The Welding Institute upcoming events

Eastern Counties Branch Annual Dinner (12 Sep 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 18:00:00 GMT

The Welding Institute Eastern Counties Branch invites you to their Annual Dinner:

The annual dinner will take place on Saturday 12 September 2026 arrival 7pm for 7.30pm at The Jockey Club Rooms, Newmarket.

With an after dinner presentation by:

Tracey Harding, CEO of Discover Newmarket, who will talk on Horse Racing at Newmarket.

Spouses, partners, family members, and invited guests of Branch Members are all very welcome.

Please see poster below/attached for futher details:

Download event poster here:

Southern Counties Branch September Technical Presentation on the Advancements of Pipe Working Technologies (in-person only) (17 Sep 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The Welding Institute Southern Counties Branch invite you to their September Technical Presentation:

The presentation will take place on 17 Spetember 2026 at 7pm at 26 Solent Industrial Estate, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire. SO30 2FY.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT ONLY

Presentation Overview:

The facility will be set up with a wide range of poipe welding and working equipment on the day, there will also be a live demonstration as part of the presentation.

This event will provide attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in the tube and pipe working related industries. There will be three presentations, supported by live demonstrations outlining how quality and productivity can be improved.

In addition to the three main presentations, there will be the opportunity to see live demonstration of Kemppi’s WiseRoot open are welding technology and the PPM range of purging products.

Meet the speaker:

Steve Purnell from Rapid Welding, Cosham, Hampshire.

Presentations and Demonstrations by:

Maxime Leycure - AxxAir Orbital Welding & Cutting

Paul Burden - TAG Pipe Preparation Equipment

Jonathan Bramall - WeldingDroid TIG Spooling System

Benefits from attending the event:

Attend in-person For a friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (come along even if you don’t know anyone.)
Meet local peers and make useful connections wherever you join from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now.
Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions taken from the room. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
Get involved at your own pace. Attend in-person to see what events and branches are like, and then you can help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.

North Scottish Branch and ICorr In-person Technical Presentation (29 Sep 2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:30:00 GMT

The Welding Institute North Scottish Branch and ICorr In-person Technical Presentation: Laser Additive Manufacturing - Coatings, Repair, and Net-Shape Manufacture.

This technical presentation is a joint in-person event between the Welding Institute North Scottish Branch and The Institute of Corrosion.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT ONLY

What will the event cover?

Laser additive manufacturing (AM), specifically Laser-Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) and Extreme High-Speed Laser Application (EHLA), are advanced manufacturing techniques that can be used for a range of different applications. Traditional L-DED uses powder or wire to build up a part layer-by-layer allowing the fabrication of near-net shape parts. EHLA is a variation on the powder-based L-DED process, where the laser beam and powder are focused just above the surface of the substrate instead of on the substrate surface reducing the size of the melt pool. Not only does this allow for much greater processing speeds (100+ m/min for some applications), but it also reduces the heat affected zone (HAZ) and produces coatings that are much thinner than traditional laser cladding (~0.2mm).

Meanwhile, the use of wire feedstock is situated as critical to the AM process. PPL™ (Precision Power Laser™) uses an arc-free hot-wire laser process with standard MIG consumables, offering high deposition rates, good dilution control and greater material efficiency than powder processes. This may make PPL attractive for larger repairs, joining and manufacture of thermal-management components for data centres, although wire delivery can provide less geometric freedom than coaxial powder DED. Together, these technologies are powerful tools for use across sectors, providing their own benefits and use cases for both manufacture and repair.

What will you learn?

This presentation will provide an overview of the L-DED, PPL and EHLA technologies and their role in advanced manufacturing. It will discuss how AM has evolved and how it can help shape sustainable manufacturing through reduced material usage and the ability to repair high-value and resource intensive parts. The presentation will provide a detailed summary of each technology including how they work, material feedstock used, and key design and deposition considerations. The session will highlight key advantages of each process such a high mechanical performance, low distortion and the ability to process a range of different materials for different applications, including hard facing options for corrosion and wear resistance.

Within the session, a selection of case studies of work undertaken at TWI will be presented demonstrating applications across energy, aerospace, automotive and beyond. This will include the key findings from the COMPASS project – a Horizon Europe project which aimed to develop improved and innovative drilling technologies for geothermal energy. Within this project, TWI investigated EHLA for internal bore cladding of corrosion resistant alloys (CRAs) on geothermal pipes with a view to reducing the costs and environmental load of using monolithic CRAs at large scale.

Our industry expert:

Dr. Emma Woods, Senior Engineer - Laser Additive Manufacture, TWI Ltd

Meet the speaker:

Since joining TWI, Emma has worked on a range of different projects including processing of refractory metals by laser-directed energy deposition and the use of EHLA for dimensional repair and hard coatings. Her PhD specialised in the manufacture and simulation of metamaterial lenses fabricated by two-photon polymerisation, and included a Masters year covering all AM processes, giving her a deep technical understanding of AM design and processing. In addition to her PhD, Emma holds an MSci in Physics. Her career includes a mix of engineering and project management roles across industries including software, clinical trials, and defence.

Benefits from attending the event:

Attend in-person For a friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (come along even if you don’t know anyone.)
Meet local peers and make useful connections wherever you join from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now.
Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions taken from the room. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
Get involved at your own pace. Attend in-person to see what events and branches are like, and then you can help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.

Northumbria Branch In-person Event: Site Visit to YASKAWA UK HQ (29 Sep 2026)

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The Welding Institute Northumbria Branch invite you to their next in-person event:

September's event is a site visit to YASKAWA UK HQ in Washington.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS AN IN-PERSON EVENT ONLY

What will the event cover?

This visit will encompass a technical presentation on YASKAWA robotics and applications, followed by a tour of the facilities and demonstration of robotic equipment (welding and material handling).

Our industry expert:

Callum Hermiston: Business Development Manager

Meet the speaker:

With over 11 years experience in the welding industry, Callum has developed a strong background in welding technology, applications, and industry development. During his 11 years at EWM, he gained extensive experience and in-depth knowledge across the welding sector. He is now a Business Development Manager at YASKAWA, where he focuses on developing new opportunities and supporting the adoption of robotic automated solutions across industry. His experience in both welding and automation gives him a practical understanding of the challenges faced by modern manufacturing, as well as the opportunities robotics and automation can provide to improve productivity, quality, and efficiency.

Benefits from attending the event:

Attend in-person A friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (join even if you don’t know anyone.)
Meet peers and make useful connections wherever you are from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now. Accessible to all members.
Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions on the day. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
Get involved at your own pace. Attend in-person, and help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.

Annual Members' Day 2026 - Building Tomorrow's Capability: Supporting The Industrial Strategy (13 Oct 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Our members are warmly invited to join us at our TWI Cambridge Headquarters on Tuesday 13^th October for our Annual Members' Day!

When: 08:45am - 16:30pm

Location: TWI, Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6AL - Directions and travel information can be found here

Event overview...

Annual Members' Day 2026 will bring together professional and industrial members, employers, educators, technology providers, policymakers and industry leaders to explore the future capabilities needed to support the UK's industrial ambitions. As manufacturing, energy, defence and infrastructure sectors evolve, success will depend not only on technology and investment, but on developing a highly skilled, adaptable and resilient welding and joining workforce.

What to expect...

The morning programme will examine the capabilities the UK will need to remain competitive in an increasingly complex global environment. Speakers from industry, government, education and technology will share perspectives on workforce development, automation, technical education and the role of collaboration in strengthening national capability. Discussions will consider how welding professionals, supervisors, inspectors, engineers, researchers and training providers all contribute to building the skills ecosystem required to support future growth.

Rather than focusing solely on workforce shortages, the event will explore practical opportunities to enhance capability across the profession. Topics will include creating stronger pathways into industry, aligning education with employer needs, increasing participation in technical careers, embracing new technologies and ensuring individuals can develop and progress throughout their working lives.

In the afternoon, attendees will take part in interactive workshops designed to identify practical actions that can strengthen the sector's future workforce. Discussions will focus on broadening access to welding and engineering careers, improving education-to-employment pathways and supporting the development and retention of skilled professionals. Each workshop will generate tangible recommendations and establish working groups that will continue to develop and implement ideas over the following 12 months.

The day will conclude with a celebration of professional achievement and contribution across the welding and joining community, recognising the people whose expertise, commitment and leadership continue to strengthen standards, capability and confidence throughout the sector. Together, the event will provide a platform for shaping how industry, education and professional institutions can work collectively to build the workforce and capabilities needed for the future.

Highlights from our 2025 Annual Members' Day

Our 2025 Annual Members’ Day set a new benchmark for community, insight, and collaboration. More than 100 members joined us at our Cambridge headquarters for a day packed with innovation and connection.

With 13 industry experts delivering thought provoking presentations and leading hands‑on collaborative workshops, the event offered exceptional value for all who attended.

We were thrilled to receive 100% good or excellent feedback, and members told us the day made them feel more connected to our community.

We can’t wait to welcome our members back in 2026 for another day of learning, collaboration, and connection.

Watch our 2025 Annual Members' Day Highlight Reel

Keep an eye on our social media for exciting speaker reveals and programme updates…

Teesside Branch Online Presentation: Friction Welding - From Process Understanding to Application (19 Oct 2026)

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

The Teesside Branch invite you to their October online technical presentation: Friction Welding - From Process Understanding to Application

What will the event cover:

This presentation provides an overview of friction welding and its growing role in modern manufacturing. It begins with a summary of the primary friction welding processes - linear, rotary and friction stir welding - along with an explanation of how controlled frictional heat and forging pressure create solid-state joints without melting. The session highlights the key advantages of these processes, including low distortion, excellent mechanical performance, high repeatability and the ability to join dissimilar or hard-to-weld alloys. Attention is given to material behaviour and microstructural evolution, showing how solid-state bonding produces refined, defect-free weld zones with predictable properties. The presentation concludes with industrial applications across aerospace, automotive, rail, heavy engineering and energy, demonstrating how friction welding delivers reliable, high-integrity joints for demanding components.

Our industry expert:

Anthony McAndrew CEng MWeldI

Meet the speaker:

Anthony McAndrew is Business Development Lead at KUKA Systems UK Ltd, specialising in advanced welding solutions. With more than a decade of hands‑on experience in friction welding, he has worked extensively across all primary processes - Rotary Friction Welding (RFW), Linear Friction Welding (LFW) and Friction Stir Welding (FSW). His technical background is rooted in deep process understanding, having completed a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering focused on linear friction welding of Ti‑6Al‑4V. His research combined physical experimentation with numerical simulation to investigate how processing parameters influence interfacial material flow and weld quality in titanium alloy LFW joints.

Alongside his PhD, Anthony holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and is a Chartered Engineer with The Welding Institute. His career includes senior roles at Cranfield University, TWI Ltd and the Manufacturing Technology Centre. He has supervised 12 postgraduate researchers and authored 24 publications with more than 1,100 citations. Today, he bridges research and industry to help manufacturers adopt high‑value joining technologies that enhance resilience, performance and efficiency.

Benefits from attending the event:

Join online A friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (join even if you don’t know anyone.)
Meet peers virtually and make useful connections wherever you join from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now. Accessible to all members.
Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions taken from the online chat. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
Get involved at your own pace. Attend online, and help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.

Northumbria Branch Online Presentation: Professional Membership and Engineering Council Registration through The Welding Institute (11 Nov 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 18:30:00 GMT

The Northumbria Branch invite you to their November online presentation: Professional Membership and Engineering Council Registration through The Welding Institute

What will the event cover:

This technical presentation will introduce all membership grades of The Welding Institute (AWeldI, TechWeldI, MWeldI, and FWeldI) and the pathway to progress through these. We will also cover Engineering Council Registration Grades (EngTech, IEng, and CEng) and other international grades (EUR ING, IntPE) which can be achieved through The Welding Institute.

Our industry expert:

Georgia C Griffiths MEng(Open) IEng MIET MWES AWeldI

Meet the speaker:

Georgia is an electronics engineer by background, having spent 26 years in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers starting off on the workshop floor repairing Surface-to-air missile systems, but quickly working her way through promotion and management courses. This led to managing her own workshop on a number of occasions including high intensity operations abroad. During this time Georgia completed a HND in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, following by an BEng (Hons) and MEng with the Open University and successfully gaining IEng registration with The Institution Engineering and Technology. Once successfully registered, she then started volunteering for The IET conducting Professional Review Interviews. Upon leaving the Army, Georgia carried out a number of roles for the NHS, but when an opportunity arose to work for The IET she jumped at the chance and worked as the Senior Registration and Standards Advisor in the Registrations Team for 4 years. This then led nicely into her current role as the Volunteer and Engagement Advisor with The Welding Institute.

Benefits from attending the event:

Join online A friendly, low-pressure way to see what the branch is like (join even if you don’t know anyone.)
Meet peers virtually and make useful connections wherever you join from. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space for new voices and first-time attendees.
Practical takeaways you can use straight away, shared by people working in the industry right now. Accessible to all members.
Interactive discussion and Q&A with questions taken from the online chat. Bring your real questions and get honest, helpful answers.
Get involved at your own pace. Attend online, and help shape what the branch does next.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD):

The Welding Institute awards points towards CPD for delegates attending this webinar. Every hour attendance of an event will earn 2 points towards your continuing professional development.