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TWI sends delegation to IIW Annual Assembly and Conference

Thu, 01 August, 2019

TWI sent a delegation to the 72nd IIW Annual Assembly and International Conference 2019 which was held in Bratislava, Slovakia, between 7–12 July, 2019.

The UK was strongly represented at the IIW Annual Assembly by TWI who had representatives on 19 of the 20 commissions, including Geoff Melton who chairs Commission VIII looking into factors relating to health, safety and the environment and Channa Nageswaran who was elected during the Assembly as the new chair of sub-commission V-C for ultrasonic testing. TWI’s Isabel Hadley also updated the members of Commission X (Structural Performances of Welded Joints – Fracture Avoidance) on progress towards the development of BS 7910:2019 (Guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures). TWI were represented at Commissions I, IV, XII and SG212 were attended by Chris Punshon (UK Delegate), Sofia, Del Pozo (Commission IV expert) and Mike Nunn (part-time).

The Commission IV, Power Beam Processes, meetings were held over three days, with a joint meeting with Commission I, XII and SG-212 (Arc welding processes, additive manufacturing, and physics of welding).

The commissions provided an opportunity to share knowledge and best practice with industrial and academic representatives from 45 countries around the world. The work of Commission VIII was of particular interest this year due to a recent decision by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to classify welding fume as a carcinogen.

A wide range of topics were covered by the commissions including:

  • C-I: Additive Manufacturing, Thermal Cutting and Thermal Spray
  • C-II: Arc Welding and Filler Metals
  • C-III: Resistance welding, Solid State Welding and Allied Joining Processes
  • C-IV: Power Beam Processes
  • C-V: NDT and Quality Assurance of Welded Products
  • C-VI: Terminology
  • C-VII: Microjoining and Nanojoining
  • C-VIII: Health, Safety and Environment
  • C-IX: Behavior of Metals Subjected to Welding
  • C-X: Structural Performances of Welded Joints – Fracture Avoidance
  • C-XI: Pressure Vessels and Pipelines
  • C-XII: Arc Welding Processes and Production Systems
  • C-XIII: Fatigue of welded components and structures
  • C-XIV: Education and Training
  • C-XVI: Polymer Joining and Adhesive Technology

The International Conference, which had a focus on the automotive industry, saw over 800 people attend with topics including:

  • Automotive Applications of Welding Technology
  • Automotive Corrosion
  • Modern Joining Procedures in Automotive Industry
  • Advanced Welding Process
  • Robotic Welding in Automotive Industry
  • Joining of Advanced Steels
  • Adhesive Bonding
  • Joining of Dissimilar Materials
  • Non-sheet-metal Automotive Joining
  • Welding and Joining Process Simulation
  • Inspection Techniques for Welding
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Welding Fume

TWI staff presented a number of papers on electron beam welding and you can see the full International Conference programme here.

The IIW also released a press release following the event, which you can see here.

About the IIW

The International Institute of Welding (IIW) was founded in 1948 by the welding institutes/societies of 13 countries who considered it crucial to make more rapid scientific and technical progress possible on a global level.

The IIW’s Mission is to operate as the global body for the science and ap­plica­tion of joining technology, providing a forum for networking and knowledge exchange among scientists, researchers and industry. Through the work of its 23 Technical Working Units, the organisation’s technical focus encompassed the joining, cutting and surface treatment of metallic and non-metallic materials by such processes as welding, brazing, soldering, thermal cutting, thermal spray­ing, adhesive bonding and micro joining.

TWI Research Director, Paul Woollin (far right) at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference
TWI Research Director, Paul Woollin (far right) at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference
Senior Project Leader, Sofia Del Pozo presents at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference
Senior Project Leader, Sofia Del Pozo presents at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference
Chris Punshon, TWI Industry Sector Manager (second left) at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference
Chris Punshon, TWI Industry Sector Manager (second left) at the IIW Annual Assembly and Conference

For more information please email:


contactus@twi.co.uk