Australian Welding March 2022

AUSTRALIAN

WELDING

LA Services Celebrates 40 Years Page 28

ARC SEAM: Solving Industry Focused Surface Engineering Problems Page 38

Q1 | MARCH 2022 Official Journal of Weld Australia weldaustralia.com.au

Q1 | March 2022

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CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES

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Rockpress’ 50 Years of Success Rockpress has been in business since 1972. In the 50 years since then, the company has grown to become one of Brisbane’s most highly-regarded steel fabrication suppliers.

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Catten Industries Based in Melbourne, Catten Industries’ dedicated team can assist with everything from design and development, through to manufacture and project management. Catten recently achieved certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834.

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LA Services Celebrates 40 Years Having grown from a small boiler repair workshop, LA Services is celebrating 40 successful years in business in 2022. The longevity of the company can be attributed to quality products, exceptional service, and innovation.

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Komatsu Training Academy Sees Strong Growth Since it was launched at the beginning of 2017, the Komatsu Training Academy has undergone significant growth. The Academy provides technical, operator and management courses for Komatsu customers.

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ARC SEAM: Solving Surface Engineering Problems ARC SEAM is focused on applied research with tangible outcomes to nurture the industrial innovation leaders of tomorrow. The Centre recently invested in a Xiris welding camera to assist with live process monitoring.

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Sasanka Sinha’s Tenure at Weld Australia Comes to a Close and Alistair Forbes Retires Weld Australia’s team has undergone some changes recently. Sasanka Sinha and Alistair Forbes both left the organisation and several new team members joined.

Australian Welding

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Q&A with a Weld Australia Member Martin Geddes (Leading Vocational Teacher, TAFE Queensland)

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International Women’s Day How Gender Diversity is Essential to Australia’s Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery

WELD AUSTRALIA CONTACTS National Office PO Box 197 Macquarie Park BC NSW 1670 02 8748 0100 office@weldaustralia.com.au weladustralia.com.au Chief Executive Officer Geoff Crittenden 02 8748 0100 g.crittenden@weldaustralia.com.au

REGULAR COLUMNS A Message From Weld Australia’s Chair A Message From Weld Australia’s CEO

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Inside the Industry Breaking News 10 Health and Safety 16 Mental Fitness 18 Business Essentials 20 Inside Weld Australia An Update from Weld Australia’s Hotline 44 The Changing Face of Australian Standards 46 An Update from the AWTCs 48 Training Update: Skilling for the Future 50 Weld Australia Member Directory 54 Fusion Welding Courses 55

Engineering Victor Blain Engineering Team Manager 0409 823 991 v.blain@weldaustralia.com.au Training Guy Brooks Training Manager 0488 743 322 g.brooks@weldaustralia.com.au Marketing & Membership Disha Mistry Graduate Marketing Assistant 0497 497 424 d.mistry@weldaustralia.com.au Qualification & Certification Deniz Yalniz Qualification and Certification Manager 0487 487 170 d.yalniz@weldaustralia.com.au

BECOME A MEMBER

Cover: LA Services Celebrates 40 Years.

Story on page 28.

Subscription to Australian Welding is a Weld Australia member benefit included in annual membership fees. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of Weld Australia. Weld Australia and its agents are not responsible for statements or opinions expressed by contributors in this publication, which are not necessarily those of Weld Australia.

Publication of any advertisement does not constitute endorsement by Weld Australia of any product, nor warrant its suitability.

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FROM THE CHAIR

INSIGHTS INTO THE ROLE OF A COMPANY DIRECTOR David Lake is Weld Australia’s Chair, as well as a Director of the Australian Institute for the Certification of Inspection Personnel (as the representative of the Australasian Corrosion Association). He was, for many years, a welding inspector and metallurgist, writing and approving weld procedures and specifications in the mining and refining industries. With Weld Australia currently recruiting for Non-Executive Directors, David took some time to provide insights into his experience as a Company Director.

David Lake (Chair, Weld Australia).

Can you describe your career as a Company Director?

My first Directorship was with A TTAR, a company that provides materials testing and research services. I was also a part owner and the Managing Director of ATTAR. My next Directorship was with Weld Australia. I was asked to join the Board in 2013, and was later elected as the Chair in 2018. In 2016, I joined the Board of the Australian Institute for the Certification of Inspection Personnel (AICIP) as the representative of the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA).

Tell us about your experience on the Weld Australia Board.

When I first joined the Weld Australia Board of Directors as a Nonexecutive Director, the organisation was going through a period of change. I had the opportunity to review the organisation’s operations and challenge what had been done in the past. The Board was able to usher in change, both in terms of the direction of the organisation, and how it reported and operated.

It was during this period of change that the existing CEO (who had been in the role for many, many years) left Weld Australia and Geoff Crittenden was recruited. The Board’s role became even more important at this time, being responsible for the recruitment and remuneration of

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the new CEO, as well as, providing support and direction during the induction of the new CEO. As Chair, I lead the Board to govern the organisation through financial oversight, risk management and setting and stress testing strategy and its implementation. Further, Weld Australia directors all participate, where possible, as members of the Board’s sub-committees (currently Audit, Finance and Risk Committee and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee).

What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on as a Director?

I have enjoyed building Weld Australia’s relationship with the International Institute of Welding (IIW). As the peak body for welding in Australia, it has been useful to understand how Australia’s welding industry compares with the rest of the world. It’s great to see what other countries are doing. There are 54 nations that are members of the IIW. As an IIW member ourselves, Weld Australia has the opportunity to see what all these nations are doing— not just in areas like research and development, training and technology, but in the direction they’re taking. We have learnt from other nations.

Why are Non-Executive Directors essential for a successful Board?

Non-Executive Directors provide fresh,

“

Directorships have been well worth the effort for both my personal and business development.”

impartial advice and perspectives. As they are removed from operational activities, they are well placed to focus on high-level strategy and to identify any risks or opportunities.

We had three Executive Directors and one Non-Executive Director on the ATTAR Board. The Non-Executive Director brought new expertise and experience into the business, as well as an ‘outside’ voice; we were all so closely tied to the business that we often missed what was right under our noses. This diversity of ideas gave us the ability to look more broadly at what ATTAR could achieve.

What is the most rewarding part of being a Company Director?

The most rewarding aspects of being a Company Director are the business relationships you can develop, and the personal growth

you can experience. As a Director, you have the opportunity to broaden your experience, outside your own business or career. You benefit by working in associated areas, and applying new learnings to other areas of your career. I have gained a broader outlook on how I run a business. I have also developed relationships with people and organisations in a new sphere of interest that I may not have otherwise met. Directorships have been well worth the effort for my personal and business development.

In addition, the fact that you are there to support a not-for-profit organisation and its members can be very rewarding. I am involved in

these voluntary, unpaid Directorships, because I am passionate about helping the industry.

At the end of the day, your employer, the organisation you become a Director of, and your personal development all benefit.

What advice would you give to others who might be considering joining a Company Board?

My prime advice is not to take on a role as a Company Director unless you are prepared to put in the work.

Weld Australia has a number of Committees. Every Director is expected to volunteer for at least one Committee, and to put in the time and

effort required to do the work properly.

This workload may not necessarily fit in with your day job, particularly if you’re working with government on a project, or acting in the interests of members on an urgent matter. Being a Director requires more time than just attendance at four Board meetings a year.

It is also important to keep governance and compliance responsibilities in mind. Legally, Company Directors can be held personally accountable for actions undertaken by an organisation.

Directors need to be aware of their responsibilities and ensure that the organisation acts ethically at all times.

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WELD AUSTRALIA Weld Australia is the peak body representing the welding industry Australia. A not-for-profit company, our purpose is to facilitate the growth of world class welding in Australia.

As part of the Board’s renewal cycle, we are seeking expressions of interest from members who may be interested in becoming a Non-Executive Director of Weld Australia (a public company limited by guarantee).

Director appointments are voluntary, unpaid positions that require attendance at four meetings per year, plus active participation in one of the principle Board Committees.

The role of the Board is to provide strategic direction, oversee management and facilitate accountability of the organisation to its members. Candidates must be able to demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following essential competencies:

• • • • •

Strategic Planning and Implementation Governance and Compliance Finance and Risk Business Management Welding Engineering and Technology

This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the Australian welding industry and foster your industry connections.

You will have the chance to hone your skills as a company Director. We encourage individuals looking for their first role as a Director to apply.

Weld Australia has a comprehensive selection process that includes assessment against a skills matrix, interview and reference checks.

If you are a Weld Australia member who is interested in securing the future of welding in Australia, please send a detailed CV in confidence to CEO@weldaustralia.com.au.

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FROM THE CEO

MANUFACTURING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Clearly, the war in Ukraine is a disaster. But, let’s hope it offers a silver lining for manufacturing. Let’s hope it opens the politicians’ eyes to investing in the local Australian economy. The strength of the sovereign capability of Australia depends on Australians investing in Australia. It might be cheaper in the short-term to buy from places like China, but all this does is weaken our economy.

We need to bring home the manufacture of goods like steel, batteries and electronics. We need determined action from our Governments to put Australia first.

Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia)

The war in Ukraine has changed the world.

out of Russia. Even McDonald’s has closed their 800 restaurants in Russia.

Over the course of the last month, the world has returned to a pre-1989 Cold War state—with the added threat of nuclear and chemical weapons.

Imagine if Australia was on the receiving end of such draconian sanctions.

How has this happened? Well, during the intervening 30-odd years since the end of the Cold War, many of the democratic nations of the world have settled into complacency on several fronts. This has invited the autocratic global states to try their luck—the war in Ukraine is just one result.

The sanctions placed on Russia by Western nations will have an enormous impact on their economy. Australia and the United States have prohibited the import of oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, coal and other energy products from Russia. The United States, United Kingdom and European Union have introduced unprecedented financial penalties on Russia. Exporting goods to Russia— including cars, clothing, chemicals and art—has been banned. Russian imports are attracting taxes of 35%, and the assets of Russia’s central bank have been frozen. Rightly so.

The impact of these measures is already being felt. The cost of basic products has skyrocketed, job losses are looming, and hundreds of international companies are pulling

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It is not such a far-fetched proposition.

China has already placed sanctions on Australian barley, wine, beef, seafood, cotton and coal.

China is our largest trading partner by far. According to figures from DFAT, China holds a 35.3% share of Australia’s export market, accounting for $167.6 billion annually . Coming in second—by a long way—is Japan, with just 11.8% of Australia’s export market . Given the huge proportion of Australia’s export market the country holds, imagine if China imposed harsher economic sanctions.

Imagine if China decided not to accept our iron ore, or coal, or natural gas.

Imagine if China refused to supply Australia with electronic chips and electrical equipment, machinery, furniture and textiles. Australia would be as vulnerable—possibly even more vulnerable—than Russia. This vulnerability stems from the demise of Australia’s manufacturing industry.

The Demise of Australian Manufacturing During World War I, the Australian Government quickly realised that our

economy was too reliant on imports; it was near impossible to source many products in wartime. As a result, Australia started to manufacture a range of products on-shore during the war, from aspirin right through to chlorine. Our steel industry also experienced enormous growth.

BHP opened a new steelworks in Newcastle in 1915, which generated huge profits due to the unprecedented demand for steel to build ships, ammunition and artillery. Australia quickly matured from a rural economy into a substantial manufacturing power.

The 1920s marked the beginning of the car manufacturing boom in Australia. By 1929, 440,000 people were employed in manufacturing, approximately 18% of the total population.

When World War II hit in 1939, Australian manufacturing was poised to play an even greater role than it had during World War I. With imports scarce, local demand was high. And, Australia also became an important supplier of manufactured goods to the United Kingdom and the United States. Australian manufacturing remained strong in the years immediately after World War II. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Australian manufacturing was responsible for approximately 28% of the GDP, and 28% of all employment.

Fast forward to today and, while manufacturing remains a vital part of the Australian economy, it is responsible for just 5% of the GDP, and only 5.4% of total employment.

Australia’s governments must come to realise that, without a strong local manufacturing industry, our economy is weakened substantially. Without sovereign manufacturing capability, Australia is vulnerable to coercion from more powerful economic states. In times of turmoil, we cannot presume to rely on the generosity of our allies.

After all, our allies will be focused on supplying their own citizens, industries and defence forces. We only need to look to the recent global supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for confirmation of this fact.

The Solution Australia must build its self-reliance.

Instead of mining our natural resources and shipping them offshore, we need to be manufacturing valueadded products here at home. In 2018, Australia surpassed Chile to become the largest producer of lithium by metric tonnes. And yet, Australia does not manufacture batteries.

Instead, we ship most of our lithium to China as spodumene, where it is manufactured into batteries that Australia then imports back. We need to be manufacturing our own batteries locally. We need to encourage electronics companies to set up shop in Australia so we can manufacture circuit boards and electronic chips locally.

Similarly, Australia has one of the world’s largest supplies of iron ore. Again, we dig it up and ship it overseas, adding absolutely no value.

Australia needs to be investing in the capacity and capability of its local steel industry. Australia is home to some of the world’s leading steel manufacturers, including BlueScope, InfraBuild and Bisalloy. Why not invest

in their local operations to bolster our sovereign capability?

This is particularly important given that China announced in December 2021 that it is set to boost domestic iron ore production by 30%, significantly ramp up investments in overseas mines and strengthen scrap steel recycling under a plan designed to break their dependency on Australia’s most valuable commodity export.

A Skills-Led Recovery This manufacturing reinvigoration will rely on a skills-led recovery. And yet, Australia’s largest, oldest and most essential vocational education provider, TAFE, has had courses and budgets slashed over the last 10 years. According to the Australian Education Union, since coming to power, the Federal Coalition has cut $3 billion from vocational education funding, and overseen a 24.5% decline in TAFE enrolments. These cuts to TAFE funding have had a severe impact on course and campus closures, attraction and retention of teaching staff and workload.

The result? TAFE graduates who are under-skilled, and an Australian industry that is faced with a severe skills shortage.

The Federal Government has also failed to implement the recommendations outlined in the Joyce Report, handed to them three years ago. Of the 71 recommendations, just one has been implemented.

Weld Australia is calling on the Federal Government to implement the ‘Early Actions’ recommendations of the Joyce Report without further delay. These include disbanding the existing infrastructure for developing training packages and qualifications and replace it with industry led Skills Organisations; strengthening quality

assurance by introducing independent student assessment to international standards; introducing vocational pathways in schools as part of the STEM program; and establishing a National Skills Commission to generate skills demand forecasts and realistic pricing models.

With proper funding and a systematic overhaul as recommended in the Joyce Report, there is a brighter future for TAFE and skills development to help foster the reinvigoration of the manufacturing industry. We just need the Federal Government to make it happen.

A Commitment from Government We have massive gaps in our industrial capacity and the Australian Government is not showing any signs of filling them. We need to manufacture our own batteries, electronics, plastics and composites.

We need robust, cutting-edge aerospace, fabrication, and steelmaking industries. We need to add value to our natural resources.

There is a strategic imperative on the Australian Government to realise that the world changed when Russia invaded Ukraine. As a result, Australia must reinvigorate its manufacturing industry. We cannot rely on our allies and trading partners to fill the gaps in our industrial capabilities. We must have a robust manufacturing industry to ensure a sustainable future.

Australian manufacturing needs strong leadership, the support of all levels of government, and investment in technology, education, and resources.

It needs a commitment from government to foster the ingenuity of our inventors and engineers, as well as our manufacturers. Only then can Australian manufacturing return to its former prosperity and make a vital contribution to Australia’s economy, workforce, and future.

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WEEK Online registrations are open now for visitors to the inaugural Australian Manufacturing Week exhibition, taking place in Sydney in June 2022.

Owned and operated by AMTIL, AMW is Australia’s premier manufacturing solutions event. Under the theme Where technology meets innovation, AMW 2022 will take place at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) in Darling Harbour from 7-10 June 2022. The opening of registrations marks a major milestone in the build-up to the exhibition. Preparations for AMW 2022 have been marked by high levels of early interest, with the floor space almost entirely booked out well before the end of last year.

“It’s great to finally have opened up registrations for visitors to AMW,” says Kim Banks, Head of Events at AMTIL. “We’ve had an incredible response from exhibitors, with stands getting booked faster than any of us had anticipated. There’s clearly a really strong appetite across the industry for an exhibition like AMW. Now we’re just concentrating on welcoming as many visitors to the show as we can.”

AMW will occupy more than 9,000m2 of floor space at the ICC Sydney, with more than 155 organisations taking stands to exhibit some of the very latest manufacturing technologies, processes and support services.

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AMTIL will be making regular announcements between now and the start of the event about its plans for the show, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the AMW website as well as its social media channels for the latest updates.

The AMW exhibition will consist of six dedicated zones offering a comprehensive view of the modern manufacturing landscape. The Austech Machine Tools and Ancillary Equipment Zone will host an extensive range of metalworking and machine tool technology, including the latest state-of-the-art cutting tools from Iscar Australia. Exhibitors such as Automated Solutions Australia and Epicor Software will be displaying their products in the Robotics and Automation Zone, while the Weld Solutions Zone will feature the latest cutting-edge welding technology.

The Additive Manufacturing Zone will feature the latest innovations from the fast-evolving world of 3D printing, from companies such as RAM3D, while the Australian Manufacturers Pavillion will showcase some of the most innovative manufacturing businesses operating today, including

Marand Precision Engineering and Marsh Alliance. Finally, the Manufacturing Solutions Zone will offer optimised solutions to the most common challenges experienced by manufacturers.

“We’re thrilled to be open for online registrations for AMW 2022,” said Shane Infanti, CEO of AMTIL. “AMW is a brand new exhibition from AMTIL and it’s been a long road getting to this point. Now we’re really into the final stages of making sure we put on the best show possible for the Australian manufacturing industry.”

Register Now Australian Manufacturing Week 2022 will take place at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) in Darling Harbour from 7-10 June 2022.

For more information and to register, visit the AMW website: australianmanufacturingweek. com.au

REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN AUSTRALIA’S PREMIER MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS EVENT

W H E R E T E C H N O L O G Y M E E T S I N N O VAT I O N AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WEEK is the leading industry exhibition encompassing all aspects of manufacturing in Australia.

Visit our AMW PRODUCT ZONES

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Australian Manufacturing Week is proudly owned and operated by AMTIL

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

BREAKING NEWS The Today Show: Upskilling the Tradies of the Future

Photo: Port Kembla Steelworks.

Channel 9’s Today Show recently broadcast live from TAFE Queensland’s Acacia Ridge Training Centre. The broadcast included a segment demonstrating all the benefits of the Soldamatic welding simulators for welder training.

Augmented and virtual reality training systems are student-focused, allowing individual students to progress at their own pace. Welding apprentices learn and understand welding procedures and techniques through a more interactive training method, gaining hands-on experience in a controlled, safe environment.

With zero risks involved, apprentices can respond to realistic scenarios without pressure or fear of injury.

Augmented and virtual reality training is enabling future welders to acquire the skills and the self-confidence they need before moving into realworld workshops. Augmented reality transforms training from boring theory

WATCH THE VIDEO

and text books into high-quality interactive experiences that capture the imagination.

When using Soldamatics, 34% more welders were certified in 56% less time, saving up to 68% on the overall cost of welder training. To learn more, visit: Advanced Welder Training.

Modern Manufacturing Grant for BlueScope in the Illawarra BlueScope and its partners are delighted to have received a Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) grant from the Federal Government, which will enhance Australia’s sovereign

manufacturing capability, and ensure that BlueScope can make a substantive investment to get on with the job of making essential components for the clean energy transition, including wind towers and solar farm componentry.

“The grant, which is $55.4 million, will catalyse a further $161.6 million of investment by BlueScope and its partners Keppel Prince, Bisalloy, and the University of Wollongong, and will create approximately 200 new jobs in steel manufacturing, plus up to 1,000 jobs in associated industries,” said BlueScope Managing Director and CEO, Mark Vassella.

“The investment – which will create an Advanced Steel Manufacturing Precinct at Port Kembla Steelworks – will see the building of a new fabrication facility to manufacture components for the renewable energy, defence and other sectors, as well as upgrades and modernisation of BlueScope’s Plate Mill.”

“Today’s announcement is an example of BlueScope and its partners ‘walking the talk’ and taking practical action to help deliver a low emissions future for Australia,” said Mark.

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

BREAKING NEWS K-TIG to Establish R&D Facility within BAE Systems Australia’s Factory of the Future Adelaide-based Weld Australia member, K-TIG will build a Research and Development (R&D) facility within BAE Systems Australia’s Factory of the Future, where it will demonstrate and further evolve the application of its robotic welding capabilities.

K-TIG Managing Director, Adrian Smith, said the aim of having the R&D facility within the Factory of the Future at the Tonsley Innovation District was to prove that K-TIG’s technology can not only expand Australia’s shipbuilding capability but has vast industrial applications.

The Factory of the Future is under development by BAE Systems and Flinders University and will connect businesses and sectors which are of growing importance to the national economy, including the $90 billion defence shipbuilding industry.

“We are the smart welders of the future. Put simply, K-TIG’s advanced

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welding technology means welding is stronger, faster and more cost effective. A traditional multi hour weld can be done in less than four minutes to a higher quality and standard,” said Adrian.

“We can capture and push data out across every single weld creating a digital footprint across a ship. This makes for high level repeatability and consistency which means ships are built faster and cheaper.”

BAE Systems Australia Continuous Naval Shipbuilding Director Sharon Wilson said the project had enormous potential.

“What K-TIG provides has the potential to deliver game-changing technologies to the broader industrial sector, making industry more competitive and this could see flow on benefits for exports,” said Sharon.

“BAE Systems is delighted to support local companies with advanced capabilities. Line Zero underpins the philosophy of the Factory of the Future which focuses on industry

collaboration and diffusion of Australian innovation in Industry 4.0 technologies.”

“Contrary to what most people think, manufacturing in South Australia is alive and well and thriving.”

“This is ultimately about addressing the dire skills shortage in welding which is a problem in many industries right around the world,” said Adrian. “It’s also about enhancing our sovereign capabilities so that intellectual property is created here and therefore kept here.”

Construction on the permanent Factory of the Future Line Zero at Tonsley commenced in early February 2022 to be finished by November.

Photos (Left) K-TIG Managing Director, Adrian Smith.

(Right) The K-TIG team.

Photo: Austal Australia has launched Hull 812, the second of six Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats. Image courtesy of Austal.

Photo: BAE Systems Australia team members, Image courtesy of BAE.

Hanwha Defense Links with Bisalloy for Export

BAE Systems Australia Opens Graduate Roles for 2023

Austal Australia Launches Cape-Class Patrol Boat

Export opportunities have opened up for steel manufacturer Bisalloy Steels with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with Korean defence contractor Hanwha Defense.

BAE Systems Australia recently welcomed 58 graduates to its national defence and security business and immediately began recruiting for more than 90 graduates to start in 2023.

Last year, BAE provided more than 140 early career opportunities to students through internships, apprenticeships and graduate roles.

The company now has more than 250 young people within BAE Systems’ early careers programs.

Austal Australia has welcomed Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Andrew Hastie MP, to officially launch the second of six Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats to be delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.

2023 recruits will join a refreshed graduate program that covers a wide range of fields including engineering, project management, finance, human resources and commercial. They can choose to be placed into an ongoing role or to experience three one-year structured placements in different specialist areas within BAE Systems’ national operations.

Underpinning the recruitment drive is BAE’s commitment to the research and development of world leading technologies including hypersonics, autonomy and high speed weapons to support the requirements of the ADF, together with major programs ramping up.

The new Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boats for the Royal Australian Navy include several enhancements that further extend the capability of the proven vessel and the fleet; with modifications developed through the in-service experience of ten CapeClass Patrol Boats already operating with the Navy and Australian Border Force throughout Northern Australia.

The companies will join forces to build armoured combat vehicles and selfpropelled howitzers for international markets, including for a recentlyexecuted contract with Egypt.

Under the agreement, Hanwha Defense will procure Bisalloy steel for land platforms such as the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and the K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer, for export to international markets beyond Australia.

Bisalloy Steel is one of the Australian Industrial Capability (AIC) partner firms for Hanwha Defense Australia, which is participating in the federal government’s LAND 400 Phase 3 program with the Redback IFV. Both companies will also conduct joint technical analysis and development of integration of Bisalloy steel into the Redback and K9 for exports to Europe and others.

This article originally appeared on @AuManufacturing.

Applications close on 10 April 2022.

To find out more visit: careers.au.baesystems.com

The 58m aluminium monohull patrol boat was launched following 18 months of construction at the company’s shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia.

The $324 million contract for the Evolved Cape-Class Patrol Boat Program (SEA1445-1), comprising six 58m vessels, was awarded to Austal Australia in May 2020 and has directly employed approximately 400 people in Henderson, Western Australia and hundreds more through supply chain partners across Australia.

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

Photo: Col Batzloff (TAFE Queensland) and Jasmine Riddle (JRS Manufacturing Group).

JRS Manufacturing Group Partners with TAFE Queensland to Develop Skills Academy JRS Manufacturing Group is excited to partner with TAFE Queensland to launch the JRS Skills Academy at their Wilsonton premises, in Toowoomba. The JRS Skills Academy is an Australian-first hybrid learning framework.

The partnership will strengthen the Toowoomba and Surat Basin’s emerging advanced manufacturing ecosystem, through the implementation of a resilient supply chain model that combines industry innovation, end-to-end product design and development, with formal skills recognition.

Chief Operating Officer (Strategy, Systems and Business), Jasmine Riddle said, “Through the JRS Skills Academy, we seek to redefine the manufacturing skills landscape by re-engaging young people through human centred skills transformation to understand the value of trade apprenticeships and future employment security.”

“Ambitious individuals will develop best-in-class skills in steel fabrication and welding, CNC machining and have exposure to the latest technology through specialised industrial and aerospace coatings and electroplating with additional focus on

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leadership, collaboration and designled thinking,” Jasmine said.

Schlam Launches the Hercules EXO

Growing from a team of four to thirty over the last six years, the JRS team has diversified its product offerings from stand-alone manufacturing as boilermakers, to a hybrid manufacturing hub offering multidisciplinary end-to-end production pipeline, using the latest technology.

Weld Australia member, Schlam recently launched the Hercules EXO - a next-generation mining dump body that offers iron ore miners both a higher payload potential and longer service life.

The traditional manufacturing model is based on multiple skillsets across boiler making, welding, sandblasting, specialised surface coatings and finishing, CNC machining and logistics solutions, to deliver the final product to the customer. This requires various trades, across different industries and locations, to work cohesively to ensure customer timeframes and deliverables are met.

Identifying the opportunity to pivot to a multi-disciplinary manufacturing supplier, JRS Manufacturing Group is pioneering the workforce of the future and preparing to skill the workers to match.

“Throughout its 140 years, TAFE Queensland has demonstrated its agility in meeting emerging industry needs. The future is now and our partnership with such an innovative company ensures the evolution of traditional trades to meet the needs of a new generation,” said TAFE Queensland’s Manufacturing Faculty Director, Col Batzloff.

The Hercules EXO is a 240-tonne class iron ore specific dump body that is 20 per cent lighter than the company’s already class-leading Hercules. The decreased weight gives miners a greater payload potential, while a complete redesign and innovative material selection have resulted in a 100% increase in service life.

Schlam CEO, Matt Thomas, said that miners had to compromise between payload and longer service life before the Hercules EXO arrived in the market. “The Hercules EXO is an ultra-lightweight body that maximises payload without sacrificing body life or requiring the addition of wear packages. It is the culmination of 20 years of continuous improvement and innovation wrapped into one highperformance dump body.”

Schlam’s engineering department completely redesigned the previous Hercules to reduce weight in all nonwearing components.

DRIVING INNOVATION WITHOUT COMPROMISE Success in innovation takes expertise and extensive industry knowledge; there are rarely quick-fix solutions. But it can be achieved. Mainetec’s approach resulted in a giant leap forward in innovation for an unlikely candidate - the excavator bucket the product Hulk™. The key to the success involved quality in research, development, engineering, and manufacturing.

To innovate, you have to keep improving and never stop. But many businesses fall into the trap of continually developing products for the sake of innovation, to be seen as competitive in the market. Experience shows there are detrimental consequences on safety, quality, and financial implications.

Looking at the mining and resources industry, these industries offer an abundance of opportunities for innovation, with companies competing to find new and out-ofthe-box solutions. An example of how innovation has been successfully deployed is Mainetec’s product, Hulk™. Critical to its success has been that innovation should never come at the expense of safety, quality, financial cost, or the

environment. It is vital to engineer and manufacture genuine solutions that also have a lasting and positive impact – not just for the client, but for the industry.

The excavator bucket used in the mining and resource industries had been built and re-built on the same design for more than 30 years. On the surface, buckets appear to be a fairly stable product, but in reality, they are over-engineered with steel and aren’t as effective as they should be. The industry demand for an alternative has been loud and clear, yet there wasn’t anything suitable on the market.

Mainetec, along with their clients, challenged the archaic bucket design to create a stronger, safer, lighter, and

more cost-effective product. Through a robust process, the team created a cutting-edge bucket prototype, ensuring that the new design kept to OEM specifications. After two years of stringent testing, engineering, and development, Hulk™ excavator bucket launched into the market in September 2019 with immediate results. The bucket and castings are 100% Australian designed and made and the innovative design use casting gutters and torque tubes over the competitor’s fabricated plate design.

The results found that Hulk™ delivered up to 9% more productive than standard OEM buckets.

Furthermore, productivity increased resulting in a massive cost reduction for Mainetec’s clients. The success of the new bucket has created a ripple in the industry and is seeing growth in the demand for Hulk™ grow exponentially.

There is also a high demand in industries to ensure products and technology are environmentally responsible, and Mainetec subscribes to the value of driving innovation while minimising our environmental impact. Hulk™ is one product that used green technology to deliver successful results. The Linerless™ and replaceable basket components are other successful innovations that utilised green technologies while reducing costs and reducing emissions.

For further information, visit: mainetec.com.au This article was supplied as part of a paid advertising package.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

10 TIPS FOR IMPROVING WELDING SAFETY Welding is generally a safe profession when the correct safety procedures are put in place. In fact, safety and a positive workplace culture go hand-in-hand. Together, they lead to increased productivity and better business outcomes.

Australian Standards are the linchpin of safety in the welding and fabrication sector. However, very few of these safety practices are underpinned by legislation. As such, they only tend to be applied on a voluntary basis.

Weld Australia believes that practices and equipment are safest when the entire organisation takes responsibility.

These are Weld Australia’s top ten tips for improving company-wide safety.

1. Do Your Homework It is crucial that all welder’s pick up a copy of their company’s latest operating manual, which contains important safety information. These manuals list the key criteria for using certain machinery, and the Australian Standards that support good practice in the sector.

Personnel should only refer to the manual for key operational requirements, and not third-party sources.

2. Minimise Skin Exposure Exposed skin can lead to increased risk and danger for welding personnel.

As such, it is imperative that all skin is protected with buttoned shirts. In addition, all pockets and cuffs should be sealed off to ensure they do not attract any sparks. Personnel should avoid having matches, lighters and other risky materials in their pockets.

3. Wear the Correct Attire Clothing is arguably the most important part of a welder’s safety.

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Shorts and short-sleeved shirts are not permitted. Personnel should be wearing secure flame-resistant helmets, shoes, gloves and clothing to ensure full-body protection.

Even the quickest welds could pose an extreme risk if an employee is not adequately protected. Therefore, it is crucial that welders take the time to find the correct size, and protective equipment that minimises danger to their skin, eyes, and body. Lightweight clothing is also available, which offers better protection and ease of movement.

4. Watch Your Breathing It may sound like a simple technique but flames and smoke during the welding process can be one of the deadliest health hazards.

Exhaust hoods are recommended, as they contain a mechanical fan to ensure enough clean air is accessible for breathing. Respirators are also encouraged for certain welds. A welding engineer or supervisor can assist for additional instructions.

5. Eyes Off the Light Welding involves a bright light always glaring back at the operator. However, this light can be deadly. As such, it is important to wear a fitted helmet with adequate shading and filters to avoid ‘arc flash’ exposure. This is a painful condition that can take hours to appear after exposure.

Helmets should also be fitted with ear protection and lens shading

that matches the project or weld.

Welding safety of the face and head is underpinned by Australian Standards: AS/NZS1338.1 Eye protection, and AS/NZS1337 and AS/NZS1337.1 Face protection.

6. Avoid Ongoing Stress Repetitive stress injuries can substantially impact a welder’s safety.

Welding personnel should maintain a strong posture and take regular breaks to eat and rest. In addition, it is important that all machinery and equipment are tested for ongoing fatigue. These can include simple changes like using an automaticdarkening helmet, which eliminates the time that welders need to snap their heads and drop hoods down. It also saves time between welds.

7. Access To Medical Care Organisations should have an updated first-aid kit and ensure that it is checked and maintained regularly.

Ongoing medical surveillance for skin, eyes, hearing, lungs and heart is also imperative. Medical monitoring and attention can decrease future risks associated with long-term welding.

8. Avoid A Cluttered Mess Welding workshops should have a place for everything. Personnel should mark and tag all equipment and ensure that the weld area only contains tools and equipment for that weld. A clean workspace leads to a clear mind, which is pivotal when conducting a meticulous weld.

9. Efficient Machinery A boom-mounted wire feeder is a gamechanger in any welding workshop. This piece of machinery

“

Australian Standards are the linchpin of safety in the welding and fabrication sector.”

rotates 360 degrees and moves in several directions to create a safe work area and avoid clutter.

Booms tend to place the wire feeder at the base of a 12ft to 16ft apparatus. A counterbalance beam holds the machine in place once the operator has placed it in position.

It creates flexibility, efficiency and an increased level of comfort for welding personnel.

10. Positive Workplace Culture Safety should never be treated as an ‘extra’. Employees who see a violation of safety protocols should be encouraged to report it.

When employees work in a workplace with a strong safety culture, they are likely to stamp out bad practices.

Safety is a whole-of-organisation responsibility, and everyone has a key role to play.

Overall, this approach should lead to less time lost, improved productivity, and a better workplace culture.

Further Information For further information and resources on welder health and safety, visit Weld Australia’s Resource Centre.

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MENTAL FITNESS

BREATHWORK TO BUILD YOUR MENTAL FITNESS

By Adelaide Wilkinson Breathwork is a simple and natural tool to build your mental fitness.

Empower yourself with one of the most accessible tools there is - The Breath. Build your emotional muscle and resilience for a mentally healthier life. It can start with taking five deep breaths through your stomach.

Why does breath matter? You might ask.

Breathing is an automatic function of the body that is controlled by the respiratory centre of the brain. When we feel stressed, our breathing rate and pattern changes as part of the ‘fight-or flight response’.

Stressed-out individuals have an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and take short, shallow breaths without even realising it.

Shallow over-breathing, or hyperventilation, can prolong the feelings of anxiety by making the physical symptoms of stress worse.

Deep breathing, on the other hand, increases focus and lowers your heart rate while also inducing a sense of calm and control.

The parasympathetic nervous system controls your rest, relaxation, and digestion response. When the parasympathetic system is dominant, your breathing slows, your heart rate

About Adelaide Wilkinson Adelaide Wilkinson is a breathwork facilitator, certified life coach and yoga teacher with over 500 hours of teacher training.

For further information, visit: truetoself.com.au

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drops, your blood pressure lowers, and your body is guided back into a state of calm and healing.

THE THREE-PART BREATH TECHNIQUE

Through the intentional control of the breath you are able to guide the body back from your flight or fight stress response into this natural state of calm.

Stress is a natural part of life but if we don’t know how to de-stress then it can accumulate in the body and can show up as conditions such as insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety and obesity to name a few.

There are simple and easy breathing techniques that can be learnt to relax and restore a sense of calm. These tools can be practiced anywhere, anytime enabling you to manage stress and anxiety on a day-to-day basis.

Studies reveal that just one session of mindful breathing and as little as five minutes can have a positive effect on anxiety and depression, emotional regulation, memory and focus. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

The Three-Part Breath Technique Try this calm inducing breathing technique ‘three-part breath’.

Take a comfortable seated position.

Close your eyes and begin breathing through your nose.

Inhale for the count of three.

Hold the breath for the count of three.

Exhale for the count of three.

Keep your focus on the breath and the count. Keep your breathing even and smooth. If three counts feels too short, try increasing the breath lengths to six or eight counts. If longer breaths create any anxiety, there is no need to push yourself. The most important thing is that you keep the breath soft and smooth.

Practice this technique for at least five minutes to see a difference in how you feel.

This technique can be practiced in moments of stress to calm down and is also great to be incorporated as part of your self care routine to de-stress.

A great technique to practice at the end of the day before bed to induce a restful night sleep.

This technique is designed to have a calming and relaxing effect on the body whilst drawing the attention away from the mental chatter of the mind into the body.

Activating your natural relaxation response within the body, the parasympathetic nervous system.

Weld Australia and Gotcha4Life Weld Australia has partnered with Gotcha4Life to help build the mental fitness of Australia’s welders.

All information in this article was supplied courtesy of Gotcha4Life.

Weld Australia would like to thank Man Anchor for making this important information available.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between 15 and 44 years of age, and men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. Workers in construction and other trades—including welding—are even more at risk. Tradies are 70% more likely to die by suicide than their behind-the-desk counterparts.

This means that every second day an Australian tradie takes their own life.

Despite these alarming statistics, mental health definitely isn’t something that tradies talk about at smoko or after knocking off.

Weld Australia and Gotcha4Life believe that, together, they can strengthen the emotional muscle to help build strong social connections, which in turn develops the resilience required to deal better with the challenges that life throws at us.

If you’d like further details, or are keen to run a mental fitness program at your organisation, contact membership@weldaustralia.com.au.

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BUSINESS ESSENTIALS

SETTING EFFECTIVE GOALS FOR YOUR BUSINESS IN 2022 After an unpredictable two years, Australia is back on its feet and ready for 2022. Businesses are encouraged to foster opportunities and set goals for the year ahead. This is crucial to the welding and fabrication sector, which is vital to the nation’s economy. Forward planning may be neglected in favour of daily operational requirements, but it can make a world of difference to ensure a steady pipeline of work, and a growing list of clients. These are Weld Australia’s helpful hints to transform your business and open a suite of new opportunities this year.

Why Goal Setting is Important Whether you’ve just started out or have been running your business for years, business planning can be the key to your success. According to the Australian Government’s Department of Business, planning for your business: • Helps you to prioritise – it gives your business direction, defines your objectives, maps out how you’ll achieve your goals and helps you to manage possible bumps in the road • Gives you control over your business – the planning process helps you learn about the different things that could affect your success. If you’re already in business, it helps you to step back and look at what’s working and what you can improve on • Helps you seek finance – if you’re seeking finance for your business, you’ll need to show banks and investors why they should invest in your business Set Clear Intentions It is easy to set and forget goals, targets and key performance indicators. To help ensure that your goals don’t end up filed away in your bottom drawer by April, it’s important to set clear, actionable, measureable goals with specific deadlines—both for your leadership team and your employees.

To do this, it can be helpful to discuss

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the goals and objectives with the entire team. This process should be open, interactive and engage all members of the organisation. These discussions are an important step towards ongoing growth and the development of your company—no idea should be left off the table.

Perhaps its time to shift your mindset and think outside the box this year.

Brainstorm Potential Goals Once the intentions are set, it is time to bring them to life. Welding and fabrication work tends to be performed in a fast-moving, stressful

environment. However, businesses are encouraged to take some time to write down a concrete list of how to reach business goals for the year ahead.

Perhaps you’re keen on landing more clients in the rail or defence sectors; or developing a new safety plan for managing workplace risks. This step will allow you to map out how to approach these goals, including details like resource allocation, and any upskilling that might be needed.

It is crucial to note anything that comes to mind. In fact, you may start with a list of 30 ideas and goals, and then narrow them down to four.

Future-Proof Your Organisation A steady pipeline of work is crucial to planning and forward-thinking for

your welding business. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that any plans can fall apart very quickly. As such, it is important to future-proof your business to avoid any catastrophic consequences. As part of this phase, consider options to help avoid adverse consequences. You might conduct a thorough risk assessment of your entire operations, or assess your suppliers in terms of quality, shipping times, and cost.

Consider Investing in Technology and Your Team Welding relies on emerging technologies for increased productivity, efficiency and quality.

In 2022, consider a shift to new technologies to level-up and meet a new era of demand. You might want to investigate the benefits that

technology like cobots, welding cameras and Industry 4.0 applications can offer your business.

Likewise, businesses should set realistic goals for maintaining, upskilling and hiring new staff. For example, Welding Engineers are becoming increasingly popular in the Australian welding landscape.

2022 could be the year to encourage your staff to attain an International Welding Engineer (IWE) qualification, which demonstrates a commitment to learning and quality assurance.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Outreach Businesses have learned to become agile and adaptable over the past two years. However, it is crucial to build on this momentum and use it to grow your business. You could: • Grow your social media outreach • Build a website • Attend industry events and network • Manage your customer service effective, with onboarding and offboarding programs Measure Your Performance Find a way to keep track of your goals that works for you and your team.

For example, maybe you’ll utilise a spreadsheet to keep track of metrics monthly. By tracking your goals, you’ll quickly discover exactly what is (and is not) working. That way, you change your focus and actions along the way to ensure you achieve your goals by the end of the year.

Meet With Your Team It’s also good practice to meet with your team regularly to discuss your goals. With regular meetings in place, you keep everyone in the loop and brainstorm ideas as you go—once again, this can help ensure you reach goals by the end of the year.

Celebrate the Wins Remember to celebrate the goals you accomplish—no matter how big or small they might seem.

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FEATURE STORY

ROCKPRESS’ 50 YEARS OF SUCCESS

How Living and Breathing Quality Secured Global Export Markets and Major Local Projects Rockpress has been in business since 1972. In the 50 years since then, the company has grown to become one of Brisbane’s most highly-regarded steel fabrication suppliers. While Rockpress can supply ‘off the shelf’ materials in steel and other metals, their real expertise is in manufacturing and fabricating custommade work, either for one-off projects or in quantities for high volume demand. Rockpress recently decided to embark upon certification to both EN 15085 Railway applications — Welding of railway vehicles and components and DIN 2303 Welding and allied processes - Quality requirements for production and maintenance companies for military products. These two certifications will bolster Rockpress’ already considerable success in the rail and defence markets.

Rockpress was founded by Roy Silcock and Col Todd in 1972 in the suburb of Rocklea in Brisbane.

Originally known as Rocklea Pressed Metal, the company’s 20-odd employees focused on the provision of sheetmetal services, and metal stamping and punching.

Over the years, Rockpress has grown significantly, adding new services to its roster and expanding into new sectors of operation. All their workshop staff are tested and qualified according to key Australian Standards, as well as being skilled in traditional steel manufacturing techniques.

Plus, Rockpress boasts more than 12,000m2 under roof floor space.

All of these capabilities mean that Rockpress is more than capable of handling work of any size or volume.

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According to Allan Mortensen (Marketing and Assistant Manager at Rockpress), “Today, we have more than 100 employees and have added a lot more services to our business, including laser cutting (both flat sheet and tube cutting) with state of the art technology, metal forming and bending, punching and perforation, milling and turning, saw cutting, heavy and light fabrication, grid blasting, painting and powder coating, and thermal spraying. We like to think of ourselves as the one stop shop for fabrication.”

“Rockpress has an extremely broad customer base. We supply a large variety of industries: mining equipment, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, prime mover manufacturers, train manufacturers, semi-trailer manufacturers, defence prime contractors, and many more,” said Allan.

Photos (clockwise from top) The Everleigh residential development in Greenbank, Queensland.

Slacks Creek Corridor and Reserve Park in Logan, Queensland.

Rockpress recently partnered with Steendyk on their “Bellbird Retreat” building project.

Rockpress has been a preferred supplier to the Queensland mining sector for decades, fabricating heavy vehicle protection and safety components. This led to a longterm association with major trucking brands Volvo and Mack Trucks.

“Over the last 25 to 30 years, Rockpress has been a supplier to the Volvo Mack Truck assembly plant here in Brisbane. Volvo Mack Trucks is a multi-national company and in more recent times we have seen a substantial increase in the need for components for their overseas subsidiaries, such as Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the US,” said Allan.

“Rockpress has been—and still is—involved with Defence Primes, from the inception of the LAND 121 (overlander) in 2009 to the current LAND 121 program and the

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FEATURE STORY

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LAND 400 programs. Within these programs, Rockpress is supplying the Primes with components and assemblies for Defence Trailers and Infantry Fighting Vehicles.”

With major contracts for the export of components to global brands, Rockpress is a prime example of an innovative, resilient Australian manufacturer that is more than able to compete on the world stage.

As Allan explained, the secret to this success is based on three key elements: people, values and commitment.

“I think what differentiates Rockpress from many other businesses are our people, values and commitment,” said Allan. “I know this is a broad statement, but whether it comes to the training of staff, new technology, processes, procedures, or accreditations, Rockpress is constantly working on improvements.”

“To give you an indication of the extent we go to, back in December 2013, Rockpress completed a lean manufacturing program with an approved external training provider.

The program included all employees,

from the person sweeping the floor to the General Manager. The duration of the program was roughly 12 months.

Since the inception of the Lean principle, Rockpress has been—and still is—working on improvements in efficiencies, quality, upskilling and technology. I believe this is what sets us apart and is part of our successes,” said Allan.

The Certification Process Rockpress takes quality assurance seriously. The company already holds various certifications, from AS/NZS ISO 3834, through to ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001.

Rockpress has also obtained Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) membership. Managed by the Defence Industry Security Office (DISO), DISP supports Australian businesses to understand and meet their security obligations when engaging in Defence projects, contracts and tenders. It is essentially security vetting for Australian businesses.

Rockpress is currently undergoing certification to both EN 15085 Railway applications — Welding of railway vehicles and components

and DIN 2303 Welding and allied processes - Quality requirements for production and maintenance companies for military products.

Once the certification process is complete, EN 15085 and DIN 2303 certification will bolster Rockpress’ already considerable success in the rail and defence markets.

“The reason we decided to become, and are currently in the process of undergoing, EN 15085 and DIN 2303 certified is due to the requirements of existing and upcoming projects. We also believe the these certifications will improve our business overall in the long-term and reinforce our commitment to industry,” said Allan.

“Achieving these two certifications will open up opportunities with the LAND 400 Defence project, as well as the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program—a Queensland Government initiated program to manufacture 65 trains in Queensland.”

“If you are considering these certifications for your business, make sure your business is mature enough and that you fully understand all the requirements,” said Allan.

Rockpress Joins Rheinmetall’s LAND 400 Phase 3 Project Rockpress will supply vehicle componentry to a new infantry fighting vehicle currently vying for a multi-billiondollar Australian Defence Force (ADF) project. Rockpress has already commenced fabricating components for the LYNX KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle developed by Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) as part of its offer to the LAND 400 Phase 3 project. A final decision on the A$18 billion – A$27.1 billion project is expected to be announced in 2022.

Dave Osborne (General Manager, Rockpress) said that participating in such an important project was validation of the company’s investment in machining technology, skills development and its production footprint. “Over the past decade in particular, Rockpress has consistently invested in state-of-the-art equipment, our production line practices and the technical skills of our people; all of which gives us the capacity to take on projects of this scale,” Osborne said.

“Rockpress has a history of expertise in the heavy transport industry and the supply of custom vehicle components, as well as past experience working with the ADF though its supply chain affiliates.”

“If we are successful in our partnership bid with RDA and Team LYNX, we will definitely increase the current workforce of 100 staff,” he said. “Not only would it be a jobs boost for Rockpress, but a project of this magnitude has the potential to add significantly to the local economy.”

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FEATURE STORY

CATTEN INDUSTRIES

Delivering Sheetmetal Solutions from Concept to Completion with AS/NZS ISO 3834 Certification Catten Industries is a precision sheetmetal manufacturer of many different products, for many different industries. Based in Melbourne, their sheetmetal facility is home to a dedicated engineering and workshop team that can assist with everything from design and development, through to manufacture and project management. All their projects are delivered with the right machinery, operated by highly skilled staff who maintain the highest standards of metal work, delivering on their company motto every time: ‘Sheetmetal solutions from concept to completion’. Catten Industries recently achieved certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials.

Established in 1994 to provide a quality sheet metal fabrication service to a variety of industries, Catten Industries is proudly owned and operated by Ian and Latinka Cubitt and their family.

We have a wide variety of clients from transport and rail, through to architectural applications, art and metal sculptures. We also manufacture outdoor furniture through our outdoor living retailer, LaTink,” said Ian.

According to Ian Cubitt (Managing Director, Catten Industries), “The Company was established in 1994, and initially serviced the sheetmetal requirements for vending machines, poker machines, fridge doors and that sort of thing. A lot of that manufacturing went overseas in the early 2000s, so we had to transition into industries that were sourcing their sheetmetal locally. We focused on the energy and power sector, shopfitting and point of sale, including electrical enclosures, backed by transport and rail, which have always been traditional areas of operation for the business.”

One of the key elements of the company’s success is the skills and diversity of the family owned and operated team.

Today, Catten Industries operates a modern 2,564m2 factory in Bayswater, in Melbourne’s east. “We provide sheetmetal from concept to completion, including design, prototyping and manufacturing.

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“Catten Industries is proud to be family owned and operated. We have a great variety of skills to draw on from the Cubitt family. My wife Latinka has a background in IT and project management and holds an MBA. Our daughter Nicole has a background in quality and science.

Sean, our son, was a plumber before he joined the business. And our daughter Bianca specialises in media and digital marketing. I’m a first class

Photos: Catten Industries team members welding, folding and fastening.

sheetmetal worker with nearly 40 years’ experience in the industry. Having such a good spread of skills and experience in the family, combined with a really strong senior management and engineering team, and skilled factory personnel helps us be successful,” said Ian. “We also invest in technology. We have a really good ERP and CRM system that gives us detailed data and smart reporting capabilities. We’ve also invested in laser cutting and turrets with auto loading, CNC brake presses, a robot welder, an automated powder coat line and a batch oven.”

The Certification Journey Catten Industries recently achieved certification to AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials. “We opted for certification because we wanted to invest in our people, as well as our processes. This type of investment benefits the entire business, and ensures that we are at the forefront of the industry. It ensures that we have the right processes in place and are delivering quality welded products for our clients. Our overall quality has improved even further,” said Ian. “There are a lot of projects on the horizon that require certification in transport and defence. These sectors require their suppliers to have this type of accreditation to demonstrate that their products are high quality.”

For other companies considering AS/NZS ISO 3834 certification, Ian has this advice, “Certification will help you control how you go about the welding process.

If you’re thinking about certification, get on the front foot—put in the work, and put the processes in place.

It will help your business.”

“After all, the more Australian companies that are certified, the more capacity local industry has. This gives clients more choice, and increases the chances we have of keeping metal fabrication work on shore,” said Ian. “In the wake of the pandemic, It’s been good to see some of the larger corporate businesses realise that they need to support the local manufacturing sector to ensure a robust local supply chain. We’ve had some of the big multi-nationals onshore some of their procurement, which has been of benefit for us—it has allowed us to invest in the latest machinery for our company and made us more competitive with international supply chains.”

Further Information For further information about Catten Industries and their capabilities, visit: catten.com.au

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FEATURE STORY

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Kipper Tuna Turrum Air Cooler Package for Esso Australia.

LA SERVICES CELEBRATES 40 YEARS Inspiring Jobs for Future Generations

Based in south-west Sydney, LA Services’ core business is the design and fabrication of medium to large heat exchangers, pressure vessels, piping skids and gas pipeline works. Having grown from a small boiler repair workshop, LA Services is celebrating 40 successful years in business in 2022. The longevity of the company can be attributed to quality products and exceptional service, as well as the team’s seemingly innate ability to innovate and leverage cutting-edge technology and concepts.

LA Services started out in 1981 as a small workshop in Revesby, repairing boilers. Becoming ISO 9001 certified in 1990 for oil and gas work, the company thrived, attracting the likes of Woodside, Ampol (formally Caltex) and Shell. Due to the rapid growth, LA Services moved the workshop to a larger facility in Revesby, expanding twice to cater for the larger projects.

As LA Services continued to grow, 2006 was a turning point; the company undertook a substantial project of 30 pressure vessels for Woodside. During the course of this project, a lot of LA Service’s internal processes were streamlined. Formal project management and document control processes were introduced, in-house design services grew, Workplace Health and Safety became a major focus, and the company’s supply chain diversified. These

Hebel Brick Project for CSR.

advancements created efficiencies and benefits for both customers and employees alike.

As the Australian manufacturing industry was undergoing change in 2016, LA undertook a business review to identify gaps, as well as the role it could play in setting a benchmark for heavy fabrication manufacturers. The company’s focus turned towards services to support local project demands. A combination of agile engineering and manufacturing capabilities provided niche solutions for the industry as a whole.

Revitalising a Legacy Trade Today, LA Services is proactively engaged with research and education partners, seeking longevity for Australian manufacturing and attracting young talent. With a focus

on integrating Internet of Things (IoT) with material and data science, LA Services is now developing innovative ways to combine its heritage with digital services to enhance product management.

According to Norman Chouaifaity (General Manager, LA Services), “Our mission is to support an organisationwide shift into an advanced manufacturing space and extend this behaviour into our community, to ultimately support the revitalising of this legacy metal trade manufacturing industry.”

“We believe when our trades thrive, we fuel our community and create a more prosperous Australia. Our vision is to build a great manufacturing future for Australia by driving collaboration across our trades, digital innovation, engineering and

Otway Expansion and LPG Underground Bullets for Origin.

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FEATURE STORY

Photo: Piping and skid work started as a complementary service to boiler projects and vessels where small quantities of piping were required with the equipment. A shift toward modular solutions requiring skid mounted vessels, piping, valves and electrical and instrument started to become common scope in the mid 2000s. LA Services pivoted and developed the necessary capability to support these turnkey projects. Today, LA Services’ piping and skid works support gas distribution, water treatment and industry processing needs. Scope includes fabrication, welding, testing, assembly and surface treatment of spools and skid frames.

the education sector. Manufacturing needs a new lease of life in terms of job prospects that require talent across a diverse bandwidth. By creating interesting job opportunities in trade based manufacturing we can drive young, fresh ideas to revitalise a traditional industry.”

“LA Services is dedicated to transitioning a traditional manufacturing business towards Industry 4.0 and servicisation with an aim to create ‘no collar’ jobs, redefining our industry and supporting our community,” said Norm.

Stress-Free Solutions and Peace of Mind LA Services is experienced in managing projects of all sizes, for the oil and gas, energy, chemical, water and health industries. Their current client roster features heavy hitters like

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Ampol, CSR, Woodside, Exxon, Viva, Zinfra, Jemena, AGL, APA, Santos, Origin, Orica, Veolia, and James Hardie.

“Our core business is the design and fabrication of medium to large heat exchangers, pressure vessels, piping skids and gas pipeline works. We also provide design and engineering, site fabrication and welding services related to those assets,” said Norm.

“We have the engineering know-how, trade team and supply chains to solve any pressure vessel challenge, across a range of sizes, configurations and materials from thin wall clad plate tanks to 150mm thick carbon steel vessels for offshore applications.

We have manufactured thousands of these industrial assets over the last 40 years. Heat exchangers have been at the centre of LA Service’s

business since its inception. We offer a complete thermal and mechanical design service for custom heat exchanger supply, covering the manufacturing of straight, u-tube and hairpin exchangers through to the supply of replacement parts.”

“Our combination of a large workshop geared for heavy fabrication and an experienced project engineering personnel provides an ideal platform for project material laydown, joint simulation fabrication, weld procedure development, and testing—all in the one location.”

“We genuinely care about the success of our customers and strive to provide stress-free solutions and peace of mind, enabling our customers to focus on other areas of their project or business,” said Norm.

we make our business more sexy for the younger generation,” said LA Service’s Skills, Career Pathways & Community Engagement, David Fox. “How could we make it the new Google or that sort of thing? Was that even possible? And, if it was, how do we even do that?”

LA’s quest to discover whether heavy industrial fabricating could be made more appealing quickly shifted towards partnership business models and a collaborative working style designed to deliver a workforce fit for the future.

As a result, LA Services has attracted an expanding network of collaborative partnerships, with schools, TAFEs and universities, as well as enterprise software company PTC, and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

Inspiring Jobs for Future Generations LA Services began to see signs it needed to change tack in 2016.

Revenues from oil and gas—its major customer base—were slowing, and a significant chunk of its workforce was edging toward retirement age.

With the operation looking like it might run out of puff, attracting the next generation of employees emerged as a major issue for LA. Initially, LA Services focused on filling gaps in their capabilities through mentoring, and responding to the national call for manufacturers to be innovative. But they quickly found this approach just wasn’t enough.

These collaborative partnerships have seen LA Services invest in digitising its welding supply chain and processes, experiment with virtual and augmented reality technology, and engage with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Western Sydney University LaunchPad on projects related to Industry 4.0 technology.

This foray into Industry 4.0 technology pointed to the need for a host of new skills, from cybersecurity and sensor applications, through to user experience and narrowband wireless communications. And so, LA Services looked to the future of Australia’s workforce: students.

The company’s first school engagement was a STEM expo at Knox Grammar with Lincoln Electric. From there, L&A has held demonstrations at both Liverpool Boys High School and Liverpool Girls

High School. They’ve also taken on two interns: a Year 10 student from Liverpool Boys High, and a mechanical engineering student from Macquarie University. Together with a professional app developer, these two interns are researching the application of the Internet of Things (IoT), and developing a proof of concept for a piece of software that will support product interaction.

LA Services is also working with two academics from UTS on a research project that will examine the social and educational outcomes and benefits delivered by the pilot of their industry-education engagement business model. David is surprised at just how quickly the pilot has moved, “I didn’t think all this would be possible so quickly.

But there is obviously an appetite and an enthusiasm for these types of collaborative business models.”

LA Services is proactively engaged with research and education partners, seeking longevity for Australian manufacturing and attracting young talent who are seeking a challenging career that involves their hands, problem solving and the application of technical capabilities.

With a focus on integrating IoT with material and data science, LA is developing innovative ways to combine its industrial manufacturing heritage with digital services to safeguard the future of its operations.

Through industry collaboration, LA Services is clearly delivering on its newly minted company purpose: Inspiring jobs for future generations.

Originally published by amgc.org.au

Further Information For further information about LA Services and their capabilities, visit: la.services

“We started to think about how could

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Q&A WITH A WELD AUSTRALIA MEMBER

Martin Geddes (Leading Vocational Teacher Engineering, South West Region, TAFE Queensland) With over 40 years of experience in the metal fabrication industry, Martin Geddes is one of the most passionate advocates for the welding and blacksmithing industry that you’re ever likely to meet.

Having spent 14 years on the tools in the area of heavy metal fabrication, Martin moved into teaching in 1993. Today, he is the Leading Vocational Teacher Engineering at TAFE Queensland, and teaches blacksmithing classes at the Cooneana Historical Centre in Ipswich. He took some time to answer a few questions about his career for Australian Welding.

What inspired you to choose a career in welding?

I started my apprenticeship as a boilermaker welder in 1979 when I was 15 years old. I had my heart set on being a manual arts teacher from about Grade 10. But I didn’t want to finish school and become a teacher.

I wanted to become a tradesperson first. I then got exposed to the TAFE system and thought, ‘Wow! This is bigger and better than I ever imagined.’ So, I changed my focus from manual arts teaching to TAFE teaching, predominantly boilermaking and welding.

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that blacksmiths could join their metal from the heat of the fire, which was called fire welding. We have all these modern processes and technology—like Stick and TIG—but these tradesmen would actually weld their steel from the heat of the fire.

They’d get the steel to nearly a liquid state and then hit it into shape. All the huge chain links and anchors—like the anchor on the Titanic—would have been fire welded by blacksmiths.

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How has your career progressed over the years? How did you get into teaching?

My desire to get involved in blacksmithing started in 1993 when I started teaching at Yeronga TAFE where I attended as many blacksmithing courses as I could find.

In 1995, the blacksmithing teacher left Yeronga TAFE and I took his place teaching the basic courses.

I continued to teach these courses at Yeronga until 2002 when I got a teaching position at the Bremer TAFE in Ipswich.

Arriving at the Bremer TAFE in 2002, I brought the blacksmithing equipment with me, and set up classes in the Powerhouse building at the Railway Workshops Museum and later in the blacksmith shop on the same site. In 2013, the blacksmithing equipment was donated to the Ipswich Historical Society and for about two years I ran blacksmith classes at my residence.

Then, I set up the workshop at the Cooneana Historical Centre.

One of the requirements of being a TAFE teacher is that you have to be

released to industry for at least one week every year. So, during this time, I would work with Queensland Rail at the Railway Workshops Museum in Ipswich. I applied every year to spend my time with the blacksmiths there, acquiring as much knowledge and building up my skillset. So, when the opportunity came to get my blacksmithing qualification, I already had my competencies sitting there in the old training package.

So, all I needed to do was have them transferred over to the latest qualification, which I did through the Outsource Institute.

Outsource Institute were great, they assisted me immensely with my upskilling journey. I was able to have years of experience recognised and where there were gaps, I undertook the necessary training to gain the skills and knowledge required. I chose Outsource Institute based on the history that TAFE Southwest have with them, and once I met Neil my trainer, I knew I had made the right decision. I really cannot thank Outsource Institute enough for helping me achieve my Certificate III

in Engineering – Fabrication Trade (Blacksmithing).

Tell us about the blacksmith shop at the Cooneana Historical Centre.

In late 2016, I was asked to set up a blacksmith shop at the Cooneana Historical Centre on behalf of the Ipswich Historical Society. Since that time, a functional blacksmith shop has been established, not only in its ability to display the trade and craft but also as a safe teaching facility in which I run seven-hour classes monthly for beginner and advanced blacksmith workshops. In late 2017, I made a financial commitment and built six portable forges, purchased anvils and fabricated adjustable height anvil stands and a lot of tooling to assist me in running classes at various location.

Today, I run hobby classes at Historical Centre for anyone who wants to get involved. I have a waiting list of over 100 people, the classes are so popular. Once someone has done one or two classes with me, they can then access the workshop on the first Monday of each month

to use the forge. They pay $20 and bring their own steel. I supply the forge and fuel. We have a small community of regulars who take advantage of the workshop.

Whenever we have open days at the Historical Centre, the blacksmith workshop is quite a drawcard because most people have never seen one in operation. People always think of farriers when the word blacksmith is mentioned. But farriers only made and fitted horseshoes.

That being said, there is a connection between the two professions. When the blacksmiths had to diversify their income during the industrial revolution that brought about the rise of welding as a profession, blacksmiths did get involved in farrier work.

Tell us about your Churchill Fellowship.

I was one of 15 Queenslanders to be granted a Churchill Fellowship in 2005. Churchill Fellowships offer the opportunity to travel overseas for four to eight weeks to explore a topic or issue that you’re passionate about.

No prescribed qualifications are required in order to apply, and the topic of your proposed project is limitless, provided that a benefit to Australia and willingness to share your findings with the Australian community is evident.

I wanted to expand my knowledge in blacksmithing, and had exhausted all the learning resources here in Australia. So, I put in a proposal to go overseas. For eight weeks I worked and trained in the United States and Czech Republic to enhance my skills in the forging and forming of hot ferrous metals. I visited Seattle and attended the Artist Blacksmiths’ Association of North America conference. I then visited the John C Campbell Folk School in North Carolina for four weeks before travelling to the Czech Republic to study European blacksmithing techniques and attend a conference near Prague.

Tell us about your current role at TAFE Queensland.

I wear a couple of hats in my current role at TAFE Queensland. I am a

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“I’ve always felt a connection when working steel. I knew it had to be worked, bent, formed and encouraged into the shapes we needed.

From using sheetmetal at school to forging heavy items, I love being around steel – working it, welding it, forming, shaping it. Taking it to its limits.”

Boilermaker/Welder teacher within the south west Queensland region.

I am the only teacher at TAFE Queensland with a blacksmith qualification. This means that I also look after all the blacksmith training and the workshop at the Cooneana Historical Centre. With the blacksmith qualification coming back into vogue, TAFE Queensland is now using the Centre as its training workshop. So I look after the workshop, including all the maintenance. Our apprentices now learn in both the heritage-looking blacksmith workshop and the modern training facility at TAFE Queensland.

We’ve blended the two environments together and have an outcome that is very successful – people think the blacksmith shop has been there for 100 years or more, and yet it is able to deliver modern national competencies.

I’ve also starting to write the curriculum and resources for the new blacksmithing training package.

One focus of this work is tooling.

Traditionally, blacksmiths have always made their own tools. So, my focus in writing the curriculum is to ensure that students know how to make their own tools. A blacksmith prides himself on how many times he has to heat up his steel. The more times you heat steel, the more carbon is released, and the weaker the steel

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becomes. Heat is steel’s kryptonite.

So, I am writing a curriculum that will enable students to make their own tools, with minimal heating required.

What do you like most about blacksmithing?

I’ve had a love affair with steel since I was a teenager. I don’t have any other words to describe it. It sums it up. I’ve always felt a connection when working steel. I knew it had to be worked, bent, formed and encouraged into the shapes we needed. From using sheetmetal at school to forging heavy items, I love being around steel – working it, welding it, forming, shaping it. Taking it to its limits.

What is the most interesting project you’ve worked on?

The most interesting project was setting up the blacksmithing shop at the Cooneana Historical Centre.

There was a continual focus on old world tools and skills, and the current OHS environment. I was continually working between the two worlds to strike the right balance.

Writing resources for TAFE Queensland for the blacksmithing competencies has been interesting—I really am leaving a legacy behind.

I’m trying to get my 40 years of experience out of my head and onto paper so that others can learn from it.

My hobby classes are always exciting too. People always say, “I wish you were my teacher at school, you’re so enthusiastic.” Luckily for me, I don’t have to turn my passion and enthusiasm on or off—it’s always there.

Who or what has inspired you professionally?

My greatest inspiration is not actually a person—it is blacksmithing as trade and its thousands of years of history.

That’s what inspires me. Whatever I can do to drag this heritage trade into the 21st century, that’s my inspiration.

I’m inspired by all the blacksmiths that have passed before me. There has been an amazing array of skills and talents recorded over hundreds of years in Europe and America. I feel

responsible to continue what they started, and to ensure that people are aware of the blacksmithing trade. The more people come to understand the blacksmithing trade, the more they want to get involved.

All our metal trades have come from blacksmithing, with the one exception being foundry, which was around prior to blacksmithing. All the other trades are derived from blacksmithing—welding, tooling, fitters and turners, sheet metal workers—they can all be traced back to the blacksmithing grandfather trade.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge for the manufacturing industry at the moment?

We’ve recently overcome the biggest challenge by placing blacksmithing back on the table for the Australian manufacturing industry. We’ve achieved a wonderful thing – industry has recognised that the activities of the blacksmith are relevant. The challenge now is to ensure that we have competent, skilled, trained blacksmiths who are ready to support industry’s needs. The trade had not had a title for the last 20 years – it was removed from the national training package.

The competencies have always been embedded in the heavy metal fabrication courses, and people are using them. There are just not enough of us. Whatever I can do to improve the situation, I’m up for the challenge.

What do you believe is the biggest opportunity for the welding industry at the moment?

I believe that the biggest opportunity for growth is in architectural iron work, including very elaborate hand forged gates, spiral staircases, fencing, and so on.

There is a real opportunity for the arts sector to get involved and take advantage of the skills of welders and blacksmiths. Artists want to know what limits they can move their materials to. We—as blacksmiths—can show them what steel is capable of. There’s a whole art fraternity that can be explored.

There are also opportunities in industrial smithing – the heavy hitters of the blacksmithing industry that use big machines, power hammers and presses. They forge steel. There is a limited number of people in Queensland who class themselves as an industrial smith.

There is so much potential for growth in the industry at the moment, particularly now as we’re starting to pull away from cheaper overseas imports. It is common knowledge that Australians would prefer to buy local even if more expensive.

Further Information For further information about Martin Geddes and the classes he offers at the Cooneana Historical Centre, visit: blacksmithingqld.com.au

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FEATURE STORY

KOMATSU TRAINING ACADEMY SEES STRONG DEMAND AND GROWTH Since it was launched at the beginning of 2017, the Komatsu Training Academy has undergone significant growth. A nationally registered training organisation, the Academy provides technical, operator and management courses for Komatsu customers. It delivers a range of programs, from business management and leadership training, through to technical training for fitters and welders, as well as customised on-site training for construction, quarry and mining customers. Komatsu recently invested in two Soldamatic augmented reality welding simulators to use in their training programs.

The Komatsu Training Academy is headquartered at the $7 million Komatsu Technical Education Centre (KTEC), in Brisbane, which over the past few years, has become the company’s primary training centre for operators and technicians in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia.

It is one of the region’s most advanced technical training facilities for mining, earthmoving and utility equipment. Located on more than 3 hectares of land, KTEC offers more than 2,600m2 of dedicated training facilities, including seven classrooms, seven technical and electrical laboratories and a large machine operator’s workshop. It also incorporates a number of simulators, providing the ability for both novice and experienced operators to safely learn on a range of machines, from construction and utility size, up to ultra-class mining equipment.

Construction recently commenced on a new $6 million state-of-the-art Komatsu apprentice and innovation training facility in Perth. Located in Welshpool, the innovative and futuristic facility will help create career development opportunities for current and future generations, while

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delivering on Komatsu’s strategic vision to create a strong, technically proficient and capable technician workforce from apprentices through to experienced technicians.

According to Janine Gurney (General Manager, Komatsu Training Academy), “Our award-winning apprenticeship training scheme aims to deliver not just the technical training, but also gives apprentices essential ‘life skills’, so that new industry entrants have both the life and personal responsibility skills and awareness, as well as the essential trade skills.”

“The innovative program has reportedly achieved measurable results, with apprentices being six months ahead of their peers doing traditional apprenticeships and have a one-year advantage at the completion of their training,” said Janine.

Janine added that the goal is to train 500 apprentices over the next three to four years, while maintaining their 94% retention rate.

“We also have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, with a purpose-built facility offering an even

balance of amenity for both men and women, which is the new norm for Komatsu facilities. In fact, last year Komatsu achieved a 50:50 gender ratio apprenticeship uptake which is something we’re very proud of,” said Janine.

While Komatsu has long prioritised and invested heavily in training and development, the current market challenges present an even greater need to create industry-leading and future-focused, training facilities. This is part of the reason the business has doubled its annual training investment to $12 million—in order to drive greater impact for apprentices, industry and the economy.

Futuristic Training Capabilities Komatsu prides itself on training centres that are highly interactive, technically advanced, and globally connected. With futuristic capabilities, their training centres are designed to help establish career pathways into high technology areas of autonomous and smart construction, which will play a key role in developing the workforce of the future. As such, Komatsu’s recent investment in two Soldamatic augmented reality simulators was a perfect fit.

Photos Left: One of Komatsu’s trainers tries their hand at a Soldamatic.

Below: Adam Coorey (Regional Training Coordinator, Weld Australia) trains two Komatsu team members.

According to Peter Wilson (Senior Technical Trainer, Komatsu), “Our training facilities are state-of-the-art.

We have a broad range of equipment: the latest Lincoln welding machines, guillotines, press rollers, welding bays with extraction units. We have a range of components, including diffs, drives and engines, as well as electrical testing boards with all the tooling for diagnostics and repairs. And, of course, the Soldamatics. We decided to invest in the Soldamatics because

the product offered good quality with reasonable pricing and solid aftersales service.”

“Adam Coorey (Regional Training Coordinator) from Weld Australia came out and commissioned the machines for us, and then gave the Komatsu team training on how to use and set up the simulators. We have been really happy with the support and knowledge provided by Weld Australia.”

“Our students have been impressed with new technology. The Soldamatics are a great way for students to learn—it doesn’t matter if they get the welding wrong, they can just keep practicing.”

“The augmented reality welding simulators are great to use as introduction for welding students who are new to the industry – it’s safe and consumable free and teaches students the fundamentals of welding, without the dangers associated with a real-world welding bay,” said Peter.

For other companies considering investing in a Soldamatic, Peter has this advice: “I’d tell anyone thinking about buying a Soldamatic that it’s a good investment. When it comes to your staff, they can be trained easily, regardless of their skill level. For your students, there is minimal risk and the whole system is very engaging.”

Further Information For further information about the Komatsu Training Academy, visit: komatsu.com.au

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FEATURE STORY

ARC TRAINING CENTRE SEAM: SOLVING INDUSTRY’S SURFACE ENGINEERING PROBLEMS The Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM) at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne is one of Australia’s premier manufacturing research and development institution. SEAM is focused on applied research with tangible outcomes to nurture and cultivate the industrial innovation leaders of tomorrow. The Centre recently invested in a Xiris welding camera to assist with process monitoring and ensure correct material deposition is taking place.

Established in 2019, Swinburne received $4.9 million from the Federal Government to lead the Centre, in collaboration with the University of South Australia, RMIT University and 29 industry partners.

The SEAM Centre will work with industry to solve surface engineering problems and develop new products to improve the service life or function of a component’s exterior by adding functionalities such as corrosion resistance, antibacterial properties or wear protection.

Solving Surface Engineering Problems SEAM aims to solve crucial surface

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engineering problems to enable the Australian manufacturing industry to be more efficient and profitable in the global marketplace. The estimated cost of wear and corrosion is up to 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country like Australia.

Sophisticated surface coatings technology is in high demand, especially for industries such as the medical device market which is expected to grow at 4.5% per annum.

The SEAM team of more than 77 researchers and industry leaders are investigating the gaps in surface engineering across 13 projects over five years. Each of the projects addresses a specific need faced by

an industry partner, some of which include: • Refurbishment and remanufacturing of large, high value components for the mining sector • Developing antibacterial films for medical implants to help control infection • Helping the aerospace and automotive industry minimise downtime, using metal additive manufacturing to rapidly repair damaged components • Improving the surface for parts in marine vessels to minimise corrosion and extend their length at sea

Training the Future Workforce SEAM also provides pathways for job creation and ensures a high-quality workforce in manufacturing through the training of future staff.

Swinburne students and postgraduate researchers will spend up to a year with an industry partner working on a project to gain valuable experience and potentially long term career opportunities.

Distinguished Professor Chris Berndt (Director, ARC SEAM) said the Centre is helping create a healthy pipeline of industry-fit professionals. “Often we receive feedback from industry that it can take up to 12 months or more to train up a new employee.”

“The concept for SEAM is to provide the surface engineering industry with ‘plug and play’ graduates. SEAM graduates will have the necessary knowledge and basic skills in surface engineering to help their employees without the steep learning curve.

SEAM really does cover it all,” said Professor Berndt.

The Xiris Educational Camera SEAM recently invested in a Xiris XVC-1000 / 1100 welding camera.

Left: A bad spray deposition with feeder clog. Right: A good spray deposition.

This camera is able to capture highquality images of a variety of welding and laser processes. Its ability to capture both the very bright light source of a weld arc or laser, as well as the neighboring dark areas of the background like the parent material and torch tip enable effective remote monitoring of the process.

According to Dr Samuel Pinches (Postdoctoral Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology), “At SEAM we perform research on all kinds of different application-tailored materials, from exotic metal alloys, to bioceramics. We then deposit these materials to produce advanced coatings, via a range of different laser and thermal spray processes, such as plasma spray or laser cladding.”

“The Xiris camera has proven to be a very useful tool for live process monitoring, as it allows us to inspect and monitor the flow of particles in our high-temperature spray plumes.

This helps us ensure that we are getting an even and steady flow of particles, which is essential to achieve a high-quality coating. By having a clear view of the process, the Xiris not only lets us check and watch out for feeder clogs, but it also lets

us see the individual particles inflight. This provides us with valuable live feedback during feedstock development, and the higher frame rate enables us to visually see the difference between a steady continuous flow, and a pulsating or erratic flow.”

“The ability to visually inspect our spray plume has also allowed us to rapidly observe and diagnose if powder clumping is occurring, which typically results in undesirable large splats, so having this capability has helped us avoid producing uneven coatings. Previously, we were using a high-quality conventional video camera, and were not able to observe many of these phenomena.”

“We are excited by the current successes with the Xiris so far, and thanks to the flexibility and portability offered, we have future plans to use it both on-site and off-site, to examine our other thermal spray processes, and (with appropriate wavelength filtering in place) plan to trial the camera with various laser metal deposition processes.”

To learn more about ARC SEAM, visit: arcseam.com.au

About Xiris Welding Cameras While the use of a weld camera to monitor welding processes is not new, the development of a High Dynamic Range weld camera provides far more detail that can be monitored in a welding process than ever before. The Xiris weld camera eliminates pixel saturation that previously masked the weld process details.

The result is a clear definition of the weld arc, melt pool and surrounding material. And with recent innovations such as welding process audio recording, frame triggering and video streaming over the internet, weld cameras are offering an increasingly effective and economical solution for welding productivity improvement.

Weld Australia has partnered with Xiris Automation to bring their weld cameras to Australia. Xiris helps manufacturers detect, recognise, and interpret quality defects in manufactured goods. For further information, contact Michelle Bignold (Corporate Sales Manager, Weld Australia) on m.bignold@weldaustralia.com.au or 0437 106 726.

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FEATURE STORY

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

How Gender Diversity is Essential to Australia’s Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery

IWD 2022 Campaign Theme: #BreakTheBias Imagine a gender equal world.

A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

A world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Together we can forge women’s equality.

Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

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The welding industry doesn’t just want more women; it needs more women to survive.

Held on 8 March, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.

IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.

Weld Australia has taken a proactive stance to promote the opportunities for women in the welding profession. Increasing diversity in the workplace is one of the best ways to alleviate the looming welder skills shortage.

Every effort needs to be made to encourage women to become welders.

Welding has always been maledominated. The trade conjures up images of burly men handling heavy machinery in dark, dirty, spark-filled workshops.

But, with the advent of automation and other advanced welding technologies, this image is becoming more and more antiquated; welding is a far less dangerous, arduous job than ever before. Increasingly, workshops are light, bright and clean.

High-tech equipment manufactures cutting-edge parts for the likes of the aerospace and defence industries.

As the welding industry has evolved, so has the demand for employees.

According to the latest job demand data from the National Skills Commission (released in July 2020) around 30 per cent of recruiting employers are having difficulty filling their vacancies.1 And this is despite relatively low recruitment rates and an increase in the number of job seekers since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents indicated that ‘lack of applicants’ was the most common problem (mentioned by 44 per cent of employers), followed by ‘applicants lack experience’ (27 per cent), and ‘applicants lack technical skills’ (20 per cent).2 This lack of skilled workers is compounded by the fact that over 35 per cent of Australia’s existing welding workforce is aged over 45 years.3 This heavy proportion of older skilled trade workers, particularly welders, puts into focus the looming issues that industrial sectors are likely to face when baby boomers finally reach retirement age—welding positions will simply become impossible to fill, particularly given the projected increased demand.

In fact, the Australian Government has projected that, to 2024, the number of job openings for structural steel and welding trades will be above average.4 In some states, advertised vacancies have shown substantial increases over the last few years; Queensland has seen welding trades workers vacancies increase by 87 per cent5, Western Australia saw vacancies increase by 80 per cent6, and Victoria saw an increase of 18 per cent7.

It is little wonder that welders are expected to be more in demand than ever. There are several large-scale, high-value projects on the horizon, from the Federal Government’s $90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Program, through to major infrastructure projects such as the $12 billion Sydney Metro project, and the $10

billion Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

Add to these the major projects that federal and state governments are fast-tracking in effort to bolster the economy post-COVID-19—like the $10 billion inland rail project, the Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria, and the expansion of Olympic Dam in South Australia—and the demand for welders is galvanised.

And yet, the number of welding trade workers in Australia dropped by 8 per cent in the course of just five years; from 75,800 in 2014 to 69,600 in 2019.8 In addition, completion rates of welding apprenticeships, including a Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade), continue to fall by as much as 23 per cent annually.9 How to Solve the Looming Workforce Crisis So then, what is the solution to this looming workforce crisis?

Increasing diversity in the workplace is possibly the best way to alleviate the looming skills shortage. Every effort needs to be made to encourage women to become welders.

At the moment, women account for less than 1 per cent of Australia’s welding and fabricating workforce.10 This is a staggering statistic. To put this into perspective, on average, women comprise 48 per cent of Australia’s entire workforce.11 Greater participation of women will not only benefit the industrial sectors, it will boost Australia’s economy.

The rise in women’s employment rates since 1974 has improved Australia’s economic activity by 22 per cent, but perhaps more significantly, the personal gains afforded women by boosting their workforce participation have been immense.12 There are many advantages waiting for women who opt for a career in welding. There are significant economic benefits for women in

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FEATURE STORY non-traditional trades, from increased choice and availability of jobs, through to improved job security.

Australia has launched the New South Wales Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program.

In addition, a career in a trade like welding can open up opportunities for women to start and run their own businesses as a pathway to financial security and independence.

Supported by the New South Wales Government, with funding provided through the Department of Education’s Vocational Education and Training Program for Secondary Students, the Program is being rolled out across state schools.

More and more, welding is becoming a high-tech trade. The modern welder must be skilled in robotics, computer programming and engineering. They must have an affinity for maths and science, as well as artistic and spatial skills that enable them to quickly and easily conceptualise ideas.

Plus, they must have the patience and temperament for precise, exacting work. Given all these specialist skills, welders have access to extremely well-paid jobs that offer the flexibility and mobility that modern women— particularly working mothers—need.

Overcoming Barriers to Entry Encouraging the participation of women in male-oriented industries such as construction, manufacturing and welding is long overdue in ending the cycle of employment disparity, gender pay gap, and representation of women in management positions.

To help overcome one of the major barriers to women entering the welding industry—a lack of engagement and information about trades careers at school—Weld

The Program is designed to not only showcase welding, but to demonstrate the possibilities made available by modern, advanced software and systems. It has a complete STEM application, and demonstrates how advanced technology fits into modern manufacturing. Students who participate in the Program have access to augmented reality welding simulators for the first time, allowing them to fast track and maintain their welding skills in a completely safe environment.

Weld Australia is committed to ensuring that Australia develops and maintains a world-class, modern welding workforce. To facilitate this, greater engagement in STEM skills and emerging technologies by our high school students is essential. We need governments across Australia to support and fund school outreach programs that encourage all young people to consider a career in welding.

Encouraging the Participation of Women in Male-Oriented Industries Weld Australia has taken a proactive stance to promote the opportunities for women in the welding profession.

We are proud to host the Women in Welding discussion group, where Australia’s leading female welding professionals regularly come together to focus on addressing the unique issues faced by women in welding.

Weld Australia is participating in a Women Who Weld Program facilitated by the Queensland Manufacturing Institute (QMI). The Program aims to increase gender diversity and participation in manufacturing careers.

It provides the opportunities for female high school students in years 10, 11 and 12 to gain insight into trade skills and career pathways, including local employment opportunities.

Importantly, Weld Australia has also lobbied the Federal Government to set measurable targets to achieve muchneeded improvements in the gender composition of Australia’s trades. A targeted approach should engage and recruit women into all trades. A suite of new initiatives may include new and innovative trade training programs designed specifically for women, which enhances workplace participation and motivation.

References https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/sites/ default/files/2020-06/NSC_a_snapshot_in_time_ report.pdf 2 Ibid.

3 https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/ occupation?occupationCode=3223 4 Ibid.

5 https://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/ other/3223_structweldtrad_qld_0.pdf 6 https://docs.employment.gov.au/ system/files/doc/other/3223-111213_ structuralsteelandweldingtradesworkerswa.pdf 7 https://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/ other/3223111213strucstelweldvic.pdf 8 https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/ occupation?occupationCode=3223 9 https://docs.employment.gov.au/system/files/doc/ other/3223combinedstructlsteelweldnsw.pdf 10 Ibid.

11 https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/ occupation?occupationCode=3223 12 https://www.women.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0003/269184/attachment_lesson_ plan_2_3016_WomenNSW_Girls_in_trades_stats_ web.pdf 1

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Australian Welding

MEET AUSTRALIA’S WOMEN IN WELDING

Carley Attard, Boilermaker and Leading Hand at Nuform Steel Having finished her apprenticeship in 2020 and earned a Certificate III in Engineering at Chisholm Institute, Carley Attard is a Boilermaker and Leading Hand at Nuform Steel Fabrications in Melbourne.

According to Carley, “I think women should consider a career in welding because there are so many options. In my job, we do everything. But you can specialise in aluminum welding, or TIG or MIG, or whatever it is that you enjoy.

There is always another choice.”

“My advice for women considering a career in welding is just give it a go... and tie your hair back! A lot of women think you need to be a big strong guy who can lift heavy things to be a welder. That’s just not the case these days. We have machines that lift for us, and take care of all that manual labour. Also, the guys that you’ll work with will all help you— the industry is pretty accepting these days. A career in welding is definitely not something to shy away from just because you’re female. Look at me: not only am I a boilermaker, I’m the Leading Hand,” said Carley.

Read our interview with Carley.

Bec Cameron, Fabrication Quality Coordinator at Liebherr-Australia Bec Cameron has over 15 years experience working in the welding industry. She kick-started her career as an apprentice, undertaking a Certificate III in Engineering. Since then, she has gained in-depth experience across just about all aspects of welding, from welding supervision and inspection, through to sales and lecturing at TAFE. Bec encourages anyone to get involved in the welding industry. “If you have an interest in welding, like working with your hands, and solving complex problems then there is no reason not to get involved.”

“Often, we are our own limiting factor by assuming we can’t—or shouldn’t— do something because it isn’t considered the norm. There are some amazing opportunities in the welding industry, and many different paths that you can take,” said Bec.

Ellie Smith, Sheet Metal Fabricator and Welder at Mars Food Australia Having finished her apprenticeship in 2020 and earned a Certificate III in Light Metal Fabrication at TAFE NSW, Ellie Smith is a Sheet Metal Fabricator at Mars Food Australia. Last year, Ellie decided to further her skills and is currently working towards a Certificate IV in Engineering Fabrication and attempting a Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) pressure ticket. Ellie was the first female to undertake both courses at TAFE NSW. According to Ellie, “I think women should consider a career in welding as it is a chance to learn a specialised skill, earn good money, and stay physically active. A lot of women have good attention to detail and patience, which is a requirement for this career.”

“It is an incredibly rewarding industry with amazing opportunities to create a fulfilling career for yourself. From my personal experience, the good has always outweighed the bad.”

“The profession offers a sense of accomplishment and a multitude of job opportunities and options for further studies after completing your trade. My advice for women considering a career in welding is be prepared for a challenging but rewarding career. It is awesome to learn a specialised skill and get paid to do so!”

Read our interview with Bec.

Read our interview with Ellie.

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INSIDE WELD AUSTRALIA

AN UPDATE FROM OUR HOTLINE Weld Australia offers a ‘Hotline’ service to all Corporate Members. The purpose of the Hotline is not to provide a solution, but to advise the enquirer on practical next steps. For further advice, Weld Australia’s highly experienced welding consultants can speak to you over the phone or visit your site in person. If you have a Hotline query, complete our online form: www.weldaustralia.com.au/hotline.

Weld Australia recently received an inquiry from a member seeking advice on the traceability requirements from a materials and welding perspective relating to the Standards AS/NZS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials and AS/NZS 5131 Structural steelwork - Fabrication and erection.

Traceability can take many forms and can vary in requirements from minimalist through to complete traceability where the inputs to each and every component in a structure are required.

Generally, traceability is a commercial issue driven by the client’s risk management processes. The client will specify what is required in their contact or specification. Some clients will simply state: “As per AS/NZS ISO 3834.2”, or “As per AS/NZS 5131”, or similar.

If only it was that simple though.

So what is required within these standards?

AS/NZS ISO 3834.2 (and likewise AS/NZS ISO 3834.3) does not directly mandate any particular level of traceability. Rather, it simply identifies a range of common parameters that clients often request and then states that the manufacturer shall have systems in place to manage the traceability requirements listed, should

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these be specified by the client.

It is important to note that it is NOT a requirement of the Standard that the level of traceability indicated in the Standard applies to each and every structure manufactured by the fabricator.

Rather, the traceability requirements only apply on request, and then only to what is specifically requested by the client. From a systems perspective though, the fabricator claiming compliance with AS/NZS ISO 3834 Part 2 or Part 3 must have systems in place to manage the traceability process irrespective of customer requirements.

Contrary to AS/NZS ISO 3834 and its Parts, AS/NZS 5131 in Clause 4.7 defines three specific types of traceability: lot, piecemark, and piece. These three levels of traceability relate primarily to requirements for material identification and the provision of test certificates.

Clause 5.2.1 of AS/NZS 5131 states that material identification in part is covered by traceability as defined in Clause 4.7 and the construction specification, with Clause 5.2.3 then relating requirements for each of these types of traceability to the four construction categories (CC1 to CC4). It is important to note that requirements do vary from that specified for use in Australia to that

specified use in for New Zealand. To further enhance and define traceability, Clause 6.2 of AS/NZS 5131 then defines tracking requirements to support the traceability process. For Australia, the process required is not specified. However, additional requirements apply for New Zealand users, particularly with respect to CC3 and CC4 relating the traceability of welders and weld procedures to specific welds.

This clause does not specify any specific traceability requirements for welders and weld procedures for CC3 and CC4 in Australia, but systems should be in place to manage any requirements should they be specified in the construction specification.

Whilst the requirements of AS/NZS 5131 are relatively clear to this point, it gets messy in Section 7. Clause 7.4.1.2 and 7.4.2 indicate that traceability of welders and weld procedures is required but, unfortunately, does not clarify the linkage with Clause 6.2.

Additional reference to Table 7.4 and Note 5 indicates that traceability relating to welders and weld procedures to specific welds is only required when specified either in the quality plan or construction specification.

It is therefore the opinion of Weld Australia that requirements for traceability of welders and weld procedures to specific welds only applies when specified in Australia. Users should be aware that an official interpretation may be required from Standards Australia to clarify this point should the need arise, or clarification with the client should be sought during the project review of requirements and technical review.

Irrespective of any requirement applying whether specified or not, fabricators compliant with AS/NZS ISO 3834 Part 2 or Parts are required to have procedures in place to manage the traceability process as recommended in AS/NZS 5131 Clause 7.1.1.

This Hotline update covers a specific query encountered during the last few months. Whilst accuracy in welding is critical, it is impossible to report in detail the full circumstances of the query. As such, Weld Australia recommends that further technical advice is sought in relation to specific, individual circumstances.

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INSIDE WELD AUSTRALIA

THE CHANGING FACE OF AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS Australian Standards are living documents. They reflect progresses in science, technology and systems.

To maintain their relevancy, all Standards are periodically reviewed, with amendments and revised editions published. The last few months have seen several developments, including an urgent review into standards related to rubber hoses for welding, cutting and allied processes, and ongoing reviews into standards related to pressure equipment and steel structures.

Pressure Equipment Committee ME-001 has revised AS 1796 Certification of welders and welding supervisors, and public comment on the draft has been resolved. The committee ballot to approve the final draft for publication commenced on 7 March. As previously reported, users have reported a number of issues with the revised AS 3992 Pressure equipment—Welding and brazing qualification (published in June 2020), and an amendment will be required to address the issues raised. The drafting committee has reviewed the issues and submitted the required amendments to Standards Australia for public review.

The revision of AS/NZS 3788

Pressure equipment—In‑service inspection commenced on schedule in October and preparation of the draft for public review is well advanced. Phase 1 of the revision process is due for completion in June and work is currently on schedule.

Welding of Structures The revision of AS/NZS 1554.2 Structural steel welding—Part 2: Stud welding (steel studs to steel) has been completed and the standard was published in December 2021.

A conflict with another Standard has been reported and a minor revision may be required to resolve the issues.

Welding Consumables Committee WD-002 will meet shortly to consider the revision of Australia’s

suite of welding consumable Standards to align with the latest ISO editions. At least 16 Standards will need to be systematically reviewed and outcomes will be dependent on the status of the existing ISO standards particularly of under revision.

ISO Update ISO TC44/SC10 has commenced the revision of the ISO 3834 series of Standards primarily to take cognisance of changes to ISO 9001 and the 2019 edition of ISO 14731.

Parts 1 to 5 inclusive have been published. ISO requested that Part 6 be revised to become an ISO Standard instead or a technical report and work has commenced on this request. TC44/SC10 has also been revising ISO 17660 Welding—Welding of reinforcing steel. This edition is planned to combine the two existing parts into a single document. A DIS ballot has been held and comments are currently under review. The next meeting of TC44/SC10 is scheduled for May. Similarly, ISO TC44/SC11 has commenced the revision of ISO 96061 Qualification testing of welders— Fusion welding—Part 1: Steels with the intention of combining all five parts into the one Standard. This will simplify the ongoing maintenance and review requirements for the standards as Parts 2 to 5 of ISO 9606-1 in need of revision. A ballot on the status of the draft to date has been held and the next meeting of the working group is scheduled for April.

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Australian Welding

International Welding Engineer & Technologist Courses:

YOUR PATHWAY TO CAREER SUCCESS

Weld Australia’s International Welding Engineer (IWE) and Technologist (IWT) courses cover all aspects of welding. You will gain comprehensive knowledge of welding processes, equipment, materials and their behaviour, construction, design, and fabrication and application engineering.

Be In Demand. Expand Your Horizons.

• • • • • •

Boost your earning potential Increase your job stability Be the preferred candidate for large-scale projects Have a qualification recognised around the globe Work on landmark projects Work in fields as diverse as structural steelwork, bridges, pressure vessels, pipelines, storage tanks, offshore structures, shipbuilding and power

Enrol Now for April 2022 Intake Weld Australia’s IWE and IWT courses feature distance learning and face-to-face teaching at the University of Wollongong, supported by a range of innovative, hands-on practical exercises.

Kick-start Your Career 02 8748 0100 | training@weldaustralia.com.au www.weldaustralia.com.au

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INSIDE WELD AUSTRALIA

AN UPDATE FROM THE AWTCs Weld Australia has worked with partners around the country to secure State and Federal Government funding for the establishment of Advanced Welder Training Centres (AWTCs). Using the state-ofthe-art Soldamatic augmented reality welding simulator, the training delivered at the AWTCs quickly qualifies welders to the only industry Standard in the world that is accepted in both Europe and America: ISO 9606-1 Qualification testing of welders – Fusion welding. This Standard is the minimum requirement for working on rolling stock, defence and infrastructure projects, which are crucial to onshore Australian manufacturing and a stronger national economy.

Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program Last year, Weld Australia proposed an Advanced Manufacturing School Outreach Program to the New South Wales (NSW) Government.

The Program received their support, with funding provided through the Department of Education’s Vocational Education and Training Program for Secondary Students.

As a result, in June 2020, 32 augmented reality welding simulators were deployed in a pilot program in 16 schools across the state. The schools ranged from the Wagga Wagga, Lake Illawarra and Dapto high schools in southern New South Wales, to the Gorokan and Kurri Kurri High Schools in the Lower Hunter region.

The first pilot commenced at the beginning of Term 1 in 2021. The simulators were used to teach welding to students in Years 10-12 studying Manufacturing and Engineering, and Industrial Technology. This engaging, exciting learning technology provides a very safe and efficient way to teach students skills in a profession where there is high demand.

Based on the success of the first pilot program, the NSW Department of Education ordered a further 20 simulators for another 10 high schools in regional areas.

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Australian Welding

The first tranche of the program was rolled out in the Bathurst region, including at Kelso High School. The second tranche of training took place in late February at Temora High School. In addition to teachers from Temora, teachers from West Wyalong, James Fallon, Shepherds Park and Junee attended.

Michael Pitt (National Manager Education & Training, Weld Australia) explains how to use a Soldamatic.

The feedback from all the teachers was very positive—play this video to hear from the teachers themselves.

Welder Training Program at Langi Kal Kal Prison in Victoria In December 2021, Guy Brooks (Training Manager, Weld Australia) helped to establish a welder training program at Langi Kal Kal Prison in Trawalla, Victoria. Together with instructors from the Prison and nearby Federation TAFE, Brooks installed and commissioned five Soldamatic augmented reality welding simulators. These Soldamatics are now a permanent feature of the prison’s welder training program.

Brooks also delivered training to the instructors on how to use the Soldamatics to deliver safe, effective, efficient welder training.

Langi Kal Kal Prison will teach welder training programs that touch on ISO 9606.1 Qualification testing of welders — Fusion welding — Part 1: Steels, as well as the routine units of competency taught at nearby Federation TAFE in Ballarat.

Teachers learn how to use the Soldamatics.

Teachers try their hand at the Soldamatics at Temora High School.

PIPELINE REPAIR, HOT TAPPING & IN-SERVICE WELDING COURSE Avoid Shutdowns & Service Interruptions. Realise Economic & Environmental Benefits.

The objective of this course is to provide an in-depth overview of the various aspects of pipeline modification and repair (full encirclement sleeves, hot taps and so on) and to address the concerns associated with welding onto in-service pipelines.

A thorough understanding of the factors that affect welding onto in-service pipelines helps avoid pipeline shutdowns and interruptions of service, thereby bolstering both economic and environmental benefits for operators and welders alike. Plus, repairs can be undertaken efficiently, effectively and with full confidence.

The course will be presented by William (Bill) A. Bruce is Senior Principal Consultant, Welding Technology at DNV. With a career in pipeline welding research and its practical application spanning more than 40 years, Bill’s areas of interest include repair welding, inspection techniques and failure analysis.

Course Details

Sydney Date: Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 April 2022 Venue: West Hotel Curio Collection By Hilton (in the Telopea Room) Address: 65 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm (arrive 15 minutes prior) Adelaide Date: Venue: Address: Time:

Course Overview

The course includes a review and critical analysis of available thermal analysis models, including the original Battelle model, the heat sink capacity method and the PRCI thermal model for Hot Tap Welding.

Course attendees will learn why these models, while useful as planning tools, should not be regarded as ‘magic bullets’ against hydrogen cracking in hot tap welding by utilising comparative examples.

This course will give an unbiased analysis of the best strategies for avoiding burn through and the development of crack susceptible weld microstructures. It will also cover the latest defect assessment methods for pipeline engineers and managers, from simple, quick assessments through to more detailed ‘fitness for purpose’ analysis.

The course will dispel a number of misconceptions that have developed pertaining to operating practices required to safely weld onto an in-service pipeline.

It will demonstrate that the application of industry best practices for pipeline repair, hot tapping and inservice welding can help: • Ensure the safety of workers • Reduce the probability of a shutdown, failure or service interruption • Extend the lifecycle of pipeline systems

Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 May 2022 Stamford Hotel (in the Clare Room) 150 North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 9:00am to 5:00pm (arrive 15 minutes prior)

How to Register

To register for the course, simply contact: Michelle Bignold (National Manager, Sales and Marketing) on 0437 106 726 or m.bignold@weldaustralia.com.au

Register Today

Early Bird Special (ends on 1 April 2022): • Weld Australia Members: $3,410 inc GST • Non Weld Australia Members: $3,718 inc GST Price After 1 April 2022: • Weld Australia Members: $3,610 inc GST • Non Weld Australia Members: $3,918 inc GST

www.weldaustralia.com.au

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membership@weldaustralia.com.au

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(02) 8748 0100

INSIDE WELD AUSTRALIA

TRAINING UPDATE: SKILLING FOR THE FUTURE Training and professional development can have a huge impact on the growth and success of your career or business. But, what training is right for you and your team? With so many options available these days, understanding what type of training will help you achieve your goals is essential. Weld Australia’s Training Manager, Guy Brooks, recently facilitated an interactive online session to help members understand the welder training opportunities available, and pinpoint which ones are right for both individuals and organisation teams.

The Status of Welder Skills and Training in Australia Guy opened with a broad overview of the status of welder skills and training in Australia. According to Guy, “The industry is facing a shortage of labour, from Welding Supervisors and Inspectors, right through to welders. With our international borders closed due to COVID-19, the existing shortage of welders has been exacerbated by the lack of short-term workers and immigrants.”

“Welding trade workers are down by 8%, from 75,800 in 2014 to 69,600 in 2019. Cert III trade completion is also down by up to 23%. This is compounded by a rapidly aging workforce—approximately 30% of

Australia’s existing welding workforce aged over 45 years. In addition, it is difficult for Australian TAFEs to facilitate short courses because of pre-requisite requirements the new training package prerequisites. TAFEs are facing a severe lack of funding, as well as the inability to charge commercially sound prices,” said Guy. The Importance of Upskilling Given the existing skills shortage, the importance of welder training and upskilling cannot be underestimated.

As Guy described, the benefits derived by individuals and companies alike are immense. “Training and upskilling can increase employee satisfaction and retention. I know, from personal experience, that if you

feel like you’re being invested in by your employer, you feel valued as an employee and encouraged to stay.

Employees remain in a company if they feel appreciated,” said Guy. “For companies, the benefits of upskilling their employees include increased productivity and less rework. Companies are able to increase their in-house capabilities that are perhaps contracted out to expensive subbies. This helps to reduce overheads.”

“Most importantly, upskilling can be a key component of achieving and demonstrating certification and compliance to Standards like AS 1554, AS 1200 and AS/NZS ISO 3834,” said Guy.

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The Implications of Doing Nothing “As a great man once said: if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards,” said Guy. “Everyone around—competitors and partners alike—will still be moving forward.”

Certification helps Australian businesses demonstrate their ability to deliver a compliant, quality fusion welded product on time and to budget. As more companies become certified to the standard, those without it will find it harder to win work from local and international suppliers.

“If you’re keen to work with larger companies, on larger jobs, then your company will have to comply with Australian and International Standards. In some instances, your company will need to be certified to even tender on a job,” said Guy. “For instance, the Roads and Maritime Services now specifies compliance to AS/NZS ISO 3834 as a requirement for all steelwork for bridges. Securing contracts in the international rail and defence supply chains also relies on certification.”

How to Identify the Right Type of Training for You Identifying the right welder training requires careful planning and consideration. According to Guy, you need to plan your future. “To pinpoint which type of training is going to be most beneficial for you, or your team, you first need to work out what your goals and objectives are. Then, identify any existing skill gaps that you have, and undertake training to fill those gaps.”

Welder Training Pathways As illustrated in the diagram below, there are three welder training pathways in Australia: 1. International Welding Inspector 2. Responsible Welding Coordinator 3. Welding Supervision

“If you’re a business owner or leader, considering upskilling your team, I’d also suggest considering what jobs you currently contract out. Would it be most productive and cost-effective to undertake these jobs in-house? If so, what additional skills do your team members need?”

Each of these pathways has a distinct set of prerequisites and outcomes.

Weld Australia’s experienced team delivers a wide range of face-to-face, online and blending learning courses in line with these pathways. All our courses are designed to equip you with leading-edge industry skills and knowledge. As an International Institute of Welding (IIW) Authorised National Body (ANB) and an Authorised Training Body (ATB) we are able to provide internationally recognised qualifications.

“It’s also important to know what types of projects you want to tender on. What certifications do those projects require? Do your team members need upskilling to satisfy certification requirements?” said Guy.

If you are considering undertaking welder training and aren’t sure which pathway is the right one for you, or your team, feel free to contact Weld Australia’s training department on training@weldaustralia.com.au.

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INSIDE WELD AUSTRALIA

SANSANKA SINHA’S TENURE AT WELD AUSTRALIA COMES TO A CLOSE Weld Australia regrets to inform all members that, as of early February, Sasanka Sinha’s tender at Weld Australia ended. Sasanka worked for Weld Australia for over 23 years and was our longest serving employee. His loyalty, hard work and enthusiasm were outstanding. The Board and senior management team are very appreciative of his service to Weld Australia, as well as the broader welding industry.

As one of Weld Australia’s Senior Welding Engineers, Sasanka provided welding and engineering solutions to the industry. The scope of his position involved solving design and fabrication issues, cost benefit analysis, weld quality management and personnel qualification for a range of projects.

Sasanka’s professional achievements are exceptional. He was the first Australian to achieve International Welding Engineer (IWE) certification.

With over 45 years of industry experience, Sasanka is an expert in fabrication and welding, particularly in the fields of: ship building, rail and rolling stock, steel plants and equipment, boilers, pressure vessels, construction, roads and

infrastructure, and mines and mining equipment. He is adept in arc physics, failure analysis, and the review and creation of welding procedures and specifications.

Prior to joining Weld Australia in 1998, Sasanka gained over 25 years of welding experience, working with world leading organisations such as Babcock and Wilcox, Marion Dresser, Komatsu and Ti–Fab (USA) in India and Indonesia prior to his arrival in Australia. He has a very successful track record in delivering large-scale projects in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and China.

Sasanka also served on two Standards Australia Committees, including WD-002 Welding Consumables and WD-003 Structural

Welding, and was a Lead Auditor for Company Certification to IIW MCS ISO 3834 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials.

Sasanka holds a Masters in Materials Welding and Joining from the University of Wollongong, as well as a Masters in Production Engineering and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.

Sasanka is a Chartered Professional Engineer of the Institution of Engineers, Australia, and a Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland.

He is also a member of the Indian Institute of Welding, the Institution of Engineers (India), and a life member of Orissa Engineering Congress, India.

He is also a certified NACE Coating Inspector Level 1.

Weld Australia wishes Sasanka well in all his future endeavours.

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ALISTAIR FORBES RETIRES Weld Australia would also like to inform members that Alistair Forbes (Principal Welding Engineer and National Manager Corporate Business) recently retired. Alistair was a dedicated, respected member of the team for over seven years, who worked hard to foster a strong welding industry in Australia. Weld Australia wishes Alistair all the very best of luck in his well-earned retirement.

With more than 30 years’ industry experience, Alistair’s areas of expertise include: welding consumables; industrial chemicals; pressure vessels and equipment; metallurgy; pipelines; aluminium and magnesium; lasers; and arc physics.

Alistair joined Weld Australia in 2017 as the General Manager Engineering, and a Principal Welding Engineer.

Today, he is our National Manager Corporate Business.

Prior to joining Weld Australia, Alistair was a Product Manager at BOC for 15 years, responsible for the management of BOC’s welding consumables and industrial chemicals product portfolio.

Alistair was previously employed at Weld Australia from 1998 to 2003, managing our technical panels,

which included Pressure Vessels and Equipment, Welding Metallurgy, Pipelines, Aluminium and Magnesium, Lasers and Arc Physics. During this time, Alistair identified specific industry sector welding needs with a view to improving competitiveness, developing collaborative solutions, and promoting technology transfer and innovation.

Prior to this, Alistair was a Research and Development Manager at Afrox in South Australia, focused on technical marketing with strong operations involvement and an emphasis on design for manufacture). Alistair commenced his career as a Process Metallurgist at Highveld Steel.

Alistair holds a Masters of Science (Engineering) in Chemistry and Metallurgy and is a qualified International Welding Engineer (IWE).

WELD AUSTRALIA WELCOMES NEW TEAM MEMBERS Over the few months, Weld Australia has welcomed several new team members, including: Jake Adie (Welding Specialist), Charlene Coetzee (Personal Assistant and Office Manager), Andrew Davies (Manager, Technical Information Networks), Tania Martin (Manager, Advanced Welder Training), Brodie Wilson (Education and Training Administration Assistant), and Lily Yao (Accountant). We’d like to extend a warm welcome to everyone—it’s great to have you all on board.

In addition, Michelle Bignold was promoted to National Manager, Sales and Marketing.

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WELD AUSTRALIA’S

MEMBER DIRECTORY Our new Member Directory provides all company members free exposure on our website. Every Corporate, Premium Corporate and Industry Group member can create a listing in the Directory with contact details, a logo, a short description of the business and their services, and industries served.

The following member types are eligible to have a listing in the Member Directory: • Industry Group Members (always displays at top of results, logo listing and Industry Group badge) • Premium Corporate Members (displays above corporate member listings, logo listing and Premium Corporate Badge) • Corporate Members (standard logo listing)

HOW TO SET UP YOUR MEMBER DIRECTORY LISTING You can create your listing from within your Weld Australia profile. Just log in and select ‘My Business Listing’ from the dropdown menu under your name.

Click on ‘Create’, fill in your company’s details, then hit submit. It’s as easy as that! Listings are approved by Weld Australia prior to going live, so there may be a delay between you submitting a listing and it appearing in the directory.

Visit the Member Directory 54

Australian Welding

ENROL IN A FUSION WELDING COURSE TODAY Enrol in a fusion welding course through any Advanced Welder Training Centre below.

ACT Canberra Institute of Technology cit.edu.au 81 Mildura Street, Fyshwick

There are two fusion welding courses that adhere to ISO 9606 Qualification test of welders on Training.gov.au. This is the authoritative source of nationally recognised training and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). These two courses were developed in Victoria in 2018 and use augmented reality welding simulators as a key component of the training.

TRANSITION WORKERS To be awarded a certificate for the Course in Fusion Welding to AS/NZS ISO 9606 for Transition Workers, you must successfully complete seven units of competency (four core and three elective). Core units: • Simulate fusion welding processes using augmented reality equipment • Identify welding processes, safe welding practices and use of hand and power tools • Interpret and apply AS/NZS ISO 9606 for fusion welding processes • Perform fusion welding procedures to meet the procedures of ISO 96061 (Steels – carbon steels) EXPERIENCED WELDERS To be awarded a Statement of Attainment for the Course in Fusion Welding to AS/NZS ISO 9606 for Experienced Welders, you must successfully complete three units of competency (one core and two elective). The core unit is: Interpret and apply AS/NZS ISO 9606 for fusion welding processes.

FURTHER INFORMATION For further information, contact: training@weldaustralia.com.au

Queensland TAFE Queensland tafeqld.edu.au • Cairns Campus: Gatton, Newton, Eureka and, Wilkinson Streets, Manunda • Townsville (Trade Centre Bohle) Campus: 763 Ingham Road, Bohle • Toowoomba Campus: 100 Bridge Street, Toowoomba City • Ashmore Campus: Benowa Road & Heeb Street, Ashmore • Nambour Campus: 91 Windsor Road, Burnside • Bundaberg Campus: 118 Walker Street, Bundaberg West South Australia TAFE SA Regency Campus tafesa.edu.au 137 Days Road, Regency Park, South Australia Tasmania Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council tasminerals.com.au 13 Wellington Street, Burnie Victoria Box Hill Institute boxhill.edu.au 465 Elgar Road, Box Hill, Melbourne Bendigo TAFE bendigotafe.edu.au 23 Mundy Street, Bendigo Federation University federation.edu.au Lydiard Street South, Ballarat

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Securing the Future of

Australia’s Welding Industry

weldaustralia.com.au | office@weldaustralia.com.au | +61 2 8748 0100 56

Australian Welding