems and use of specific consumables and welding techniques to ensure the health and safety of both the welder and the end-user.

If these underwater environments are located in the Arctic, welded structures must also withstand extreme temperatures that regularly dip below minus forty degrees.

The construction of oil platforms in these severe environments frequently calls for the selection and use of specialised materials to ensure lifetime reliability. As such, qualified welding procedures must be developed prior to fabrication to avoid lengthy delays, or in some cases, catastrophic failures. And, with more than 50% of new offshore oil and gas reserves classified as deepwater, around 1000m deep, improving welding specifications for subsea installations and pipelines is necessary.

Underwater Welding Welding underwater can be classified as either wet or dry. ‘Wet’ welding is

where the actual welding takes place in the water, carried out by divers in waters typically up to 12m in depth.

The method used in wet welding is manual metal arc, often referred to as ‘wet-stick’ welding. While this type of welding is similar to normal ‘stick’ welding, there are differences in polarity, consumables and manipulation of the welding electrode during welding.

Wet welding has inherent technical problems and limitations, restricting its use to small or temporary repairs.

However, the process has improved in recent years, with the development of specialised welding consumables.

‘Dry’ welding is where the welding takes place underwater, but is carried out in the dry. In shallow water (typically up to 6m in depth), coffer dams may be used to exclude the water. The weld is then completed normally, without the need for divers.

Another way of performing a ‘dry’ underwater weld is to use hyperbaric welding, during which a hollow structure (called a habitat) is sealed over or around the work area.

These structures are filled with a breathable gas, making them dry inside. Specially trained divers are transferred to these habitats from a diving bell or submersible to perform the welding.

Hyperbaric welding can be used at much deeper levels than either wet or dry welding—up to 300m in depth. Current research into hyperbaric welding is exploring possibilities for the process at up to 1,000m in depth. However, this will be automated or undertaken by robots; the sheer pressure cannot be withstood by human beings.

Underwater Welding Specifications Recent underwater welding specifications must incorporate the use of higher strength and alloyed base materials for pipelines, and subsea equipment such as blowout preventers, Christmas trees and distribution manifolds where postweld heat treatment cycles are often needed. Such specifications require improved resistance to brittle fracture and residual stress, with minimal risk of hydrogen-induced cracking.

Post-weld heat treatment is often required and PWHT cycles have been developed to provide such improvements.

Consumable Selection For Subsea Sour Service Pipelines Welding consumable selection is vital when it comes to the integrity of subsea pipeline welds, particularly sour service pipelines. A sour service pipeline is one that contains

28

AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

hydrogen sulfide (H2S), also known as sour gas. Common throughout the oil and gas industry, this gas is possibly the second-most hazardous and poisonous after carbon monoxide.

Exposure to hydrogen sulphide also can be highly damaging to pipelines, particularly if the correct consumables are not used. On pipeline exteriors, welds are exposed to lower hydrogen concentrations than those in contact with the sour environment inside the pipeline. This can cause sulfide stress corrosion cracking.

Typically, high-strength carbon steel (grade X70) is used for such subsea pipelines including the use of clad pipelines where the inner lining is made of a corrosion resistant alloy (CRA) to resist internal corrosion from the untreated gas or oil. Welding consumables must be selected to meet specific requirements and standards.

Global Energy Market Facts & Figures Natural Gas Reserves According to BP, world total proven natural gas reserves at the end of 2014 stood at 187.1 trillion cubic metres—sufficient to meet 54.1 years of global production.

Total proved reserves grew by 0.3%, as compared to the end of 2013. Growth in Russia (+0.4 tcm), Azerbaijan (+0.3 tcm) and the US (+0.2 tcm) accounted for the gross increase in global proved reserves in 2014. Iran (34.0 tcm) and Russia (32.6 tcm) hold the largest proved reserves of natural gas.

Oil Reserves Total world proved oil reserves reached 1,700.1 billion barrels at the end of 2014—sufficient to meet 52.5 years of global production.

The largest additions to reserves came from Saudi Arabia, which added 1.1 billion barrels. The largest decline came from Russia, where reserves fell by 1.9 billion barrels.

OPEC countries continue to hold the majority of the world’s reserves, accounting for 71.6% of the global total. Over the past decade, global reserves have increased by 24%.

Natural Gas Reserves to Production Ratios 2014 by Region

History

Welding consumables for highstrength X70 (480MPa Yield Strength) carbon steel must deliver high toughness, withstand corrosion and hydrogen-induced cracking and provide high-tensile strength Pipeline welding requires all positional welding capability without producing lack of fusion defects.

Typically 100% non-destructive testing is required for such welds.

Where an internal cladding is used welding consumables must also meet the corrosion requirements of the clad layer without compromising the corrosion resistance of the clad layer. Such welding is generally carried out with GTAW or GMAW. Higher strength X80 (550 MPa)—on up to X100 (690MPa)—grade pipe is being developed, with GMAW welding becoming the predominant welding process for such materials.

Oil Reserves to Production Ratios 2014 by Region

History

FEATURE: OIL, GAS & ENERGY

29

Sources: • BP, Statistical Review of World Energy June 2015, via www.bp.com • EWI, The New Frontier of Oil and Gas Production, via www.ewi.org • Funderburk, S. Sweet Results from Sour Service, via wwwwww.lincolnelectric.com • Melfi, T. ‘Considering Consumbles’, Oilfield Technology, December 2012 • www.theunderwatercentre.com

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Ground-Breaking Welding on Gas

Pipeline 27m Below Java Sea DCN International Diving and Marine Contractors recently developed and employed a unique method that made it possible to repair a crack in a live, operational 32-inch gas pipeline three times more cheaply than installing a bypass. For the client, this meant savings of over a million dollars.

In late 2014, the Indonesian state-owned gas company PGN (Perushaan Gas Negara), awarded DCN the contract to seal a crack in a seven year-old gas pipeline located on the bed of the Java Sea. The crack had been discovered in 2013, and temporarily sealed using a Plidco clamp. Switching to another pipeline was not possible, so one of the requirements imposed by PGN was that throughout the repair, the gas supply had to continue without interruption—the pipeline had to remain fully pressurised, or the 29 million residents of Jakarta would have experienced considerable, long-term problems.

Hyperbaric Centre To meet this requirement, DCN proposed carrying out the welding work underwater, in dry conditions, through use of a habitat (a sealed working space that offers divers a safe, protected working environment, while on the sea bed).

Because gas supplied to Jakarta is entirely dependent on this one pipeline, PGN demanded precise preparation of all work, including full simulation of test conditions.

DCN Director Wim Vriens explained, “We endlessly simulated all the elementary welding tasks necessary to ensure the long-term success of the repair at our own location. The tests were in fact carried out by the same divers who would eventually be required to carry out the work at a depth of 27 metres in the Java Sea, under considerable pressure. After the extensive testing program, all the risks had been identified, minimised and managed.”

Logistics The project called for a carefully planned logistic organisation.

The first containers of equipment were shipped to Singapore at the start of July 2015, including the complete saturation diving system and the habitat with suction anchors (piles). The final batch of welding equipment and the preheat induction cables developed and produced specially for the project were sent by airfreight at the end of July. Applying power to these cables after wrapping them around the pipeline, generates the necessary heat to pre-heat the pipeline to 70 degrees, before welding could commence.

Four Sets In Singapore, all the equipment was then placed on the afterdeck of the vessel Normand Baltic. The Norwegian DP2 vessel sailed to the island of Batam at the start of September 2015, to collect the sleeves that were also specially produced for this project. The sleeves are the definitive outer coating that had to be welded tightly around the pipeline, as a sort of second skin.

In line with the specifications, four sets of sleeves were produced; one set for test welding, one for simulating handling in the habitat, one for welding onto the cracked torn pipeline and one spare set.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: OIL, GAS & ENERGY

The habitat, which served as a safe haven for nine saturation divers throughout the project.

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DCN recently developed and employed a unique deepsea welding method that made it possible to repair a crack in a live, operational 32-inch gas pipeline, located 27 metres below the Java Sea. For the client, this meant savings of over a million dollars.

Installation In preparation for the offshore work 30 kilometres off the coast, a multi beam survey of the entire environment was first carried out. After studying the recordings, a start was made on installing the 5 six-metre long piles in the silt and clay seabed.

The habitat on the deck of the Normand Baltic.

The first pile was used as a trial, to determine the required suction force, and to calculate the theoretical load-bearing capacity. The habitat subsequently had to be placed on the remaining four piles. To ensure installation of the piles within a tolerance of just 20cm, a complete location-finding system was placed on the pipeline, using acoustic, underwater beacons. These made it possible to produce a three-dimensional chart of the underwater situation.

Safety was the first priority; we had to avoid coming into contact with the pipeline so as not the cause the crack to spread further. The placement of the habitat with its diving bell, which served as a safe haven for the nine saturation divers, went without a hitch.

Following the hermetic sealing and purging of the habitat to lower the water level, the first gas containment barrier­—a sort of safety clamp—was mounted on the pipeline, followed by the lower and upper sleeve. The divers were then able to start on the demanding welding process while the gas continued to be pumped through the pipeline.

The Normand Baltic vessel, which sailed to Batam island in September 2015.

Over ten days, welding was carried out uninterrupted, while the welded layers underwent continuous ultrasonic testing. Finally, the repaired section of the pipeline was fitted with an anti-corrosion wrapping.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

The 2015 WTIA

Conference & Awards With the theme of Making Australian Welding Internationally Competitive, the 2015 WTIA Conference saw two of Australia’s senior politicians announce major changes, which, if fruitful, will improve the future of the nation’s steel, welding and fabrication industries. Plus, a number of industry-leading experts delivered insightful keynote presentations, and various organisations and individuals were recognised for outstanding contributions to the industry.

More than 150 delegates joined the WTIA on Monday 26 October in Sydney to hear Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon and Assistant Minister for Science, Karen Andrews, reveal major plans to help ensure the future of Australia’s manufacturing industry.

Delegates were also treated to speeches from Michail Karpenko, Manager of the HERA Welding Centre, Milan Brandt, Director of the Centre for Additive Manufacturing at RMIT University, Alastair Boyd, Business Development Manager at Innovative Welding, and Madeleine Du Toit, Professor of Materials Engineering at University of Wollongong.

The 2015 WTIA Conference in full swing.

The trade exhibition was enjoyed by all attendees, with booths manned by Ensitech, Kemppi, Lincoln Electric and Raymax.

A number of prestigious awards for companies and individuals that made outstanding contributions to the Australian welding industry were also presented.

The 2015 WTIA Award recipients included: • Company of the Year: ASC Shipbuilding • Training Organisation of the Year: Queensland TAFE SkillsTech • Training & Education Award: Alan Pump • Chris Smallbone International Award: Rahim Kurji • BOC Young Tradesperson of the Year: Aaron Purdy • WTIA Honorary Fellows:

> Ralph Villarosa

> Roger Griffiths

> Ross Pritchard

Paul Smith, Marketing Manager, Lincoln Electric demonstrates new technology to delegates.

Delegates mingle in the exhibition space.

INSIDE THE WTIA: 2015 CONFERENCE & AWARDS

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Calls for A Stronger

Anti-Dumping Regime Assistant Minister for Science, Karen Andrews told delegates that new Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull is working towards a 21st century economy; an economy that is nimble, and that can compete on the global stage.

According to Assistant Minister Andrews, at the heart of this is the need for collaboration between science (particularly universities and academic institutions) and industry.

In order to promote collaboration, the Government launched the Industry, Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda at the end of 2014. The Agenda is built on four key pillars: • A lower cost, business friendly environment • Better technological infrastructure • Overcoming labour shortages, by improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills • Fostering greater entrepreneurship

Anti-Dumping Laws

Building Ministers Forum

Assistant Minister Karen Andrews discussed Australia’s anti-dumping laws, saying that the current antidumping system was “not working perfectly and [it] hasn’t for some time”.

Assistant Minister Andrews spoke briefly on the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF), which met in July 2015 to agree on a range of significant outcomes to benefit the Australian building and construction industry, as well as the wider community.

She said the Turnbull Government was committed to “tightening up” the process and “doing everything to help businesses succeed”, “but it’s a big ship to turn around”.

To aid this process, the AntiDumping Commission has been established to investigate alleged dumping and subsidisation of goods imported into Australia.

WTIA CEO Geoff Crittenden said that he agreed with Ms Andrews’s call for changes to “level the playing field”, but was reticent to back her assessment the 155-day time limit for an initial investigation of an anti-dumping submission was “too short”.

The BMF shares industry’s concerns about the health and safety risks posed by potentially non-conforming building products making their way into Australia and the non-compliant use of building products.

To address these issues, a Working Group of senior officers has been established, which will report to in February 2016 on strategies to minimise the risks to consumers associated with building products that fail to conform to relevant laws at the point of import. “It is difficult to see where and how federal government can assist. It such an enormous issue,” said Assistant Minister Andrews.

Assistant Minister Andrews addresses delegates at the 2015 WTIA Conference.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Senator Xenophon Announces

Laws to Protect Steel Industry At the 2015 WTIA Conference, Independent South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon announced the introduction of new legislation to protect the Australian steel industry. Senator Xenophon will ask the Senate’s Procedure Office to draft a law to control boron levels in steel and require compliance with new, mandated standards for welding, including all imported, fabricated steel. The Senator is also planning legislation to enforce local procurement rules that consider whole-of-life project costs, not just raw material prices.

According to Senator Xenophon, Australia’s steel industry is at a cross-roads. And, if Australian Government takes a wrong turn, the future not only of this critical sector, but Australian manufacturing more broadly, will be jeopardised.

“Today, we have a new Prime Minister who speaks of the importance of ‘agility’ in making our way in the modern world. Malcolm is right,” said Senator Xenophon.

“But for that agility to flourish, so that in turn as a nation we can prosper, there must be leadership and direction by government. To date, that has been lacking.”

The steel sector in Australia is facing unprecedented threat in the form of substandard imported steel, mainly from China, and a lack of support from governments, refusing to enforce requisite standards and failing to enact meaningful content rules that recognise the economic, taxation and social benefits of engaging Australian steel fabricators.

Despite the fact that boron makes steel hard and brittle and the welds prone to snapping, “that hasn’t stopped cheap, high boron content, Chinese steel being bought-up in Australia by governments and prime contractors and going to make everything from bridges, road

“

Unless things change, Australia could soon become a non-steel producing nation for the time since Federation,” said Senator Xenophon.

guards and building materials,” stated the Senator.

Even given all these issues, Senator Xenophon warned that the road to reform would be difficult, “Any reforms you push for, as sensible and necessary as they are, will face a massive push back, not just from the steel importers, but more disturbingly from an apparent mentality in the bureaucracy and among those politicians on both sides who have blindly accepted the position that so-called ‘free trade’ is always in the national interest.”

The Way Forward The Senator sees that Australian Standards are all important in saving the steel industry, “Key to solving this problem is the issue of Australian Standards. Firstly, making sure they are adequate and complied with, with imported steel being subject to the same standards as Australian steel.”

“Currently, the Australian Standard for steel welding—AS1554—is under review because—incredibly— Standards Australia isn’t yet convinced that high boron content in steel (above 8 parts per million) results in weakened welds and potentially dangerous results for whomever has to rely on the weld later.”

“The importation of cheap, high boron content imported steel may be inherently unsafe and requires reworking here in Australia and much more maintenance and repair throughout its life, making it less sustainable.”

“It is a slap in the face of Australia’s steel fabricators, who use the correct steel and produce strong, safe steel products that comply with Australian standards,” said Senator Xenophon.

“Standards Australia must recognise the threat of high boron steel in Australia and urgently act to update the AS1554 steel welding standard to set a maximum 8ppm boron level.”

Senator Xenophon announced that, “In close cooperation with the WTIA and the ASI, I am instructing the Senate’s Procedure Office to urgently draft legislation to place strict controls on boron levels in steel, and to require compliance with new clear mandated standards for welding - that includes all imported fabricated steel.”

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L: Senator Nick Xenophon with Geoff Crittenden, WTIA CEO, at the 2015 WTIA Conference.

B: Senator Xenophon at the 2015 WTIA Conference.

Local Procurement Legislation “We need to take a parallel path to prosperity for Australian manufacturers to have a sustainable future in this country.

It is imperative that state and federal governments enact meaningful local procurement rules that treat [Australian manufacturers] fairly,” said Senator Xenophon.

“The Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPR) govern the Government’s spending of $40 billion a year in supplies from concrete to steel to copy and toilet paper. Currently, the CPRs require a government agency to make a ‘value for money’ decision, but in practice this means the tender goes to the lowest priced bidder that complies with the minimum requirements.”

“This is the central fiction that is holding back progress on Government procurement in Canberra. Canberra seems dominated by an almost religious zeal for ‘free trade’ and ‘flat earth’ economic rationalism.”

“Along with Senator Madigan, we are working on a buy-Australian local procurement Bill. At the core of the legislation will be requiring the Commonwealth to meaningfully recognise the broader economic benefits from using local product, such as employment, tax, whole-of-life projects costs such as maintenance, and multiplier effects of job-creation in Australia.”

“The Australian steel industry faces not one, but a number of Goliath’s, right now. But with a combination of agility and guile, smart strategy and public opinion - all welded together in a powerful sling shot - you can win this battle.”

Senator Xenophon takes questions from delegates.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Laser Metal Deposition of Martensitic Stainless Steel Madeleine du Toit, Professor of Welding at the University of Wollongong, outlined numerous benefits, including the low heat inputs associated with laser metal processing, which reduce the dilution between the clad layer and the substrate, and promote rapid solidification, low levels of distortion and the formation of fine microstructures and narrow heat-affected zones.

Laser Cladding Laser cladding uses a laser as a heat source to fuse a thin layer of metal or ceramic to a moving substrate. The clad material can be transferred to the substrate by means of: powder injection, pre-placed powder on the substrate, or wire feeding.

A well developed multidisciplinary technology, it utilises laser technology, computer-aided design and manufacture, robotics and rapid solidification metallurgy.

Laser cladding offers a range of advantages when compared to other surface processing techniques: • A variety of materials can be deposited in layers from 0.05mm to 2mm in thickness, and as narrow as 0.4mm • Rapid solidification rates and very fine microstructures • Reduced post-clad machining times, dilution, thermal distortion and porosity • Very low heat inputs • Improved process control • In-situ alloying “The most efficient of the laser deposition processes, laser cladding by powder injection, can be used for deposition of metallic

or ceramic coatings for improved wear resistance, corrosion resistance or high temperature properties, high-value component repair and refurbishment, prototyping, and low-volume manufacturing,” said Professor du Toit.

Laser Cladding for Coating The deposition of a thin layer of material (metal or ceramic) onto a metal substrate to improve wear properties, corrosion resistance or high temperature performance can be performed through laser cladding.

“The coating provides a durable surface, while the core material ensures good load-bearing properties,” said Professor du Toit.

A variety of different metals and alloys can be used for coating, including chromium, various stainless steels, titanium, nickel, copper and cadmium alloys.

Typical coating applications include: aircraft turbines, shafts in drilling tools, engine valve seats, hardfacing of tools, hydraulic pump components, moulds, and deposition of a calcium phosphate layer on titanium orthopaedic implants to promote bone growth in the human body.

Laser Cladding for Repair According to Professor du Toit, “Laser cladding provides a safe, repeatable repair technique for building up critical contact surfaces on high-value components.”

“Laser cladding is also suitable for repairing high-value components that have been over-machined during manufacture, and can perform permanent structural repairs on alloys that are considered unweldable by conventional methods,” said Professor du Toit.

Martensitic Stainless Steels Containing at least 11.5% chromium, martensitic stainless steels are deliberately alloyed with carbon, and are air hardenable, transforming into martensite on cooling.

Martensitic stainless steels are typically used in applications that require moderate corrosion resistance in combination with high strength, hardness, fatigue performance or wear resistance.

They offer a unique combination of properties, including: • Resistance to temperature oxidation, localised pitting, crevice corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue • Temper resistance to prevent softening during service • Resistance to thermal and thermo-mechanical fatigue • High thermal conductivity • Low thermal expansion coefficient • High hardness and resistance to abrasive and adhesive wear • High strength and toughness • Good weldability

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“

Laser cladding provides a safe, repeatable repair technique for building up critical contact surfaces on high-value components.”

Careful control over microstructure and chemical composition is required to ensure fully martensitic microstructures after laser cladding. As such, deposit chemistry must be controlled to mimimise ferrite content, retained austenite content and carbide formation.

Applications of Martensitic Stainless Steel There are a number of applications available for martensitic stainless steel.

Continuous Casting Rolls Continuous casting rolls in steel mills operate in particularly harsh service environments, including elevated temperatures, corrosive environments that are subject to cyclic thermal and mechanical stresses as well as adhesive and abrasive wear, and high slab contact pressures. When martensitic stainless steel is used for continuous casting rolls, the result is generally less dilution, distortion, and post clad machining.

Plastic Injection Moulds Plastic injection moulds are generally manufactured from expensive, high molybdenum tool steels. Rather than replace worn moulds, repair is an attractive option, which is made possible through laser cladding of martensitic stainless steel—coatings with high hardness, few defects and good bonding can be produced. In fact, surface hardness values in the region of 510 HV to 740 HV can be produced to create injection moulds that are both corrosion and wear resistant.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Implementing Innovation

in Manufacturing

Alastair Boyd, Business Development Manager at Innovative Welding, discussed the implementation of innovation within Australia’s manufacturing sector. With much of the sector hesitant to invest in new technologies and strategies, Australian businesses are failing to compete on a global scale. Many companies continue to use tried-and-true quoting algorithms, including labour intensive documentation and quality assurance. According to Boyd, application of mechanised or automated welding processes may be necessary before much longer.

The Issue: If We Change Nothing, Nothing Will Change For Australian industry, competing on the global market is difficult.

Labour costs are high. Energy costs continue to rise, while skill levels continue to shrink. Uncertainty is limiting investment, and overseas imports are affecting local manufacturing companies.

“Welding technology has been developed in Australia which can lower welding costs by an order of magnitude. However, the implementation of this technology faces the hurdle of uncertainty due to the import of low cost and often low quality imports,” said Boyd.

“If Australia wants to compete on the

Alastair Boyd at the 2015 WTIA Conference.

global stage, we need manufacturers to adopt lower cost processes before quoting to win projects currently out of reach,” said Boyd.

“Much of Australia’s manufacturing sector is hesitant to invest in new technologies or strategies to compete. They wait to win the longed-for future project before educating themselves about the new cost structures required to win that project. Technical solutions that are available are not being taken up.

If we don’t adopt them, we simply won’t gain the advantages they offer,” said Boyd.

Although it may be appropriate that industry is conservative about Standards, there is confusion about interpretation of Standards, and how innovations can be reconciled with existing regulations. Boyd called for a suitable mechanism through which to encourage adoption of innovations within existing Standards frameworks.

Amid these circumstances, it comes as no surprise that Boyd has received reports of a manufacturing firm that hadn’t turned on their near-new subarc machines since March, or that local firms are only winning fabrication jobs required within short time frames, or that the big engineering firms don’t even ask Australian suppliers for quotes anymore, preferring cheaper, overseas suppliers.

The Solution As Boyd sees it, the implementation of new technology is the answer.

He does qualify this though; implementation of innovative must be based on a number of factors, not least of which is return on investment. There should be suitable mitigation of risk, particularly when it comes to safety, as well as a greater chance of winning more new jobs.

New technology, such as keyhole TIG (K-TIG) welding (for which Innovative Welding are the Australian distributors), must help companies compete in new markets, make them more profitable and more competitive, and improve their internal processes and procedures.

New welding technology must advance features such as communications and connectivity to the Internet of Things, as well as mechanisation and automation.

“If Australia is to maintain or grow the current level of welding and fabrication work, the application of mechanised or automated welding processes will become more necessary, particularly if the pool of experienced welders continues to diminish, or faltering continuity of work reduces the opportunity for upskilling trainees,” said Boyd.

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If the Australian welding industry wants to compete on the global stage, then adoption of innovative technology advanced techniques, such as K-TIG, is required.

About K-TIG A game changing welding process, K-TIG was developed by the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), through ten years of research and four years of product trials in six different countries.

The leap forward available from this innovative technology gives users the ability to complete a weld in two and half minutes that may take as long as three or four hours to complete manually.

It is a high speed, single pass, full penetration welding technology that eliminates the need for wire, edge beveling or skilled operators. As such, it provides order-of-magnitude increases in productivity, with welding speeds up to 100 time faster than conventional TIG and GTAW welding in materials up to 16mm in thickness.

A K-TIG weld can be performed autogenously, without the need for filler wire, in a single full-penetration pass.

The resulting weld is 100% parent material, without multiple fusion lines, virtually eliminating the potential for inclusions, porosity and other defects typical of many welding processes.

K-TIG’s ripple-free weld pool provides an exceptional quality cap and root that requires no back-gouging, finishing, cleaning or grinding. The K-TIG welding system executes programmable weld sequences that adjust weld parameters dynamically to ensure exceptional quality welds that are repeatable—every time.

For more information, visit: www.innovativewelding.com.au

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

New Zealand’s Steel Fabricator

Certification Scheme

Michail Karpenko, Manager of the HERA Welding Centre, spoke on the recent introduction of the Steel Fabricator Certification scheme in New Zealand. An important milestone for New Zealand’s structural steel fabrication industry, the Scheme ensures fabricators manufacture to the specified quality and have appropriate quality management systems in place.

Excellent performance of steel frame buildings in the earthquakes that hit Christchurch in 2010 and 2011 highlighted the advantages of steel as construction material.

fabricator certification scheme reflects the structural significance of the quality of welded connections, particularly those subject to in-elastic demand during major seismic events.

To ensure safety and reliability of structural steel work in New Zealand’s seismic environment, HERA and Steel Construction NZ (SCNZ) jointly introduced the Steel Fabricator Certification (SFC) scheme in 2014.

Furthermore, welding is recognised as a special manufacturing process in that the quality of a weld cannot be readily verified after the fact.

Therefore, to ensure weld quality, it is important that appropriate control is exercised over all aspects of the welding operation. “It is not enough to simply claim compliance; it must happen in reality. The compliance of the fabrication with the applicable standards and requirements should be verifiable,” said Karpenko.

The Scheme ensures participating fabricators not only manufacture to the specified quality, but that they also have appropriate personnel and quality management systems in place that meet national and international best practice standards.

Weld quality is at the centre of the SFC Scheme, and the welding quality management standard AS/NZS ISO 3834 and underlying fabrication standards AS/NZS 1554 and NZS 3404.1:2009 are the key certification planks.

According to Karpenko, “The SFC Scheme levels the playing field—both international and local fabricators must now comply with the same standards.”

The SFC Scheme Framework The SFC Framework is based on international best practice, incorporating NZS 3404.1, AS/ NZS 1554. Having ISO 3834 as a key certification plank of the steel

How the SFC Scheme Works

Designers specify applicable CCs for all steel structures and elements within a building. In order to perform work to the construction category, a fabricator has to be certified to the applicable CC or higher.

Steel fabricators must demonstrate to an independent auditing body that they have appropriate systems in place to control the critical fabrication processes, which includes materials, traceability and welding.

Fabricators are certified to a Construction Category, from CC1 to CC4, and are able to work on projects within or below the category for which they are certified.

Certification is valid for five years, but fabricators must undergo annual surveillance audits to maintain their SFC status.

Four Construction Categories (CC1 to CC4) are recognised in the SFC Framework. This enables specifiers to select a level of quality management appropriate to how safety critical the component will be in the construction.

Benefits of the SFC Scheme

The level of quality management required for a farm shed, for example, will be much less than that required for a large stadium. As well as the whole building, the CC may apply to individual elements within the structure. For instance, the seismic load-resisting system for a building may require higher CC category than other elements of the structure.

“The Scheme reduces compliance risk, results in greater efficiencies, less re-work, and therefore better profitability. It can lead to the reduction in the quantity of NDT specified by the engineers, all of which provides New Zealand structural steel fabricators a point of difference over their competitors,” said Karpenko.

Karpenko points out that the benefits afforded by the SFC Scheme are numerous.

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Steel construction in Christchurch.

Representatives of the eight companies certified to the SFC Scheme in 2014.

The Results In 2014, eight companies were certified under the Scheme. This year, that has doubled, with 16 companies gaining certification.

Around 65% of all structural steelwork fabricated in New Zealand is now produced by the companies certified to SFC CC3 and CC4.

With such a high rate of uptake, HERA and SCNZ, in cooperation with ASI and WTIA, are now developing a quality standard draft AS/NZS 5131 Structural Steelwork窶認abrication and Erection. The standard will define quality requirements for structural steelwork fabricated in Australia and New Zealand.

Steel construction in Christchurch.

About the Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) Established in 1978, HERA has over 600 member companies, and is an industry-owned, non-profit research organisation dedicated to serving the needs of metal-based industries in New Zealand. While the emphasis of its activities is on heavy engineering, HERA also services wider metals industry interests such as light-gauge steel, stainless steels, light alloys and metals-based composites. For more information, visit: www.steelfabcert.co.nz or www.hera.org.nz.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Company of the Year:

ASC Shipbuilding The 2015 WTIA Company of the Year was awarded to ASC Shipbuilding. The award acknowledges contributions in the advancement of welding and joining in Australia. Criteria include: Australian market and export success; health and safety, and quality records; profitability; community involvement; adoption of technology and innovation; management expertise; and development of employees.

Australia’s largest specialised defence shipbuilding organisation, ASC has naval design and engineering resources unparalleled within Australia’s defence industry.

ASC is currently building three Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) for the Royal Australian Navy­after being named as shipbuilder for the project in 2005. Production commenced in 2010 on a greenfield site with a

freshly recruited work force. The Air Warfare Destroyers are the most advanced and complex warships ever built in Australia, and are being constructed at ASC’s modern shipbuilding facility located at Osborne, South Australia.

ASC has a technology, productivity and safety based culture and is striving to succeed by working smarter and harder to increase

overall company competiveness on a global market. One of the ways ASC is driving productivity improvements is by applying the lessons it has learnt on the first ship, to the second and third.

ASC Shipbuilding Interim Chief Executive Officer Mark Lamarre said the award is a significant achievement for the company’s highly skilled workforce.

“Just six years ago our shipyard and shipbuilding workforce did not exist and the transformation from greenfield site to a modern working shipyard has been incredible,” Mr Lamarre said.

One of the Air Warfare Destroyers currently under construction.

“In 2015 ASC has achieved a welding failure rate, as measured

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relevant training, supervision, processes and systems to ensure compliant workmanship and that the work force is safe while performing their activities.

The ASC Shipbuilding team. by combination of radiographic and ultrasonic testing, well below the industry standard,” he said. ”This has been achieved through investments in training and education, a focus on weld failure analysis, enhanced feedback between supervisors and welders and by leveraging state of the art technology.

Mr Lamarre said ASC’s focus at all levels of the organisation is to continue to improve shipbuilding productivity and apply the lessons learnt from the first AWD to follow ships.

“On a cost/percent complete basis, ASC is realising a greater than 30 percent improvement on Ship 02 over Ship 01, and a greater than 10 percent improvement on Ship 03.

“Importantly, welding and other shipbuilding skills, knowledge and expertise developed at ASC on this project can be applied to future shipbuilding projects,” Mr Lamarre said.

ASC has a very large workforce with more than 2,600 permanent employees from diverse backgrounds, who are participating in complex and potentially hazardous activities. There are more than 100 welders working on the AWD program, and a further 30 on its Collins Class submarine maintenance program, many of whom were also involved in submarine construction.

The challenge has been to ensure all workers are provided with the

Welding Production Superintendent Dan Millar was one of the original welding supervisors on the AWD project and says ASC’s workforce has risen to the challenge of producing the most advanced and complex warships ever built in Australia.

“As one of the starting welding supervisors on the AWD project, I have personally witnessed a transformation from a greenfields site to a modern working shipyard through hard work, determination and innovation,” said Mr Millar.

“ASC and their dedicated personnel have risen to the challenge of producing the most advanced and complex warships ever built in Australia. The AWD project has showcased Australian talent and skill as the work required is very technical in nature, unique in essence and in some cases a first time for Australian shipbuilding industry,” Mr Millar said.

For more information on ASC Shipbuilding, visit: www.asc.com.au

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Training Organisation of the Year:

TAFE Queensland SkillsTech The 2015 WTIA Training Organisation of the Year was awarded to TAFE Queensland SkillsTech.

The award recognises achievement in welding-related training at any level. Criteria include: educational effectiveness; human resource management; client services, including flexible delivery, skills analysis and mentoring; partnerships with community and local industry, and subsequent customisation of courses; and responsiveness to changes in welding education and training; improvements in retention, participation and achievement of young people.

TAFE Queensland SkillsTech provides top-quality, industrydriven training in automotive, building and construction, electrical and electronics, manufacturing, engineering, sustainable technology, and mining, gas and resources.

Over 20,000 students undertake pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, traineeship and post-trade training across 120 programs every year.

Located in Brisbane with facilities at Acacia Ridge, Eagle Farm, Bracken Ridge and Alexandra Hills, there are over 700 educational and support staff employed at SkillsTech, and 22 teachers employed in welding and related training.

The hands-on welding courses offered at TAFE Queensland SkillsTech are delivered by exceptional tradespeople in state-of-the-art, purpose-built facilities, widely acknowledged as among the best in Australia.

Student Satisfaction In 2014, TAFE Queensland SkillsTech delivered welding and related training programs to 1,449 students, with a competency-completion rate of 98%. In semester one, 2015, overall student satisfaction for welding and related training was 91%, and

98% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the teachers were helpful and supportive.

Welding and related training graduates from TAFE Queensland SkillsTech are highly sought after by industry and traditionally experience good employment outcomes after training. In fact 93% of graduates go on to work or further study.

Human Resource Management Teachers are highly valued by TAFE Queensland SkillsTech: 100% of teachers undertake professional development each year; and the retention rate of metal fabrication teachers over the last three years is 80%—well above industry standards.

TAFE Queensland SkillsTech is committed to employing teachers with in-depth industry experience and relevant qualifications in order to maintain the high-standard and currency of training offered. The Teacher Induction Program supports new teachers, fresh from industry, to transition into Vocational and Educational Training, focusing on core capabilities (teaching, learning, assessment) to build confidence.

All teachers have access to ongoing professional development opportunities including trade specific

staff development days, technical and VET practice workshops, qualification upgrades and tertiary study. Teaching staff are also continuously up-skilled via ‘releaseto-industry’ programs that ensure training and delivery methods meet current industry requirements, and teacher mentors are available to provide observation and feedback on classroom-management techniques and instructional intelligence.

Industry Collaboration The TAFE Queensland SkillsTech and Bechtel collaboration is an outstanding example of customised training delivery to meet industry needs.

In order to meet the skills requirement of one of Bechtel’s projects, 436 apprentices were employed across three Curtis Island LNG projects, including 81 fabrication and welding apprentices.

This represented one of the largest single intakes of adult apprentices in Australian history.

TAFE Queensland SkillsTech designed and delivered an innovative training program for Bechtel using recognition of prior learning, individually-tailored gap training and blended-delivery to meet the unique site and timeframe challenges of the project.

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SkillsTech’s teachers are specialists in their field and stay up-to-date with industry trends through their relationships with employers.

Australia’s largest rail freight company, Aurizon has also worked with TAFE Queensland SkillsTech as their trade and technical training provider of choice for many years, based on the flexibility of SkillsTech’s training options. TAFE Queensland SkillsTech even hosts and judges the Aurizon Vocational Excellence Awards for apprentices in heavy fabrication, automotive, electrotechnology and mechanical fitting trades each year.

Community Involvement TAFE Queensland SkillsTech is proud to host WorldSkills Queensland regional competitions in welding, construction steel work (heavy fabrication), sheet metal and engineering. As the WorldSkills host, SkillsTech provides workshops, teachers, judges and consumable materials for all competitions.

SkillsTech Metal Fabrication Teacher Ken Reid accepts the WTIA 2015 Training Organisation of the Year Award.

Their teachers also provide training and mentoring to regional winners as they progress, and volunteer their time as project designers, judges, chief experts and crew at WorldSkills regional, national and international competitions.

For more information about TAFE Queensland SkillsTech, visit: www.tafeskillstech.edu.au

The Queensland Government committed more than $200 million to ensure TAFE Queensland SkillsTech’s facilities are world-class.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Training & Education Award:

Alan Pump

The 2015 WTIA Training and Education Award was won by Alan Pump. The award recognises an outstanding contribution by an individual to the development and delivery of welding training in Australia. Criteria include: development of syllabi, welding training techniques, and management of training; commitment to student development and welfare; ongoing professional development; development and administration of examinations through the WTIA State and Federal committees; and involvement in extracurricular activities.

Employed by Apprenticeship Group Australia (AGA) in Morwell for the past nine years, Alan Pump is an engineering and fabrication instructor. Alan helps apprentices complete the Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade), kick-starting successful careers for the next generation of welders, fitters and turners, and boilermakers.

Alan has extensive experience in heavy structural fabrication, having worked at Loy-Yang power station, and on offshore construction projects in Bass Straight.

Prior to his role at Apprenticeship Group Australia, Alan was employed at J.W. & H.L. O’Connor (a trucking and landscaping supplies company) as a maintenance boilermaker and welder, where he provided ideas for the design and manufacture of specialist equipment to increase the versatility of their production.

Alan got his first taste for teaching in somewhat unusual circumstances; his foray into teaching involved organising and conducting dance lessons at a local studio. His love for educating others soon spilled over into his career, with Alan soon opting to pass along his extensive welding experience to apprentices in Morwell.

When asked what it meant to him to received the WTIA Training and Education Award, Alan said, “Well, in a few words—stunned, gob-smacked, humbled and disbelief all come to mind. Some of my ‘close’ acquaintances have kindly suggested that I must have been the only nominee—I have such nice friends!”

Alan also sees the Award having a real positive impact on the operations of his employer, AGA. Alan Pump teaches the next generation of welders.

“The Award will also make a big difference to my employer, Apprenticeships Group Australia. I see it as an

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Alan Pump accepts the WTIA 2015 Training and Education Award.

unacceptable levels of rust on the inside of our welding coupon pipe.

These low grade materials would not be acceptable for gas and oil applications anywhere in Australia,” said Alan.

“ advantage for advertising structured courses. Up until now, our courses have only been run on a word-ofmouth basis. But, starting next year, for the first time, they will be slotted into our engineering and fabrication training schedule, and helped along by a new training manager and business development team.”

“The team at Apprenticeships Group Australia hope this award will increase enrollments, and help ease the local welding and fabrication industry through the current difficult economic climate,” said Alan.

AGA was one of the first group training organisations in Australia, having been established more than thirty years ago. As a not-for-profit organisation, AGA’s focus has

always been on meeting the needs of the young people that they train and employ—a value that Alan always put first in his own career.

Alan also facilitates WTIA week-long training and certification courses, which have been a welcome alternative to the more traditional, longer-term night school classes.

Alan’s commitment to, and belief in the WTIA is clear.

“Having experienced the poor fabrication outcomes of unregulated, low-cost imported steel, it is my opinion that the WTIA’s involvement in policing the quality of Australian steel is an absolute necessity.

I’ve experienced the effects of low quality materials, showing as

The WTIA is important in the fact that it sets a structured, permanent high standard and record for welding uniformity for welders right throughout Australia.

We all know that site tests are the norm whenever a welder moves from project to project, but site requirements can and do vary.

WTIA structured courses provide apprentices with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver high standard, innovative work on every project they undertake.”

“I came away totally enthused from the 2015 WTIA Conference. It was fantastic—the subjects, the speakers, the networking, all too soon the day was gone,” said Alan.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

Chris Smallbone International

Award: Rahim Kurji

The 2015 Chris Smallbone International Award was won by Rahim Kurji. The award recognises an outstanding individual (up to 40 years of age) who contributes to technology innovation through involvement in the WTIA, the IIW, or their role within industry. Criteria include: promotion of technology diffusion with the objective of creating more Australian technology innovations; involvement in WTIA working units or committees; and promotion of the work of IIW.

Rahim was thrilled to receive the Award,“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive the Chris Smallbone International Award. I think it is fantastic to see research and development work aimed at enhancing our industry recognised,” “I also think it is critical to note that research is a collaborative effort, and on being awarded this honour, I would like to recognise not only my academic mentors and partners, but the industry partners I have worked with and the brilliant mechanical and electrical workshop teams we have at the University of Adelaide,” said Rahim.

Rahim began his engineering career upon graduating from the University of Adelaide in 2009 with an Honours Degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

With these two degrees under his belt, Rahim started working for the Centre for Energy Technology, as a Research Associate, where he investigated the technoeconomic feasibility of domestic wind turbines in the Australian context. Using a novel way of decomposing wind patterns from historic metrological data, Rahim

determined a simple way of mapping potential areas where the use of domestic wind turbines would be both technologically feasible and economically attractive to the end user. Rahim wrote a publication focused specifically on the domestic wind turbine potential in the South Australian context.

At the end of his research contract, Rahim began work with Professor Valerie Linton, Dr Nicolas Coniglio and Dr Erwin Gamboa on a series of projects funded by the Australia Pipeline Industry Association (APIA).

His work as a research technician focused on assisting the team investigate the integrity of Fusion Bonded Epoxies (FBE) coating for oil and gas transmission pipelines, in addition to investigating the effect of Boron in cellulosic electrodes.

Energy Pipeline CRC Program: Welding Research Project Rahim’s work in the field secured him full scholarship with the Energy Pipeline Corporative Research Centre, where he took on the role of a Researcher in the Energy Pipeline CRC Program1.

Rahim Kurji on-site for the Energy Pipeline CRC Program.

The overarching objective of the program is to derive (through scientific rigour) strategies that lower the cost and extend the life of

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energy pipelines by using materials more efficiently and avoiding material-related problems that result in economic losses.

A focal point of the program is welds and welding techniques. A key goal of this focal point is to produce a user friendly industry tool for the prevention of weld metal hydrogen assisted cold cracking. Unique to this joint venture (between industry, academia and the commonwealth government) was the desire by all parties to produce research results that can be assimilated directly by industry.

Under the direct supervision of Professor Reza Ghomashchi, Rahim’s work focused on identifying the thermo-mechanical factors that influence the formation of Weld Metal Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking.

Significant Research Results Rahim’s research has resulted in three significant outcomes.

Modification of Welding Institute of Canada Weldability Test Rahim spearheaded the development of an enhanced weldability test (the MWIC Test) that can be used to empirically define safe welding conditions reliably within a marked reduction in experimental scatter. The modifications allowed for start and

Rahim Kurji, winner of the WTIA’s 2015 Chris Smallbone International Award.

end effects to be eliminated from the test sections, and improvement in thermal homogeneity within the test section. Additionally, he designed the test to be integrated with thermal and displacement measuring devices at a fraction of the cost of traditional tests such as the Rigid Restraint Test.

with regards to where Australia was heading in the type of steels and welding processes used in the oil and gas industry. His results have been submitted to the Energy Pipeline CRC and are being taken into consideration in the current iteration of AS2885.2.

Development of an Empirical Safe Welding Envelope for HSLA steels welded in Australian Conditions The development of the MWIC test facilitated the derivation of an empirical safe welding envelope specifically targeting Australian conditions. After liaising with industry partners, through a series of qualitative and quantitative surveys and face-to-face meetings with key industry representatives, Rahim derived an experimental program that was agreed to be representative

Micromechanical characterisation of the ‘Crack, No Crack’ Boundary With the empirical boundary defined, Rahim’s work also focused on using modern techniques such as instrumented indentation, particularly nano-indentation, to characterise samples across the ‘Crack, No crack’ Boundary with the aim of defining a modern predictive mechanism that could define, with a greater degree of certainty, the probability of the onset of Weld Metal Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

BOC Young Tradesperson of the

Year: Aaron Purdy The 2015 Young Tradesperson of the Year Award was won by Aaron Purdy. Sponsored by BOC, the award encourages and promotes the positive achievements of a young tradesperson (aged under 25 years) who has demonstrated exceptional talent and passion for the welding industry. Criteria include: quality and range of work, skills and experience; career ambitions; participation in competitions, extracurricular and volunteer activities; and project involvement.

Winning the BOC Young Tradesperson of the Year Award is a real career highlight for Aaron Purdy, “Winning this award means that I have been successful at inspiring and developing younger people, in this wonderful industry.”

“It acknowledges the time and effort I’ve put in to learn and study fabrication and welding techniques and practices from my senior colleagues,” said Aaron.

“

Winning this award means that I have been successful at inspiring and developing younger people, in this wonderful industry.”

Aaron’s passion for metals and engineering began in high school after receiving top marks in ‘Metalwork and Technical Drawing’.

After a year of this extra-curricular work, Aaron had passed all the welder qualifications that his workplace offered.

He started his training in 2007 as a boilermaker’s apprentice. While he learnt all the trade skills, he had no contact with the welding side of the workshop. So, in his spare time after work, he practiced FCAW, MMAW and GTAW on plate and pipe.

In 2012, Aaron commenced as a Special Class Welder at Callidus Welding Solutions.

Callidus specialises in the repair and maintenance of specialised materials, such as titanium and duplex, and vessels used in the High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) method of nickel mining.

In this role, Aaron travelled to many client sites, providing welding solutions on shutdowns of nickel refineries. The major locations to which Aaron travelled included the Philippines, New Caledonia, Madagacar, and Ravensthorpe and Murrin Murrin, which are both located in Western Australia.

Aaron Purdy accepts his award for Young Tradesperson of the Year.

The role allowed Aaron to expand his professional knowledge and horizons enormously, “In this position, I have worked on exciting and challenging projects. In Madagascar, I provided training to local tradesmen while overcoming the language barrier and gave my professional opinion on the reparations of trains one to six at the Ambatovy HPAL plant,”

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Aaron (middle) with the team at Callidus Welding Solutions.

Aaron hard at work for Callidus Welding Solutions.

“In Manilla, I was in charge of repairing a 2 tonne, ceramic-filled titanium blast tube with a 2 meter diameter double sided flange that had corrosion and warping issues.

The communication issues, limited technology and isolation of the project meant that I had to design a process that worked under these circumstances,” said Aaron. “I was challenged with repairing a tantalum acid sparge in the Wangara workshop which entailed planning each part of the process in advance due to its complicated nature,” said Aaron.

Aaron now has extensive experience in fabrication of pressure vessels, pipe fitting and welding, full penetration welding of steels, welding heat input control records,

component design and creation, alloy metal welding, GTAW welding of alloy pipe and plate, and welding according to AS 1210.

WorldSkills Involvement To challenge himself, Aaron competed in three WorldSkills Competitions in Welding and Construction (steel). He won three gold medals in the 2009, 2011 and 2013 regional competitions, and went on to compete nationally in Brisbane (2010), Sydney (2012) and Perth (2014), placing 14th, 17th and 7th respectively.

“After competing in my third round of the WorldSkills Competition, I became a mentor for other young welders in the Perth (North) region

for the following four years, preparing them for the process,a and helping them hone their trade skills,” said Aaron. “In 2015, I have been a part of the design team for the 2015 Regional Fabrication project, which created the task for the WorldSkills competitors and am now included on the judging panel.”

“I am also involved in speaking to High School and TAFE students to share my experiences. These talks are designed to expose young people to the opportunities that exist in welding, as well as to answer questions about how real-world experience compares to their expectations,” said Aaron.

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WTIA Honorary Fellow: Ralph Villarosa The award of Honorary Fellow of the WTIA is made to a person who has, by his or her outstanding ability, made a notable contribution to the advancement of the science and art of welding whether academically or industrially. In 2015, there were three WTIA Honorary Fellowships awarded, the first of which was presented to Ralph Villarosa.

On accepting his honorary fellowship, Ralph said “I am proud to be part of a progressive and innovative organisation, which has a focus on ensuring that our welding and fabrication industry is best equipped to remain globally competitive and sustainable, and to deliver value add services to the community.”

“The WTIA is recognised as a leading technical and training authority in welding technologies. It has established strong links with many centres of excellence and brings together research organisations and major industries to address specific industry needs,” said Ralph.

Ralph is a senior manager and professional engineer with over 30 years of industry experience in power generation and heavy engineering, specifically in areas of design, construction and operation. He is currently the Manager of Engineering at AGL Energy, one of Australia’s leading integrated energy companies.

Ralph at AGL Energy’s 1,280MW Torrens Power Station in Adelaide.

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Ralph Villarosa accepts his Honorary Fellowship.

In this role, Ralph provides fleet-wide strategic asset management for a variety of sites and technologies, including the 2210MW AGL Energy Loy Yang Power Station and coal mine, the 1280MW Torrens Power Station, the 4640MW Bayswater and Liddell Power Stations, 950MW Wind Farms, 155MW Solar Plants, 800MW Hydro Generation, and 160MW Gas Turbines.

Ralph is an active member of the WTIA, and has a member of the WTIA Council since 2012. He also holds additional positions within the WTIA, such as the Chairman of the WTIA’s Power Technology and Power Generation Industry Group. He was also a past Chairman of the Power Generation Project Management Committee, and the Co-operative Research Centre for Welded Structures from 2005 to 2007.

Apart from his active involvement in the WTIA, Ralph works tirelessly throughout the power industry in a number of other roles. He is an Industry Representative for the Australian Power Institute Engineering Bursary Program, which is responsible for promoting careers in the power engineering industry through various university undergraduate programs, and within the community.

“

The WTIA is a leading technical and training authority in welding technologies.

It has established strong links with many centres of excellence and brings together research organisations and major industries to address specific industry needs.”

He is also AGL Energy’s Technical Interface Manager for the Electric Power Research Institute, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that conducts research and development into power generation for the benefit of the general public.

With a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and post graduate qualifications in both Finance and Business Management, Ralph is a Chartered Professional Engineer with the Institution of Engineers Australia and a keen advocate of promoting and fostering new technology and business improvement across the power industry.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

WTIA Honorary Fellow: Roger Griffiths Roger Griffiths has demonstrated extraordinary leadership within Australia’s welding and fabrication industry, and within the WTIA itself. Having been actively involved in the operations, strategic direction and governance of the WTIA for more than 10 years, Roger is well-recognised throughout Australia’s welding industry as one of the faces of the WTIA.

On learning of his honorary fellowship, Roger commented, “I was really taken aback. I thought this type of award was for those who had made a high-level contribution to the WTIA, such as a president for many years, and not for a lowly potstirrer such as myself.”

Roger went on to sum up what the fellowship, and the WTIA as a whole means to him, in his usual fashion: with a colourful, engaging yarn.

“A request for advice came from a Spanish refinery who needed to weld inside a small pressure vessel. They said they would apply preheat to 100 degrees or more. Everyone who had responded agreed with this, but I pointed out that, at that temperature, they would have literally cooked the welder. I said something about ‘Welder Paella’ and the Spanish engineer was still talking about this when he retired some 5 or 10 years later.”

“Arch Vetters, then the AWRA director, had commented many years before on the practicality of preheat in confined spaces. That really underscores what for me has been one of the great benefits of my involvement with WTIA—a few

wise words from a real practitioner such as Arch Vetters, or now Stan Ambrose, can cut right through to the heart of an issue and spark an increase in understanding way beyond the issue itself,” said Roger.

An accomplished Chartered Engineer (FIEAust) with over 30 years’ experience in refining and related industries, Roger’s career evolved from maintenance and capital projects to inspection and integrity.

His career has been characterised by innovation—devising novel approaches to seemingly impossible challenges, deep analysis resulting in sound conclusions and persuasive calls to action, and a reputation for making tough calls to either continue in production when equipment is found deteriorated or to shut down— balancing production, equipment integrity and safety.

Now retired, Roger was the Principal Mechanical Engineer at the Bulwer Island Refinery in Brisbane. This position encompassed the role of Structural Integrity Technical Authority. His previous roles included project engineering as well as managing the refinery inspection department.

Throughout his career, Roger has brought an incredible degree of innovation to all of his inspection roles. He developed the world’s first computer based thickness data management system, from a simple Fortran database to a cutting-edge system with world-first capability for full digital download of ultrasonic thickness data.

More recently, Roger has developed the world’s first inspection system based on the 3D design model, as well as an innovative and mathematically rigorous solution for measuring the thickness of pipe wall images with radiography.

Roger’s commitment to the broader welding and fabricating industry is evident, having served as a WTIA Council Member since 2008, and provided valuable input into the Institutes’ auditing, governance and procedures.

He is also an inaugural examiner for the Australian Institute for Certification of Inspection Personnel (AICIP), assisting in the establishment of their exam system, and regularly writing and marking exam papers.

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“

A few wise words from a real welding practitioner can cut right through to the heart of an issue and spark an increase in understanding way beyond the issue itself.

Posing a question at the 2015 WTIA Conference.

Roger has written a large number of articles and presented papers published in Australian Welding Journal and a number of other journals. He chaired the WTIA Pressure Vessel Panel for many years, and was presented the WTIA Florence Taylor award in 2003.

According to David Lake, Managing Director of ATTAR, and the man responsible for nominating Roger to receive a WTIA Fellowship, “Roger always puts in the extra yards, supporting the WTIA at most seminars and conferences, particularly where speakers are required.”

Inspecting Bulwer Island Refinery pressure vessel.

“He is well recognised around the welding industry as one of the faces of the WTIA, probably due in part to his presentation style and his willingness to express his honest and positive views on all things welding and pressure vessels,” said David.

“Roger’s support for AICIP on behalf of the WTIA must consume a considerable amount of his time as well. Without being the president of the WTIA, Roger has demonstrated extraordinary leadership within our organisation,” said David.

Roger accepts his Honorary Fellowship.

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AUSTRALIAN WELDING | DECEMBER 2015

WTIA Honorary Fellow: Ross Pritchard A civil engineer with over 38 years of experience, Ross Pritchard has played an outstanding role in combating the use of rogue materials in Australia, as well as improving the quality of welded fabrication and construction. As Deputy Chief Engineer for the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, Ross has contributed significantly to the WTIA, as both a Council Member and as Chairman of the SMART Road and Rail Industry Group.

With over 38 years of experience in the bridge design and civil engineering field, Ross has applied his wealth of knowledge and skills to implement strategies that have delivered leadership and strategic direction to the Structures Branch and Engineering & Technology Division within the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

As Deputy Chief Engineer (Structures), Ross is responsible for the safety and integrity of bridges, tunnels, large gantries and marine infrastructure on all state-controlled roads in Queensland.

He does this by managing three sections; Bridge and Marine, Technical Governance and Bridge Construction and Asset Management within the Structures Directorate.

Ross leads 60 professional engineering staff, with a focus on guiding and supporting the technical aspects of design, emergency response, peer review, effective delivery, construction, product compliance, performance and asset management of structures. This includes technical governance, establishing technical capacity and expertise on a wide range of complex multi-disciplinary projects.

Ross has been heavily involved in the WTIA for many years, acting as the Chairman of the WTIA SMART Road and Rail Industry Group from 2000 until 2014.

During this period, Ross assisted in the successful completion of a number of significant WTIA projects, with outstanding results. These projects included: the SMART TechNet Project; the Industry Sectoral Project; and the Industry Co-operative Innovation Project.

“My first involvement with the association in the early 2000s, related to welding 100mm plates on the Goodwill Bridge in Brisbane. It was evident then that the WTIA was an association that could provide expert, impartial technical advice.”

The results of these projects have transformed Australian industry, at no cost to the companies and commercial entities involved.

Ross has played an outstanding role in combating the use of rogue materials in Australia, as well as improving the quality of welded fabrication and construction, both imported and locally produced.

Ross was a WTIA Council Member from 2012 to 2015, and has been a WTIA Technology and Research Board Member since 2000.

On accepting his fellowship, Ross said, “I am humbled by the recognition of Honorary Fellow of the WTIA.”

Ross accepts his Honorary Fellowship.

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Ross has published over 60 technical papers. The document published in 2011, Fatigue of Road and Rail Bridges: Repair techniques, Fatigue Resistance Improvement Techniques and Case Studies had lasting consequences in the welding of bridges. His work has been recognised through the attainment of various Excellence Awards and commendations from industry bodies and TMR. “WTIA provides links to groups such as the Smart Road and Rail Group, where you receive the benefit and exchange learnings with other similar organisations. My association with WTIA, and the expert advice received over the years, has helped me establish relationships with other groups who have collaboratively developed solutions to a range of problems. The WTIA is important to the broader welding community, especially with its international links and connectivity to the International Institute of Welding.

“

The WTIA is a two way street. It provides an avenue through which to tap into various resources and networks otherwise unavailable.

I find that the more time and effort invested with WTIA, the more benefits received.

“The modern business world is about managing and adapting to change and positioning your business to be current and relevant in five or ten years’ time. Business success is about projecting forwards, and considering future trends and environments in addition to the acceptance of research and development initiatives.”

“The WTIA provides an opportunity for both individuals and businesses to stay abreast of the latest trends and presents a platform for all to move forward, and to adopt innovation and change,” said Ross.

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An Update from:

SMART Industry Groups The WTIA has recently introduced the SMART Procurement Group. This Group will address the issues associated with the growing number of non-compliant welded products, originating both locally and from overseas suppliers. The Group will bring procurement professionals and engineers together, to define industry-wide risk management guidelines.

The Issue More and more, once welded products arrive on-site in Australia for commissioning, they require remedial work. These welded products include everything from pressure equipment to structural steel on diverse projects ranging from LNG gas trains and bridges to large‐scale architectural detail and railcar production.

The WTIA believes that the heart of the problem is that ‘initial apparent cost’ (IAC) is receiving undue weighting in the tender assessment process. The IAC may not take into account items such as steel specification conformance, or the additional inspection and expediting costs that will be necessary.

This is compounded by concerns over the level of knowledge that overseas manufacturers have when it comes to Australian Standards.

This skills gap often leads to welded products that do not meet expected quality standards.

The Approach

Tendering projects merely on the IAC has resulted in many project deliverables not meeting specification or project timelines. This has led to fabricated products requiring significant remedial work before completion resulting in project delays and cost overruns.

Members of the Group currently include representatives from the Centre for Maritime Engineering, RMS, EnergyAustralia NSW, AGL, CB&I, TMR, HRL, and the WTIA.

Of equal significance, tendering solely based on the IAC has resulted in many Australian welders missing out on fabrication projects, only to be engaged at a later date to carry out remedial work on defective products.

WTIA has formed the Procurement SMART Group, comprised of engineers and procurement professionals with expertise in assessing tenders.

Open to all WTIA members, the Group will draft a set of Procurement Guidelines, including a Risk Matrix, as a tool for drafting and assessing fabrication tenders. It is envisaged this tool will be widely distributed and endorsed by Industry Peak Bodies, including the Risk Management Institute, and Government.

EXPAND YOUR AUDIENCE. GROW YOUR BUSINESS. Advertise with the WTIA Today WTIA offers you the opportunity to promote your products and services directly to the decision makers in the welding and fabricating industry­. We have a range of cost effective advertising and editorial packages available in Australian Welding, our monthly newsletter Weld Connect, and the WTIA website.

Welding Technology Institute of Australia

Want to know more? Contact George Zervas on g.zervas@wtia.com.au or +61 (0)2 8748 0110

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The SMART Procurement Group will address issues associated with the growing number of non-compliant welded products.

To facilitate the formation of these Guidelines, a risk professional will be retained and the resulting Guidelines will be professionally edited by a technical writer prior to being published.

risk management resources, both from oversea and Australia. This best-practice documentation will already be a familiar framework for procurement personnel and, as such, will be more readily accepted.

The Guidelines will address steel sourcing, transport, shipping, inspection requirements, previous experience, knowledge of Australian Standards, welding quality management systems, insurance, finance, project control and contract law. WTIA will assemble the best possible resources to draft these guidelines, which will then undergo peer review by members and a risk management professional.

Specific welding and fabrication case studies will then be added to the procurement Guidelines in order to simplify the understanding of the welding related concerns.

Current Project Status The first meeting of the Group was held recently, during which it was decided that the WTIA will review best-practice procurement and

It is expected that draft Guidelines will be complete by February 2016,

with peer review undertaken in April 2016, and the final Guidelines set to be published in June 2016.

The WTIA SMART Procurement Group, and the development of the Guidelines, are free of charge for WTIA members.

If you would like to contribute to the formation of the Guidelines, please contact Paolo Corronca on p.corronca@wtia.com.au.

About SMART Industry Groups WTIA’s SMART (Save Money and Re-engineer with Technology) Industry Groups provide a facilitated private forum where industry-specific members can discuss and analyse welding-related challenges and issues, and source potential solutions. For further details, contact Paolo Corronca on p.corronca@wtia.com.au.

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Latest Issues from the

WTIA Hotline

Corporate Members have access to the WTIA Hotline, which is manned by WTIA Technology Manager, Sasanka Sinha. To reach the WTIA Hotline for technical advice, phone 1800 620 820.

The WTIA Hotline Update covers a number of queries encountered by the Hotline over the last few months. Whilst accuracy in welding is critical, it is impossible to report in detail the full circumstances of each query. As such, references are provided if further information is required.

Can you provide details on the weldability of Aluminium 6061-T6 and 5005-H34 alloys and important considerations during welding?

To determine the weldability of a material, it is important to know the chemical composition and surface or heat treatment required.

Aluminium 6061 has major alloying elements of magnesium and silicon (Mg 0.8-1.2, Si 0.40-0.8, Zn 0.25, Fe 0.7, Cu 0.15-0.40, Cr 0.40-0.35, and Al remainder). It is characterised by moderate strength, good formability, corrosion resistance and is readily weldable.

Aluminium 5005 has a major alloying element of magnesium (typical analysis Mg 0.8, Si 0.30, Zn 0.25, Fe 0.7, Cu 0.2, Mn 0.2, Cr 0.1, Al 97.0).

It is characterised by moderate to high strength, good corrosion resistance to marine atmosphere and is also readily weldable.

Temper Designation System The temper designation system is used for all forms of wrought

aluminium and aluminium alloys.

It is based on the sequences of basic treatments usually used to produce the various tempers. The temper designation follows the alloy designation, the two being separated by a dash.

Temper designation works on the following principle: F - As fabricated (applies to products which acquire some temper from shaping processes, not having special control over the amount of strain–hardening or thermal treatment).

O – Annealed (applies to the softest temper of wrought products).

H – Strain-hardened (applies to products which have their strength increased by strain-hardening with or without supplementary thermal treatments to produce partial softening. The H is always followed by two or more digits).

T – Thermally treated to produce stable tempers other than F, O or H. Weldability is good for both the alloys, but comparatively 6061-T6 is slightly better than 5005-H34.

When choosing the optimum filler alloy, the end use of the weldment and its desired performance must be the prime considerations. Many alloys and alloy combinations can be joined using any one of several filler alloys, but normally only one filler may be optimal for a specific application.

The primary factors commonly considered when selecting a welding filler alloy are: • Ease of welding or freedom from cracking • Weld tensile or shear strength • Weld ductility • Service temperature • Colour match between the weld and base alloy after anodizing To reduce the possibility of porosity, cleanliness is very important for both parent and filler material. Cleaning should be done just prior to welding, and in any case the interval between cleaning and welding should not exceed six hours.

To answer your question both have got excellent weldability and same filler 4043 is recommended for both.

The test specimen has failed as you indicated due to the presence of

The typical mechanical properties of the two alloys are as follows:

Alloy and Temper

UTS (MPa)

YS (MPa)

Elongation %

Shear Strength (MPa)

5005-H34

96

48

8

62

6061-T6

165

137

12

103

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While weldability is good for both Aluminium alloys, 6061-T6 is slightly better than 5005-H34.

porosity. There could be any of these likely causes: (a) Incorrect gas flow (b) Hot metal not protected at the end of run (c) Lack of cleanliness in work (d) Contaminated filler metal (e) Improper welding conditions or poor welding technique (f) Inferior quality of shielding gas (g) Leak in gas or cooling water lines (aspirated air) The welder must investigate these areas and must avoid porosity in the weld. It is important to note that welder qualification test is aimed to assess welder performance, whereas the welding procedure covers most and all other factors. It is always wise to optimise the weld procedure by considering the grouping of metals.

References 1. WTIA Technical Note 2: Successful Welding of Aluminium 2. AS/NZS 1665:2004: Welding of Aluminium Structures

Can you provide guidelines on the Manufacturer’s Data Report?

The Manufacturer’s Data Report (MDR) is comprehensive document that consists of the preparation and maintenance of quality records generated throughout the execution of works. An MDR includes a number of reports compiled by contractors, such as records, certification, and objective evidence of compliance with requirements related to material or equipment for a specific project.

An MDR also defines how these records should be assembled by contractors and subcontractors who are contractually obliged to supply such data to the Principal—all MDRs must provide sufficient records to comply with the Principal’s specified requirements. They must demonstrate (where necessary) the achievement of traceability and specified certification requirements.

The data contained in an MDR shall provide assurance to the Principal that the required quality of workmanship has been achieved, through inclusion of certification and traceability records from contractors and subcontractors in appropriate sections. Contractors are responsible for ensuring that their subcontractors comply with the requirements of these Guidelines.

Contractors shall develop a ‘List of Contents’ for the MDR. The list shall identify all documents specified within the contract and be forwarded to the Principal for review prior to start of the work.

References 1. AS 4458 -1997 Pressure Equipment – Manufacture : Appendix C 2. WTIA Technical Note 19: Cost Effective Quality Management for Welding

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For Your Diary

Upcoming Events Whether you need to brush up on skills learnt years ago, want to try your hand at something new, or crave some networking opportunities, there is an industry event for you. For further information on any of the events listed below, or any WTIA events, please email events@wtia.com.au or phone +61 (0)2 8748 0100.

January 2016 Australian Conference on Microscopy & Microanalysis 31 January to 4 February, Melbourne, Australia www.acmm2016.org

February 2016 High Temperature Processing Symposium 1 to 2 February, Melbourne, Australia www.swinburne.edu.au/scienceengineering-technology/htp/ symposium/

April 2016 10th International Conference on Beam Technology 20 to 21 April, Halle, Germany www.slv-halle.de 6th IIW Welding Research and Collaboration Colloquium 22 to 23 April, Hyderabad, India www.iiwindia.com

May 2016 International Thermal Spray Conference 10 to 12 May, Shanghai, China www.dvs-ev.de/itsc2016/ InterJoin: International Congress & 21st Technical Sessions on Welding and Joining Techniques 17 to 19 May, Gijon, Spain http://interjoin.org

Event Spotlight: 69th Annual Assembly and International Conference With the theme of ‘From Concept to Decommissioning: The Total Lifecycle of Welded Components’, the 69th Annual Assembly and International Conference will be the premier event for welding and fabricating professionals. To be held from 10 to 15 July 2016, for information and to register, please visit: www.iiw2016.com.au.

Welding affects the long-term life cycle and performance of so many of the world’s assets, across sectors as diverse as utilities and manufacturing, to mining, oil and gas. Welding is the bond that holds together bridges that link nations, oil platforms that power entire countries, and manufacturing plants that feed entire communities.

The entire life cycle of welded components will be explored at the 69th IIW Annual Assembly and International Conference, from initial concept, design and manufacturing, right through to the installation, maintenance, and repair of welded components, as well as life extension and decommissioning.

High quality welded components enable companies and governments to prolong the life cycle of their assets, at a lower cost with minimised risk and improved safety.

If harnessed correctly, welding technology actually has the power to make the world a better place.

Durable welded components ensure that the companies and governments, that own and run our assets, do so more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably.

High quality, consistent welded components have the ability to: • Reduce capital costs and ongoing operating costs of assets • Improve asset operating performance • Improve environmental and health and safety impacts • Improve regulatory compliance and reduce legal risks of the asset owners IIW 2016 will explore the importance of the life cycle of welded components, particularly: • Welding as part of the manufacturing process • Welding automation • Fitness for purpose and service • Repair and life extension For further information or to register, please visit: www.iiw2016.com.au.

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INSIDE THE WTIA: EVENTS & AICIP

An Update On:

AICIP 2016 Exams A non-profit organisation, the Australian Institute for the Certification of Inspection Personnel (AICIP) provides competency certification programs for inspection personnel. These programs are voluntary, providing both employers and clients greater confidence in the abilities of inspectors across Australia. For more information about AICIP, please visit: www.aicip.org.au.

The AICIP In-Service Inspector (ISI) and Senior In-Service Inspector (SISI) examination and application cut off dates for 2016 are now available.

Paper ISI Paper A and B (Theory)

Exam venues for each of the dates below typically include Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and are held in each city according to applicant interest.

Exam durations include: • ISI Papers A, B and E: 3 hours • SISI Paper C: 1.5 hours • SISI Paper D: 2 hours • ISI / SISI Paper F: 2 hours

Dates

Application Cut Offs

2 March

7 September

15 January

15 July

3-20 March

8-25 September

15 January

15 July

SISI Papers C and D (Theory)

2 March

7 September

15 January

15 July

ISI / SISI Paper F 10 and 20 Year Re-Certification

2 March

7 September

15 January

15 July

ISI Paper E (Practical)

SAVE THE DATE:

69th IIW Annual Assembly & International Conference 10 to 15 July 2016 Melbourne, Australia www.iiw2016.com

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