November 2010

The SAIW ended 2010 celebrating the success of its training endeavours. The presentation dinner for graduate inspectors and welding supervisors was held late in September, followed by a very successful Young Welder of the Year competition, that according to Etienne Nell of the SAIW witnessed the highest quality of welding in the history of the competition. The winner was again a graduate of the East Midlands College Campus, an SAIW and IIW approved training centre.

We report on the first part of a presentation by Henk Bodt on the European (EN) directive for pressure equipment, ie, the PED, while Jim Guild answers some of the many questions that have arisen about South Africa's new Pressure Equipment Regulation, (PER). Many of the PER's requirements are different - all pressure equipment above category 1, for example, now has to be inspected by an authorised national body for in-service inspection (AIA-IS). New training requirements to become a competent person also come into effect at the beginning of 2011.

The featured company profile is Turnmill Proquip Engineering, fabrication specialists in the medium to heavy range, while the cover features ProMax Welding Consumables, a company that has grown from strength to strength since it began manufacturing electrodes in SA in 2002.

Also published in this issue is the Houdremont Lecture, delivered by Mustafa Koçak as the opening address of the 63rd Annual Assembly & International Conference of the International Institute of Welding. Entitled ‘Structural Integrity of welded structures: the 3P relationship'. The paper deals with the relationship between welding processes, properties and the performance (3P) in order to maintain structural integrity for the whole service life of welded products.

Johan Pieterse summarises the key features and capabilities of the Lindoflamm process, an acetylene-based flame solution for pre-heating, straightening and heat treatment processes; we report on the opening of WA Integra's new facility in Benoni and talk to Johan van Niekerk, the company's South African MD and Richard Baker, WAG Integra's international manager about the reasons for the move and the wear solutions offered; we talk to Afrox's Dhevan Moodley, business manager for welding equipment, Shaun Christian, product manager for arc equipment and Patrick Kazadi, product manager for carbon steel consumables about their company's broadened focus; and our back page features Esab's new copperless wire and the associated wire surface technology.

We hope you enjoy the read and we look forward to another year of excitement in the welding industry. Happy holidays.

Peter Middleton

Regular Features