The First Welded Pressure Vessel?

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Welding Institute, we spoke with some of our Professional Members about their career memories, uncovering some interesting stories that we want to share with you as part of our centenary celebrations.

We received a message from long-standing friend and Member of the Institute, Fellow CEng Alan Gifford, who went on to tell us the story of what could be the world’s first-ever welded pressure vessel - as well as kindly donating a unique replica of this piece of engineering history to The Welding Institute...

The Welding Institute and ‘Operation PLUTO’

Recent research into The Welding Institute has unearthed some previously unidentified, yet interesting connections between the D-Day landings, the Institute, and the start of what became the entire modern offshore oil and gas industry...

 

NDT, The Welding Institute and TWI

Although TWI Ltd and The Welding Institute are separate entities, there remains a level of cross-over between the two organisations, as demonstrated by Fellow CEng Alan Gifford, who related the story of how he, as a Professional Member, was influential in bringing non-destructive testing needs to the attention of TWI Ltd...

One Hundred Years of Professional Engineering Support

Over our 100 year history, The Welding Institute has evolved from a small institution uniting 20 acetylene welders with electric arc welding engineers to now being the leading engineering institution supporting welding and joining professionals.

A landmark in our history was our appointment as a Professional Engineering Institution, licenced by the Engineering Council. We wanted to take this opportunity to explore our unique relationship with the Engineering Council and, additionally, the importance of this milestone...

Revisiting a Small Part of The Welding Institute’s History

As part of the 100 years anniversary celebrations, we are revisiting parts of our century long history – including an artefact from the early days of the Institute!

71 years ago, in 1952, former wartime Minister for Food, Lord Woolton opened a new Fatigue Testing Laboratory at TWI’s Abington site...

Case Study: EUR ING Charles Schneider MA CEng FInstNDT MWeldI

In celebration of The Welding Institute’s 100 year anniversary, we interviewed TWI Technology Fellow Eur Ing Charles Schneider MA CEng FInstNDT MWeldI to find out more about his appointment as a TWI Technology Fellow, in 2015, and how his Membership, since 2007, with The Welding Institute has supported his career...

Case Study: Vipin George IEng FCMI CMgr CMSS CQA

Mr Vipin George IEng, FCMI, CMgr, CMSS, CQA has achieved a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and has 22 years of experience in oil and gas upstream and EPC.

Currently as a ‘Solopreneur’ with his SME, ‘VGQAE FZE’ in the UAE, he has a contract with the API (American Petroleum Institute, USA) for “Consulting Services for Auditing for APIQR/Monogram Programs.”

Case Study: Martin Boyd BEng EWE IWE CEng MWeldI

Martin Boyd BEng EWE IWE CEng MWeldI studied Materials Engineering with a Diploma in Industrial Studies at Loughborough University and currently works at Rolls-Royce plc as a welding engineer.

His current job responsibilities include covering procedure qualifications, welder qualifications, supply chain support and new product introduction across a broad range of welding processes...

100 Years of Past Presidents

Over the last century, The Welding Institute has welcomed over 55 presidents. As well-respected experts within their respective fields, the honorary role of president, involves developing and expanding the influence of The Welding Institute...

Case Study: Miguel Da Fonseca EngTech TechWeldI

Miguel Da Fonseca EngTech TechWeldI currently works as a Quality Control Manager in mining in South Africa. He has achieved his International Welding Technologist (IWT) - International Institute of Welding (IIW) Diploma through the South African Institute of Welding (SAIW). In addition, Miguel has gained a Level 1 ‘Fabrication and Welding Inspector’ Qualification and National Diploma in Engineering Studies, whilst also being a qualified electrician who passed with Honours.

Having joined The Welding Institute in 2016, we asked Miguel about his journey through engineering, what it has entailed and additionally, how being EngTech registered with the Engineering Council has supported him in his career...

The Inaugural Meeting of The Institution of Welding Engineers

This year marks The Welding Institute’s centenary but the origins actually lead back to an inaugural meeting held in 1922. On the 26 January 2022, 20 men met together at the Holborn Restaurant in London to converse on the establishment of a new welding society.

This meeting, which was organised by Mr Charles Raggett, saw 16 of the men sign the Memorandum of Association, of whom just seven described themselves as ‘engineers.’ The other nine signatories were mainly drawn from commercial management staff of welding supply manufacturers and merchants – although one was certainly an M.I. Mech.E...

Case Study: EUR ING Neil F Bennett CEng MSc SenMWeldI

Currently the Head of Welding Engineering at Altrad Babcock Ltd, EUR ING Neil F Bennett CEng MSc SenMWeldI achieved his MSc in Welding Engineering from Cranfield University and has also gained the TWI Welding Engineering Diploma from TWI Training Examination Services.

Neil gives us an insight into the technical day-to-day responsibilities of working in engineering as well as his journey of becoming professionally registered as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) with the Engineering Council and a Member of The Welding Institute...

TWI Training and The Welding Institute

There was a vast demand for welding design and construction courses and therefore The Institute of Welding, currently The Welding Institute, established a School of Welding Technology.

This first course, held in 1957 on the welding of pressure vessels, took place near the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. This course can be seen as a precursor to today’s TWI Training with the popularity of the course led to 100 people applying for its 40 places and quickly leading to more courses being organised until, by the early 1960s, the school had hosted more than 300 visiting lecturers...

Case Study: Amit Jain EngTech TechWeldI

Amit Jain is a Lead Asset Integrity Engineer working at SABIC, KSA with a Masters in Welding Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, Rajasthan University, India.

He joined The Welding Institute in 2010 and shares with us his experiences through engineering as well as his thoughts on being professionally registered and becoming TechWeldI...

The History and Importance of Professional Registration

With this year marking 100 years of The Welding Institute supporting welding and joining professionals, we explored the impact of professional registration for your career.

In 1996, the Institute was granted licence from the Engineering Council to assess candidates for inclusion on the national register of professional engineers and technicians, allowing them to use the professional titles of Engineering Technician (EngTech), Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and Chartered Engineer (CEng)...

Case Study: John Batey FWeldI

John Batey FWeldI has accomplished many accolades including passing multiple Institute of Welding Membership Examinations in 1966 to 1967. As well as going onto achieving multiple first class passes.

He qualified as a CSWIP 3.2.2 Welding Inspector and was awarded diplomas as a European Welding Technologist and a European Welding Inspection Specialist in both May and September 2000 respectively.

John discusses why he chose engineering, his extensive welding experience as being one of our longest serving Members and his advice to his younger self-beginning his career...

Our Founding Members – The Welding Institute

With our recent explorations of the origins of The Welding Institute delving into the inaugural meeting and our past Presidents, we wanted to take the opportunity to outline and recognise our founding Members and the pivotal roles they played in the first decade of the Institute’s journey.

Unearthing our first ever annual report from 1924 allows us to learn a bit more about how we came to be and those responsible within those early and crucial years. The first annual report outlines the following founding Members:

Case Study: Tony Hutchings SenMWeldI

Tony Hutchings is one of our longest serving Members, having joined in 1963. He talks us through being a Member, why he chose a career in engineering, and what have been his experiences thus far working in the industry.

Case Study: Aaron Kirkbride BEng MSc IWE/EWE CEng, CQP, MWeldI, MCQI

Aaron Kirkbride is one of our volunteer Members, having become a Member in 2013 he talks us through his career in engineering, becoming Professionally Registered as well as his experiences of volunteering with us!

Case Study: Annette Karstensen CEng FWeldI

Dr Annette Karstensen is a Fracture Mechanics and FFS Specialist at Becht with an MSc in Engineering from Aalborg University in Denmark and a PhD in Fracture Mechanics from Glasgow University.

Dr Karstensen talks us through how she came to be interested in engineering from a young age to travelling globally, as well as her advice to her younger self when she was beginning her career in engineering.

Case Study: Sophie Dawson EngTech TechWeldI

Sophie Dawson EngTech TechWeldI is currently a Nuclear Welding Inspector (Project Inspector) at Sellafield Ltd, having achieved her GCSEs; she chose to pursue a NWIT apprenticeship involving gaining her current HNC and CSWIP qualifications.

She talks us through her career in engineering, how she has benefitted from her current Membership and her thoughts on being an apprentice.

Professional Profile: EUR ING John Kell MBE CEng FWeldI

With our hundredth anniversary being this year, we have been in conversation with some of our Professional Members to learn about their engineering careers and their fond memories of The Welding Institute and TWI Ltd.

In and amongst these we have spoken to EUR ING John Kell MBE CEng FWeldI. With his personal ties to TWI and The Welding Institute that are traced back to when he was a young child, he recounted how he spent time living in our very own Abington Hall at just four years old to working with The Institute now!

The Finniston Report - The Welding Institute

The Finniston Report (also known as ‘The Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Engineering Profession’ or by its title, ‘Engineering Our Future’) nearly changed how the engineering profession operated in the UK with regards to professional institutions.

Commissioned in 1979 by the then Labour government’s Department of Trade and Industry, the report was a reaction to the dissatisfaction felt by the engineering industry to the Council of Engineering Institutions (CEI).

Case Study: Ibrahim Nuruddin Katsina CEng SenWeldI

Ibrahim Nuruddin Katsina CEng SenMWeldI is currently a deputy manager of mechanical piping and pipelines at (NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company) NGIC, NNPC Ltd.

With a undergraduate degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at AB Zaria in Nigeria, he then went on to achieve his Masters at Cranfield University in Welding Engineering, leading him to pursue and attain a PhD, specialising in oil and gas pipeline welding and infrastructure from Cranfield University.

Case Study: Professor William Lucas FWeldI CEng

Professor William Lucas has an extensive background in welding and metallurgy – achieving his PhD and DSc from the Queen’s University of Belfast in 1967-70 and 1987 respectively. He took some time to speak to The Welding Institute as part of our centenary celebrations about his career and experience with The Institute…

Can you start by telling us about how you got involved in engineering, joining The Welding Institute and working at TWI?

'I left school at the age of 16 to work at Leyland Motors, Leyland which was a major manufacturer of heavy trucks and buses. It was as an apprentice Metallurgist working in the foundry that I gained my first experience of casting and welding of metals.'