The Welding Institute is delighted to announce Jack Clipston as the winner of the Rolls-Royce Richard Dolby Award 2026. Presented biennially by The Welding Institute's Younger Members' Committee (YMC) and sponsored by Rolls-Royce, the award recognises outstanding achievement and enthusiasm in welding, joining, and materials engineering among professionals in the early stages of their careers.

The Richard Dolby Award Final took place at TWI's Cambridge headquarters, where four exceptional finalists presented innovative projects demonstrating technical excellence, research capability and industry impact. The breadth and quality of work on display reflected the strength of emerging talent within the welding and materials engineering community and made for an extremely competitive final.

Jack secured the top prize with a presentation entitled

"Development of a WAAM-PTA Process for Tungsten Repair: Positional Deposition and In-Situ Preheating for Fusion Applications."

The project investigated the use of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing with Plasma Transferred Arc (WAAM-PTA) technology as an in-situ repair method for damaged tungsten plasma-facing components used in fusion reactors. By utilising the plasma transferred arc torch for both controlled preheating and material deposition, the research successfully demonstrated stable and repeatable repairs in 1G, 3G and 4G welding positions.

The work represents an important contribution toward future fusion maintenance technologies, providing a practical and innovative approach to repairing critical components while supporting the long-term viability of fusion energy systems.

Left to Right: Jack Clipston, Caroline Gumble, Richard Dolby, Dibakor Boruah, Andres Moreno.

The judging panel was particularly impressed by:

• The technical quality and originality of the research.
• The practical application of the technology to future fusion energy challenges.
• The clarity and professionalism of the presentation.
• The potential impact of the work on advanced manufacturing and repair methodologies.

Following careful deliberation, the judges selected Jack as the 2026 winner, recognising both the strength of the project and the exceptional standard of its delivery.

"The standard of this year's competition was exceptionally high, reflecting the depth of talent and innovation developing across our industry. Jack's work demonstrated outstanding technical excellence and addressed a real-world engineering challenge with significant future relevance. We congratulate Jack on this well-deserved achievement and thank all finalists for their outstanding contributions."

The Richard Dolby Award continues to provide an important platform for young engineers and researchers to showcase their work, gain recognition from industry leaders and contribute to the advancement of welding, joining and materials engineering technologies.

The Welding Institute would like to extend its sincere thanks to Rolls-Royce for its continued sponsorship of the award, as well as Richard Dolby and the judging panel for their expertise, commitment and support throughout the competition.

Congratulations once again to Jack Clipston on becoming the Rolls-Royce Richard Dolby Award 2026 winner, and to all finalists whose work exemplifies the innovation, dedication and engineering excellence that continue to shape the future of the profession.

About the Richard Dolby Award

The Richard Dolby Award, sponsored by Rolls-Royce, is presented biennially by The Welding Institute's Younger Members' Committee (YMC). The award recognises young professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in welding, joining or materials engineering and promotes emerging talent across the industry.