News

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.

About You

When did you join The Welding Institute?

Originally, back in 1984/5 as an Associate Member. I have been a Senior Member for the last 11 years.

Please describe your current job role and responsibilities/a typical day in your role:

As Head of Welding Engineering, I have a small team of Senior Welding Engineers, a Senior Technician, a Welding Technologist and Welding Technicians/Instructors. We look after global Altrad operational welding governance, ensuring that it meets our accreditation to ISO 3834-2, and provide support on welding related issues.

Each day is usually different from the previous. We can be performing routine technical quality schedule reviews, contract technical reviews, consumable certification checks, or conducting/writing up PQRs/new WPSs. On the other hand, things can go right out of the window when emergent work lands during a plant outage, which may entail a complete rearrangement of the team’s workload distribution. Whilst we have new-build sites under construction, there are over a dozen currently in outage/TAR in the UK alone. We also operate in the Far East and Middle East where we are currently working offshore and on a new nuclear plant. The welding requirements are varied and that is what makes the role so interesting. We also must adapt to the time differences as well as the different work patterns to those in the UK.

Intro to you and your career in engineering

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

I could say a lack of imagination! My dad was a manager at a major UK power station boiler OEM and worked through the heyday of that industry under nationalisation. The overall impression I got from his work was that it rewarded well, he seemed to like it and there were a few companies in my hometown of Derby supporting that industry, so I applied for an apprenticeship at a few of them. That was after I found out that my eyesight was not quite good enough to become a pilot!

I started off in power generation, followed by stints in railway, oil and gas, automotive, automation, aerospace, and then back into power generation, although Altrad Babcock operate in more than power generation these days.

What is one of your biggest career highlights or achievements that you’re most proud of?

There are a few, but one that is most prominent was the repair development of a couple of water tanks that each held 1.8m litres. The tanks were to be live at the time of repair, so the development had to be very thorough. Mock-ups were fabricated to simulate the repair scenario using various welding processes and methods of minimising the internal temperature to protect the rubber lining of the tanks. Ultimately, there was really no way of knowing that, if breached, the tanks would just gush or unzip and create a tsunami! The live repairs were monitored from inside using a remote vehicle (RV). Fortunately, the only thing that got wet was the RV!

Also, I can’t miss the opportunity to mention the first time I ran a robot cell at full speed that I had programmed – big boys’ toys those are!

What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career and how did you overcome this?

The company I work for has always had a system of checking the levels of welding fume generated by our site activities, but the change in weld fume classification by the HSE in 2018 caused us to reconsider whether our processes were sufficiently robust to determine the exposure levels. One of my colleagues and I set about reviewing the factors affecting weld fume production, content and concentration, namely differing materials, welding processes and environments, to present a simple-as-possible system of analysing the exposure risk with each combination of factors. We had hardly had time to complete the real world testing of this revised system when we received an unannounced visit from an HSE inspector. We were pleased that the inspector went away happy having only made one minor comment.

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

The Welding Institute is recognised as a leading organisation in the field of welding, and so it made sense to become affiliated with others in the industries in which welding plays a major part. The range of seminars offered have been relevant to the industry sectors in which I have worked and cover interesting areas that are not part of those sectors.

Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute

Initially, I became an Associate Member when I took the TWI Welding Engineering diploma in the late 1980s. From then, as my experience increased, along with my responsibilities at work where I progressed from Technician to Welding Engineer, I became eligible to gain Member status. As my career had further progressed through to Senior Engineer in 2012, when I also gained my engineering chartership, Senior Member status was also granted to me. This step was undoubtedly assisted by attaining an MSc in Welding Engineering at Cranfield University and becoming Welding Services Manager (now Head of Welding Engineering) at Altrad Babcock.

Professional Membership and Registration: CEng

When and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

The “when” part was just after I had gained my MSc. With the standing that CEng has within engineering, it made sense to have that association and to be recognised as having satisfied the requirements of that level. Chartership is a well-respected level of recognition of achievement within engineering which has brought me satisfaction from the work choices I have made to opportunities that have arisen in my career.

How has Professional Registration as CEng supported you in your career?

There is nothing exact that I can put my finger on, which may be because I have not changed company during this period of personal development. It will certainly not have harmed my internal standing as Technical Authority, Category Lead on operational site welding and RWC for ISO 3834-2.

What was the most difficult aspect of becoming registered as CEng and how did you overcome it?

Nothing springs to mind as being difficult. The professional review was enjoyable, despite my prior misgivings of what it may be like. This was partly due to the interviewers, who I will not embarrass here, but who will know who they were if they remember that far back! Thanks to them for making it an enjoyable couple of hours and the favourable outcome.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of becoming CEng?

The personal satisfaction of knowing you have reached that respected level within your profession.

Current Membership

What are your core involvements with The Welding Institute, what do they entail and why do you undertake them?

Currently, apart from attending seminars/webinars, my main interactions are at Branch level where I attend local evening meetings. Previously I have mentored a candidate successfully through to CEng achievement and would consider doing so again should the opportunity arise.

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

As department head, it must be to leave it in a better place than I inherited it. That will be hard because it had very capable tillermen prior to my tenure. Operating methods are different, mainly due to technological advances in communication, data management, and remote systems access and software applications. However, one constant is the need to provide concise, technically accurate and timely support for those at the coalface of our operations.

I am starting to get used to thinking about my fast approaching retirement and how to handle that. This year will be my 40^th year in the welding industry across different sectors with a total of twenty-nine in power generation; some things have changed, others have not – site welding on power station outages, process plant turnarounds, etc. are still mainly carried out using manual processes.

There are other processes out there that could replace these in part and I would like the opportunity to take them further. Whether that comes to fruition remains largely in the hands of R&D purse-string holders. I am happy to keep in a technical role; the next logical step-up would probably be to director level, but I prefer to remain in the technicalities of engineering. I would also wish to remain sitting on the BSI (British Standards Institution) Committee. It is an interesting role, provoking passionate discussions and varied opinions that put different lights on the way weld and welder qualification standards are used and interpreted.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute and why?

Definitely. The benefits that this opens up are valuable along with the networking opportunities at seminars, etc. Branch events usually have interesting topics, which do not necessarily have to be within an individual’s immediate work sphere. Membership also provides a structure for personal and career development.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self-beginning your career in engineering?

That it’s going to turn out alright! In saying that, I am not inferring that I had major misgivings or any lack of confidence in my early career. I left my first company, having progressed from Apprentice to Welding Engineer due to some excellent mentoring. I tried a few other industry sectors without a clear plan (thanks to redundancy) with the aims of not wanting to take a step backwards from an engineer level. The planning came a bit later in my career, which led to an MSc and step-ups from Welding Engineer to department head. I certainly did not imagine that I would achieve a chartership, which was not on my radar in my 20s – I was enjoying an outdoor, rugby playing lifestyle too much.

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 1922, 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.

The establishment of a new institution was not the only success, as the institution also brought those from acetylene and arc welding together under one team.

Proceedings from this inaugural meeting discussed the creation of a “comprehensive welding society” and the decision to form a new society, which gained support from a range of persons and firms alike.

With a desire that “every welder should have an opportunity for keeping in close touch with the developments of the industry,” it was hoped that those joining would take an active interest in the proposed society.

It was also stated that these welders should seek a “certificate of proficiency” and that circulating information promoting the industry and training welders was also paramount.

The meeting led to those invited becoming founders, and also gained recognition from the American Welding Society who sent their “cordial good wishes.”

While small in number, this meeting set the foundations for what would become today’s internationally-recognised Institute and you can see images of the full proceedings from this inaugural meeting, below…

 

View the full Inaugural Meeting Proceedings PDF here.

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.

About You

Please describe your current job role and responsibilities/a typical day in your role:

My roles and responsibilities span between improving resource efficiency, resource optimisation, process optimisation and more, however my role can be summarised as managing quality control executions in country and Mining Division for the SSAMESA region.

Intro to you and your career in engineering

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

Engineering chose me if I must be completely honest.

My passion to this day has always been the automotive industry. When I was 18 years old, I was eager to start a career in the industry in some form or another but fate stepped in with an unexpected opportunity, changing my school of thought completely.

The opportunity presented was to study towards a trade qualification as an electrician in the mining industry. I thought it best, at the time, to not pass up the opportunity. My thought was that the trade would then be something to fall back on, allowing me the “security” to pursue my passions at a later stage.

After a few years of working as a qualified electrician on coal processing and extraction mines, another opportunity became available to possibly study towards becoming a mine engineer. This was something that I was highly excited about and thought that this was the apex of what I could achieve.

Fate unexpectedly stepped in again, and circumstances arose where I decided to take another opportunity to move from the mining industry to the construction industry. At this time, I was circumspect as to whether I was going to do myself a disservice by making the industry change, but I felt that a path was being chosen for me. Fate led me successfully thus far so I thought that the unknown could be regrettable if I did not continue to follow it.

In a challenging move, I had gone from fully electrical training and studies to an almost fully mechanical discipline.

I served in various roles but eventually, quality assurance and quality control found me. This is where my path became specialised, and I have been in mainly similar roles ever since.

I became fascinated with the welding, fabrication and associated quality control inspection processes. My manager, at the time, had pushed me to study through the company, as he wanted me to have a notable qualification and have further education to back up / support my work experience. He supported my thinking in further specialising in the welding discipline as it would support company expertise in the field whilst being a high enough qualification to support my career in the future.

What’s one of your biggest career highlights or achievements that you’re most proud of?

Every qualification and certification that I have achieved, are the standout highlights for me in their own way:

• Achieving acceptance / certification for TechWeldI and EngTech
• International Welding Technologist
• Fabrication and Welding Inspector Level 1
• National Diploma in Engineering Studies
• Electrical Trade Test

I have been truly blessed and humbled during this journey so far and I am looking forward to where my journey continues to take me.

What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how did you overcome this?

There have been many work challenges but the one that stands out the most to me (being both work and personal), is passing the IWT examinations. As much as I thought I knew about the subject matter, I realised that there were quite a few things that I needed to fully understand.

The one valuable lesson I learned during that time was that talent without effort, never beats someone putting in the hard work required. Hard work beats talent every time.

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

A few months after obtaining my IWT qualification, one of my colleagues mentioned that he was part of The Welding Institute. He mentioned the fantastic library of information that was available to the welding community globally and that it was an amazing forum to be part of.

He promoted the Institute so positively that it made the decision to apply the logical step.

He also mentioned that there were very few South Africans that carried the post nominals. I remember speaking to the membership team and them clarifying that I was one of 35 Members in South Africa, at the time.

Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute

I had the most fantastic experience and was assisted through the process by a dedicated membership officer. She was so helpful, knowledgeable and prompt with her correspondence throughout the process.

After reviewing my CV and experience, they advised that I would be best suited to the Welding Institute’s Technician membership (TechWeldI) grade and Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration with the Engineering Council.

Professional Membership and Registration: EngTech

When and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

At the time of applying for professional membership of The Welding Institute, my colleague also told me that there was the option to apply for Engineering Council registration. They also promoted registration with the UK Engineering Council positively so it was the logical choice to apply.

How has Professional Registration as EngTech supported you in your career?

It was and continues to be a validation of my experience, studies and the value I can add to my organisation from a welding engineering perspective, particularly as many of our engineering team do not have the levels of experience with welding processes etc.

The most valuable aspects of professional registration were the ethical and professional behaviour elements due to the important role they play in working with integrity.

What was the most difficult aspect of becoming registered as EngTech and how did you overcome it?

Again, my membership officer was so helpful, knowledgeable and prompt with her correspondence throughout the process. With my colleague and membership officer’s support, there was nothing that I perceived as too difficult or challenging. I sought insight, inspiration and guidance from my lifelong welding mentor, with my application process and documents submitted.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of becoming EngTech?

The ethical and professional behaviour aspect is the most valuable aspects as part of performing my daily work with integrity.

Current Membership

What are your core involvements with The Welding Institute, what do they entail and why do you undertake them?

Due to my level of current responsibilities and workloads, I am unfortunately not as active as I would like to be. I have however, promoted the Institute to a number of South Africans in the welding community, which I have regular contact with.

I have been part of some referrals in the past and am hoping to be in future, should some of my extended welding community colleagues apply for membership.

What membership benefits do you use the most and find the most helpful and why?

The membership benefits that I use most regularly include the events, newsletters, forums, and library, additionally access to speak and network with the knowledgeable people within the organisation. The articles in the newsletters are the information that I use the most.

Are there any membership benefits that you would like to use more?

The Weldasearch and Technical Library are things that I need to use more to continue to build knowledge.

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

I am blessed in my current role and would like to explore options in Welding Engineering, in some form or another.

As we progress, the fantastic work being done globally into research and improving welding methods, understanding welding failures, and cases where good welding practices would have helped, are vital for future production methods.

The fourth Industrial Revolution is a fascinating prospect and welding technology will continue to play a part in how we progress as a society. There are always going to be new ways to do things better, minimise errors, improve where we find challenges and the exciting prospect of probably being exposed to these improvements is something I look forward to. I also think that new material combinations and natural resources being used within manufacture will require research and development to improve our changing futures.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute and why?

I have been and will continue to be a promoter of The Welding Institute. The knowledge and diversity within the Institute’s community is unmatched globally, in my opinion.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self-beginning your career in engineering?

Your attitude is the most important thing in your career. Stay positive even when things are going wrong and the challenge seems unsurmountable. Always value your integrity highly and continue to show respect to everyone and everything (it all has value) - this will continue to keep you grounded. Talent without effort, never beats someone putting in the hard work required, hard work beats talent every time. Give the task in front of you the full attention it deserves. Pause before responding; think about what you are going to say, especially during heated or uncomfortable situations. Sometimes your career finds you.

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.

Current President

In September 2022, Professor Dame Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS was appointed by The Welding Institute Council as president.

Baroness Brown is the first female president of The Welding Institute, representing a significant milestone in our century-long history.

Baroness Brown has made significant contributions to the STEM industry, alongside her achieving an MA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in Fracture Mechanics. She has accrued expertise in her field leading to her achieving many accolades in recognition including the Grunfeld,  John Collier, Lunar Society, Constance Tipper, Bengough, Kelvin and Leonardo da Vinci medals; as well as the Erna Hamburger Prize and the 2012 President's Prize of the Engineering Professors' Council. These contributions are not limited to academic and professional but also philanthropic, with her involvement in chairing the Science and Technology Select Committee, the Carbon Trust, STEM Learning Ltd and the Adaptation Committee of Climate Change Committee.

Whilst also gaining knowledge in her field, she has shared her expertise with students and peers; with preceding roles including a decade spent as the Vice-Chancellor of Aston University, being the Principal of the Engineering Faculty at Imperial College, London, and holding senior business and engineering posts at Rolls-Royce plc.

Term of office	Name
1923-1925	Sir R Rylands-Bart
1925-26	Charles Bingham
1926-28	Professor F C Thompson
1928-29	Lewis J Yeoman
1929-30	A L Haggerty
1930-31	L M Fox
1931-32	W R J Britten
1932-33	A E Shorter, MBE
1933-34	E A Atkins
1934-35	C W Hill
1935-37	Sir Alexander Gibb GBE, CB
1937-42	Sir William Larke, KBE
1942-44	Sir Ralph Freeman
1994-46	W W Watt, CBE
1946-47	A Dyson
1947-48	J L Adam CBE
1948-49	J H Patterson
1949-50	O V S Bulleid, CBE
1950-51	C S Milne
1951-52	Howard J Thompson
1952-54	A Robert Jenkins JP
1954-55	R G Braithwaite
1955-56	R G Weddell
1956-58	Sir Charles S Lillicrap, KCB, MBE
1958-59	J Strong
1959-60	E Seymor-Semper
1960-61	E Fuchs
1961-62	H West
1962-63	W Barr, OBE
1963-65	L Redshaw
1965-66	Prof J G Ball
1966-67	Nicol Gross
1967-68	J F Lancaster
1968-71	Sir Kenneth Hague
1971-73	Prof Sir John Baker, OBE FRS
1973-75	A Robert Jenkins, CBE JP
1975-77	Sir Ralph Freeman, CVO, CBE
1977-79	Sir Leonard Redshaw
1979-81	M M Pennell, CBE, FRS
1981-83	Sir Dennis Rooke, CBE, FRS, FEng
1983-85	Sir Hugh Ford, FRS, FREng
1985-87	D R Lomer, CBE
1987-89	Rt Hon Lord Gregson
1989-90	Sir Monty Finniston, FRS, FEng
1991-93	Sir Robert Easton, CBE
1993-95	J G Collier
1995-98	Prof Sir B Crossland, CBE, FRS, FEng
1998-00	Professor B G Neal, FEng
2000-02	Prof B Mellitt, FREng
2002-04	Prof R Boucher, CBE, FREng
2004-06	Prof M F Burdekin, FREng FRS FWeldI
2006-08	Rt Hon the Lord Trefgarne PC
2008-11	Richard Sadler FREng FWeldI
2011-2014	John Baxter, FREng FRSE FWeldI
2014 - 2016	Bertil Pekkari HonFWeldI
2017 - 2019	Steve Dearden
2019 - 2022	Dave Holmes
2022 - current	Baroness Brown DBE FRS FRAeS FInstP CEng FREng

Our Structures and Infrastructures Technical Group will be hosting their first online Technical Group of the year, from 11:00am – 1:00pm (UK time) on 20 April 2023.

The event, which is titled, ‘Welding Inspection and Testing Requirements for Building and Bridge Works in the UK,’ will provide an overview of BS EN 1090-2 requirements for inspection and NDT and review the additional requirements specified for buildings and bridges in the UK and more.

Who Should Attend?

Those involved with the specifying, procuring and undertaking of inspection and NDT on structural steelwork, e.g., fabrication shop managers and supervision staff, engineers, NDT technicians, welding engineers.

Speakers and Presentations:

• Julian French, Partner, Sandberg LLP - Inspection and Testing of Welding to BS EN 1090-2
• Alexander Tsougranis, NDT Programme Manager, TWI Ltd - An Explanation and Demonstration of the use of Ultrasonic Testing to Comply with BS EN ISO 17640, BS EN 11666 and BS EN ISO 23279
• Julian French, Partner, Sandberg LLP - Requirements for the Inspection and Testing of Building and Bridge Works in the UK

FULL EVENT AND REGISTRATION DETAILS

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 and materials. Martin joined The Welding Institute in July 2007 and shares with us his journey through engineering and his experience of being a volunteer with us!

Introduction to you and your career in engineering

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

I was interested in engineering from school and worked one summer, at 17, at a local precision engineering company. From then, my eyes were opened to the possibilities, and then I never looked back.

What is one of your biggest career highlights or achievements that you’re most proud of?

I worked for 4 years as the welding lead for one of the components on Rolls-Royce’s new UltraFan engine, which is due to be tested later this year. I saw it installed on the test bed a couple of weeks ago and was in awe of the overall assembly.

What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how did you overcome this?

I think the biggest challenge in my career, which is also something that will always be there to a degree, is the people side of things. Engineering is based on numbers and technical data, but none of that matters if you cannot influence people to take action based on that. Over my career, I have come to understand this better and is now a priority in any project.

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

I was working as a joining engineer in the joining development section at AWE. As a team, we were involved with TWI Ltd, so joining The Welding Institute felt like the right thing to do.

Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute.

I first joined as a Graduate Member (GradWeldI), as I was early in my career and this seemed the appropriate level. Several years passed and I was moved to Associate Membership (AWeldI) where I stayed for several more years. Eventually, with the encouragement of one of the membership officers, I finally applied for Member and Incorporated Engineer (MWeldI / IEng). About two years after that I applied for my Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, which was in 2020.

Professional Registration

Are you professionally registered?

Yes, I registered as IEng in 2016 and then CEng in 2020.

What was the process of Professional Registration like and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

Ever since I started working as a graduate, I was encouraged to aim for professional registration and that support in the early years set my resolve to achieve it. Although it took many more years than I expected to achieve my goal, this was largely down to me getting around to applying. Once I actually started the process, it was relatively straightforward and this is now what I tell others who are considering applying.

Current Membership

How has professional membership/registration helped you throughout your career?

I achieved IEng shortly before transferring roles, then CEng before transferring roles again. This, I feel, gave me a demonstrated advantage that my peers had assessed me and found me to meet that external standard. Furthermore, the mind-set that this process has imparted on me and the code of conduct that must be followed all help me to continually strive to be the best engineer that I can be.

What membership benefits do you use the most and find the most helpful and why?

The professional network that I have built up is invaluable through local branch events and larger scale events at Cambridge and at training courses. I also find the Welding and Joining Matters journal to be a great source of information and helps maintain my Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

About Volunteering

What current volunteer roles do you undertake?

• Vice Chair for East Midlands Branch
• Branch Management Representative for East Midlands Branch
• Professional Review Interviewer (PRI)
• Chair of Membership, Education and Registration Committee (MERC)
• Mentor colleagues applying for membership

Why do you undertake these volunteer roles and what are the benefits of volunteering with The Welding Institute?

I really appreciated the resources available when I was early in my career, so it seemed like the right thing to do to take on these positions, to give back to the next generation coming through now. The various roles also give a good insight into how the Institute works and are excellent opportunities for networking.

What advice would you give to anyone considering, or even currently undertaking volunteer roles with The Welding Institute?

It can be very rewarding - but be careful how much you agree to do!

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

My future goal is to gain Fellow status (FWeldI). I also aim to get on to the Professional Board, which is the committee that I currently report to as Chair of MERC.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute and why?

Yes. This is the best place to be if you are involved with welding, joining and allied technologies. The Branches and Technical Groups are very approachable, and the content of the talks are excellent. The Welding Institute staff are very friendly and helpful.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self beginning your career in engineering?

Get on with it. I waited for many years before applying for Member and IEng, probably 10 years later than I needed to. This is personal professional development, you are the person who needs to motivate yourself - but there’s plenty of help out there if you ask.

Our Materials Technical Group will be hosting their first online Technical Group of the year, from 9:30am – 1:00pm (UK time) on 4 April 2023.

The event, which is titled, ‘Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys - Metallurgy, Properties, Fabrication and Applications’ will provide an overview of alloy developments - covering their metallurgy, properties and applications, and providing a strategic insight into the significance of these materials.

Who Should Attend?

Engineers, Technicians, Project Managers, Consultants, Metallurgists, Materials Scientists, Researchers and Students

Speakers and Presentations:

• Jan Lukaszewski, Technical Manager, ALFED - Understanding and Selecting the Correct Aluminium Alloy
• Gene Mathers, Consultant - Weldability of Aluminium
• Mike Gittos, Technology Fellow, TWI Ltd - Aluminium Alloy Weld Metallurgical Case Study
• Jonathan Martin - Section Manager, TWI Ltd - Friction Stir Welding of Aluminium Alloys

FULL EVENT AND REGISTRATION DETAILS

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.”

Vipin joined The Welding Institute as a Professional Member in December 2014 after being certified as CSWIP Welding Quality Control Coordinator. He tells us his journey through engineering and how being a MWeldI Member has aided him in his career!

Engineering and Career Background 

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

When I was young, I was fascinated by science and mechanical engineering as an evergreen field, and how it can help you adjust to any domain within industry. My background is quality and hence I am more into industry domains such as oil and gas, Industry 4.0 such as SMART manufacturing, and welding. Quality is my passion and I contribute individually and to organisations to make process improvements through my work. Quality in context is a broad domain, and specific areas I have interest in include quality assurance and quality control, welding, coatings and manufacturing. I have been a lifelong learner and therefore any areas where I can flex my mind and contribute to problem solving is of interest.

What’s one of your biggest career highlights or achievements that you’re most proud of?

I’m proud of my professional achievements such as being an Incorporated Engineer with the Engineering Council and The Welding Institute, becoming a Certified Quality Auditor with ASQ, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Certified Management System Specialist and a speaker at the Auditor Expo Forum with Exemplar Global USA, and now a Lead Auditor with the American Petroleum Institute USA.

I believe in continuous professional development and professional membership has boosted my confidence level. From being a shy introvert to gaining such professional recognition in my journey, with God’s amazing grace, it gave me a new persona.

What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career and how did you overcome this?

There have been many challenges in my 22-year long career; however, I remember one distinct challenge in carrying out weld repair of a cladded dish, which had excessive pitting. The base material was clad bonded with carbon and ferrite steel. Consequently, this made the selection of welding consumable a challenge as well as maintaining the customer requirement of ferrite content. We used advanced NDT techniques such as PAUT and TOFD to identify any cracks after depositing the repaired welds. After conducting trials and iterations, we could finally see that the customer was happy as we overcame the problem through application of engineering codes and best practices.

Another challenge was that I was tasked with setting up EN 1090-1 and ISO 3834 execution class II certification. The challenge I was posed with was that this company did not have an existing QMS and hence developing QMS and realigning procedures and process to meet EN 1090-1 and ISO 3834 was difficult. I developed a welding quality manual, including welding procedures as per EN 15614 and fabrication process control procedures. My Incorporated Engineering certification helped me to qualify as a Responsible Welding Coordinator as per the criteria set by the notified body as per EN regulations. With the application of engineering codes and standards and aligning QMS processes to meet product conformity, awareness training of employees led to getting the execution class II certification for the company.

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

TWI is a known training provider for welding and engineering and so I registered with The Welding Institute after attaining the CSWIP Welding Quality coordinator certification. I was looking for further enhancement of my overall portfolio and hence I applied for the incorporated engineer route.

Professional Registration and Membership

What is your professional registration title/grade?

I am an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).

When and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

I became an Incorporated Engineer on the 29 January 2015.

The Engineering Council is a widely known professional body and, since I was a CSWIP Welding Quality Control coordinator, I thought the next step in my career would be professional recognition and that’s how I got in touch with The Welding Institute.

How has Professional Registration with the Engineering Council supported you in your career?

Professional registration always helps you to distinctively standout and has consequently helped me on my next qualification as a Chartered Manager. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) ensures continual improvement and now I’m also a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

How has Professional Membership as MWeldI supported you in your career?

My professional membership helped me to become a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) with my previous employers and I also met their Notified Bodies’ RWC criteria, even though I was not an IWE/IWT.

Current Membership

What membership benefits do you use the most and find the most helpful and why?

The job knowledge and weld-search sections are useful as well as the webinars.

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

My current aspiration is to be a subject matter expert in quality. I would like to learn new concepts in plastic piping inspection/composites, which is widely used in the oil and gas industry these days, however, less guidelines are available on how this can be achieved. With Industry 4.0 and 5.0 and The Welding Institute’s 100 years of experience in the welding industry, it can help shape the future generation.

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute and why?

Membership with The Institute as a professional is useful to enhance your knowledge as you have access to the library. My Incorporated Engineer certification has helped me on my CPD to achieve other industry accolades and I am still learning.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self beginning your career in engineering?

Invest yourself in enhancing your knowledge by joining such membership bodies where you have access to case studies, membership newsletters/magazines and journals, and volunteering opportunities, which will broaden your existing skills and experience.

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.

Engineering and Career Background

Achieving an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from Oxford University in 1984, Eur Ing Charles Schneider MA CEng FInstNDT MWeldI later joined TWI in 1997 and currently works in the Non-destructive Evaluation (NDE) Group with his main responsibilities including:

• Assessment of NDE reliability
• Inspection qualification / performance demonstration
• NDE input to Engineering Critical Assessment (e.g. for BS 7910)
• Statistical analysis (across TWI)

Why did you choose a career in engineering?

I originally joined the Central Electricity Generating Board because I wanted to use my mathematical skills to solve practical problems. During my 11 years with the power industry, I very much focussed on the development and application of theoretical models of ultrasonic testing, mostly for the nuclear sector. Joining TWI brought me into contact with other inspection methods and with other engineering disciplines, e.g. structural assessment and welding engineering. This naturally led me to apply my skills more broadly, e.g:

Early Professional Membership

Why did you initially join The Welding Institute?

My manager at TWI recommended that I become a Professional Member during my annual appraisal. I was already a Professional Member of an Institute in my specialist area, but I felt that becoming a Professional Member of The Welding Institute would further strengthen my CV and would allow me to network with welding professionals.

Tell us a bit about the process of becoming a Member of The Welding Institute:

When I became a Professional Member, my career was already well-established and I was already CEng registered. The application was therefore relatively straightforward, simply based on the application form, an extended CV, training report, organogram and a list of my publications (authenticated as necessary).

Professional Registration

Are you professionally registered?

Yes

What was the process of achieving Professional Registration like and why did you choose to become professionally registered?

Again, my manager at TWI recommended that I become professionally registered during an annual appraisal. I also felt that this would strengthen my CV and widen the range of TWI contract work that I could undertake.

My career was already well-established when I applied for Professional Registration, so I followed a ‘mature candidate’ route, which was relatively straightforward, i.e. application form and interview. The interview process helped me understand the Engineering Council competences and what type of evidence is needed to demonstrate them. This insight helped me later in my career when, in turn, I became a mentor for other CEng applicants.

Current Membership

How has professional membership/registration helped you throughout your career?

Some tender processes require CEng or equivalent. It also helps in demonstrating professional credibility, e.g. it can help in securing contract work as an expert witness in litigation cases.

What are your core involvements with The Welding Institute, what do they entail and why do you undertake them?

What membership benefits do you use the most and find the most helpful and why?

Branch meetings, Technical Group meetings and technical webinars provide opportunities for professional networking with people outside my own specialism who I might not otherwise meet. These events also help in gaining a broader appreciation of different technical areas.

TWI Technology Fellowship

As a TWI Technology Fellow, you were selected by TWI’s Executive Team due to you having “made significant impact through technical excellence, expertise and knowledge transfer, and commitment to the development and coaching of colleagues.”

How do you think your TWI Technology Fellowship and Professional Membership of The Welding Institute have aided one another?

Professional Membership status is one of the criteria used by TWI when selecting Technology Fellows.

TWI expects Technology Fellows to demonstrate commitment to their own continued professional development – one of the ways I do this is through involvement in Professional Membership activities, e.g. Branch meetings, Technical Group meetings, technical webinars.

TWI also expects Technology Fellows to demonstrate commitment to, and track record in, the development and coaching of colleagues working in their area of expertise – one of the ways I do this is to encourage and support my mentees in applying for Professional Membership of The Welding Institute and Professional Registration (CEng).

Future (Membership and Career)

What are your engineering aspirations?

Would you recommend Membership with The Welding Institute?

Yes, based on all the reasons highlighted before.

What advice would you give or what would you say to your younger self beginning your career in engineering?

Our Polymers and Composites Technical Group will be hosting their first online Technical Group event of the year, from 9:30am – 12:30pm (UK time) on the 30 March 2023.

The event, which is titled, ‘Polymers and Composites in Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Applications’ will explore the diverse range of applications that use polymers and composites and why these special materials are selected. It will provide insight into the range of fluids and the harsh environments in which they must endure and perform reliably.

The webinar will also touch on some recent developments, and how polymers and composites can play a role as we transition from traditional oil and gas to a cleaner hydrogen economy.

Who Should Attend?

Anyone who is interested in learning about how and why polymers and composites are used in oil, gas and energy transition applications.

Speakers and Presentations:

• Phil Berry, General Manager - Market Development, Future Pipe Industries (FPi) - 'Scale and diversity of composite pipes'
• Dr Abderrazak Traïdia, Science Specialist and R&D Programme Lead, Aramco - 'Success and barriers to polymers and composites in O&G applications'
• Dr Ramin Moslemian, Principal Consultant, Energy Systems, Offshore Infrastructures, DNV - 'Polymers and composites in the hydrogen economy'
• Dr Bernadette Craster, Technology Fellow, TWI Ltd - 'The harsh environments that polymers and composites can endure'

FULL EVENT AND REGISTRATION DETAILS