News

This year’s Distinguished Service Award winner is Professor Bill Lucas who is an Accreditation and Education Committee Member and has been a Member of The Welding Institute since 1971.

About the Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to an employee or Branch Member in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the operation, events and activities of The Welding Institute as a result of which the membership, status and position of the Institute has been significantly advanced.

About Bill

Bill has been a member of the Institute since 1971, gaining his Chartership (CEng) and Fellowship (FWeldI) in 1983. He holds a Doctorate in Science from Queens University of Belfast, as well as a PhD and is also an IWE member.

Professor Bill Lucas’s Involvement with The Welding Institute

Professor Bill Lucas chairs The Welding Institute’s Education Committee, where he advises on matters regarding the development and provision of education and training in welding, joining and allied technologies at higher education level. Bill also represents the Institute at the Engineering Council’s Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB), advising on accreditation policy and higher education relevant to education of engineers. Through his work, Bill actively supports and campaigns for the promotion of The Welding Institute and membership, as well as emphasising the importance of Engineering Council registration to young professionals.

Career

Bill worked at TWI Ltd from 1970 to 2007, during which, an important aspect of his role was the technical supervision of contract work for industrial companies involved with manufacturing. Bill continued his career from 2007 to 2012 as an independent consultant. Within his work, Bill also took on the role as Visiting Professor at the University of Liverpool, as well as chairing their Industrial Advisory Board for the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering.

Since becoming a Member of The Welding Institute in 1970, Bill has carried out fundamental research into process and manufacturing technology, with the overall objective of his research being to improve knowledge of welding processes, especially regarding their operation and control. His research also continues on to focus on welding process involvements, advanced software techniques and novel sensor systems.

Bill has been awarded with the Distinguished Service Award due to his continued support of The Welding Institute throughout his career, including his role as a former Chair of the International Welding’s Commission XII ‘Arc Welding Processes and Production Systems’ between 2001 and 2010. He was also a member of the British Standards Institute WEE 36 Committee, ‘Qualification of Welding Personnel and Welding Procedures,’ and has written and been involved with the publishing of over 150 academic papers.

The Welding Institute would like to congratulate Professor Bill Lucas on winning this award and thank him for his continued support of the Institute!

If you are interested in how you can get involved with The Welding Institute please contact us! 

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of outstanding service to the Branches and committees of The Welding Institute.

The following recipients of the Loyal Service Award were all recognised for their work with the Membership, Education and Registration Committee. The committee reports on matters relating to professional membership, the education, training and qualifications of all grades of welding personnel, and the Institute’s relationship with educational authorities. It is also required to act as the Board of Examiners for various engineering qualifications and to assess applications for professional membership and registration with the Engineering Council.

Loyal Service Awards for contributions to the Membership Education and Registration Committee are granted to:

Eur Ing Mark Cozens FWeldI CEng	Joined 1986
Eur Ing Walter Doxford FWeldI CEng	Joined 1988
Mr Owen Gorton FWeldI	Joined 1972
Eur Ing David Rowe FWeldI	Joined 2004
Mr Joe Small MWeldI Eng Tech	Joined 2005
Mr Alan Rodgers*Ing FWeldI	Joined 1966

The Institute is grateful to all recipients for their support with the Membership Education and Registration Committee, and is proud to acknowledge their commitments through these Loyal Service Awards.

(*The Welding Institute is saddened to hear about the passing of Alan Rodgers in January of this year, and offer condolences to his friends and family).

Northern Ireland Branch

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of outstanding service to the Branches and committees of The Welding Institute.

Role within The Welding Institute

Ken Barr SenMWeldI CEng, a Member of the Welding Institute since 1980, has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to The Welding Institute’s Northern Ireland Branch.

He has been a loyal Member of the Northern Ireland branch for over 30 years and is receiving a Loyal Service Reward to recognise his enormous contribution to branch activities over this period.

Ken was one of the original founding members of the Northern Ireland branch, and remains an active member today. Over his time at the branch, he has held various senior positions such as chairman, secretary and treasurer, and has been a committee member for around a decade. Ken continues to offer advice and support today, such as his help hosting events within the foundry of the local college.

The Welding Institute is extremely grateful for Ken’s significant contribution to the Northern Ireland Branch over 30 years, and would like to congratulate him on receiving a Loyal Service Award 2020. 

South Western Branch

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of outstanding service to the Branches and committees of The Welding Institute.

Role within The Welding Institute

Hugh McPhillips MWeldI IEng, a Member of the Welding Institute since 1973, has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to The Welding Institute’s South Western Branch.

Hugh has served many roles for The Welding Institute, both in the South West and beyond. Between 1990 and 2009 he was liaison officer between the College of North West London and the TWI London Branch.

In 2011, Hugh was appointed treasurer with the task of regenerating the South Western Branch. His role was essential in establishing the main branch at Bristol and centres in Devon and Cornwall. Since then he has continued to support the branch, with his work including engagement with local colleges, offering students the opportunity to attend branch meetings held at the colleges. He has served for 9 years as branch treasurer and 3 years as branch president in the South West.

Hugh has also formed a reciprocal support group with multiple organisations and institutes to promote meetings and share good industry practice. These organisations include the Ministry of Defence, the Nuclear Institute and the West of England Metals and Materials Association, to name just a few. Additionally, he has held numerous positions including vice-chairman and chairman of the Association for Welding and Fabrication Training and Education, a member of Education and Registration Committee, and judge and team manager of the UK Worldskills Construction Metalwork.

The Welding Institute would like to thank Hugh for his outstanding support of the South West Branch, and is proud to acknowledge this contribution by awarding him with a Loyal Service Award 2020.

Scottish Branch

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of the outstanding service to the Branches of The Welding Institute!

Role within The Welding Institute

Alan Ramsay MWeldI IEng, a Member of the Welding Institute since 1996, has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to The Welding Institute’s Scottish Branch.

Alans’ involvement with the Scottish Branch extends over 30 years with his roles as Committee Member and Office Bearer. During his time as a Committee Member, Alan has also undertaken the role of ‘TWI Scottish Branch Annual Dinner Co-ordinator.’

As part of the Scottish Branch, Alan has undertaken various roles including as Branch Secretary for 4 years, being Branch Chairman on two occasions (for 4 years in total) and also taking on the role of Branch President on two occasions (again for a total of 4 years).

Alan has demonstrated his involvement and commitment to the Scottish Branch for 30 years, assisting across all areas of the branch’s development. This includes representing the branch on multiple TWI Committees through his representation on the Professional Board. His contributions, including helping to grow and promote membership of The Welding Institute, make him a worthy winner of a Loyal Service Award.

The Welding Institute celebrates and acknowledges Alan’s significant support of the Scottish Branch and congratulates him on being awarded the Loyal Service Award 2020!

Dr Geoff Booth – Accreditation and Education Committee and Technical Groups.

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of the outstanding service to the Branches of The Welding Institute!

Role with The Welding Institute

Geoff Booth is a Fellow Member of The Welding Institute, joining in 1991. In 2013, he took on the role of Chair to The Welding Institute’s Structural Integrity (TG 6) Technical Group.

Geoff demonstrated his worthiness to receive this award by going above and beyond the requirements of his role, including arranging several joint meetings with the Forum for Engineering Structural Integrity (FESI) and creating a collaborative and inclusive culture for the group’s work. As Chair, Geoff has used his broad network of contacts to expand the collective knowledge and understanding of his field with the specific aim of targeting and developing younger Members.

Throughout his career at TWI, Geoff worked with a wide range of people, leading and developing a Group of 50 staff in the Structural Integrity Management Group. He also worked in the Lasers and Fatigue Group, and was responsible for setting up a business unit at the Edison Welding Institute in the USA. Whilst these were roles he performed as an employee of TWI, he brought much more to them and the Institute with his collaborative and consensus-building approach.

Through his experience and knowledge, Geoff was able to connect a broad range of speakers and participants to the Technical Group Meetings that he was responsible for. In addition to the organisation and running of these Technical Group Meetings, Geoff contributed a significant amount of time into reviewing and improving them, submitting comprehensive reports to the Director and the Professional Board.

His continuous support for The Welding Institute also extends beyond his role as a Technical Group Chair through his voluntary support of our accreditation activities, whilst also sitting on out Education Committee for many years. Geoff has also chaired accreditation visits with academic institutions, and volunteers as an academic review assessor for membership applications. His work also includes co-authoring the ‘Welding Engineer’s Guide to Fracture and Fatigue’ book, which still continues to be used by practitioners and experts within a range of fields and industry situations today.

The Welding Institute congratulates Geoff Booth on being a worthy recipient of The Loyal Service Award 2020!

Introduction

The Loyal Service Award is given by The Welding Institute’s Professional Board, in recognition of the outstanding service to the Branches of The Welding Institute!

Role with The Welding Institute

Eur Ing Alan Denney FWeldI CEng is a Fellow Member of The Welding Institute Joining in 1974, he has contributed significantly to support our London Branch throughout his time with The Institute.

Alans’ contribution and involvement to the London Branch extends over 45 years with him serving 40 years of that time on the Branch Committee. He is currently in his second term of being President of the London Branch which he undertook in 2014, and was also a role that he formerly carried out from 2003 to 2008. Alan was also the London Branch Programme Secretary from 2000 to 2015, a role that he is due to take on again later this year.

His support for the Branch includes assisting with organising speakers, venues, topics and funding for events whilst supporting and encouraging younger Members through mentoring.

Other ways that Alan has demonstrated his outstanding service to The Welding Institute includes his role as Chair of the Offshore Energy Technical Group and his role as the Acting Chair of The Welding Institute’s NDT Technical Group.

The Welding Institute would like to congratulate Alan Denney on winning the Loyal Service Award 2020 and for his continued support and contribution to The Welding Institute’s London Branch.

International Women in Engineering Day is dedicated to celebrating and recognising all women within the engineering industry. The overall aim of International Women in Engineering Day, which will take place on 23 June, is to raise the profile of women in engineering and encourage others to pursue education and career opportunities within the industry. Read more here.

The Tipper Group, established by The Welding Institute, was formed in 2016 to meet the need for representation and awareness of a professional and inclusive culture that supports the development of engineers and technicians irrespective of gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, beliefs, (dis)abilities, and socio-economic background.

Throughout The Welding Institute’s work with the Tipper Group, we have been involved in events supporting the encouragement and engagement of young people with the engineering profession, such as with the annual defect detectives’ day. Activities such as this allow the Institute to use our connections with TWI Ltd and its group companies to promote the engineering profession to all young people and help change the stereotypes of the industry, including with regard to gender.

The Welding Institute also actively encourages our Members to get involved with the Tipper Group, including using it as an opportunity to gain advice on professional membership and registration. Read some of our Member case studies here:

• Vasiliki Loukodimou
• Gabriela Gallegos

The main objectives of The Tipper Group are to create an unconscious bias, develop individuals’ confidence, support career progression and peer-to-peer learning, encourage and support an improved work / life balance, mentor one-another, seek quotas in shortlists for senior roles, and increase the overall profile of The Tipper Group through The Welding Institute’s website and social media.

Get involved with International Women in Engineering Day 2020

International Women in Engineering Day will be taking place on 23 June, 2020. Get involved by sending them details of how you will be celebrating the day!

For more details check out INWED’s website and see how you can get involved here!

The Welding Institute will be holding a webinar on 25 June 2020 on the topic of ‘Welding Process Investigation.’

About the event

This webinar covers an investigation of the acceptance, rejection and distortion that occurs when welding a set on (nozzles to shell) joint with seven different process variations. The webinar will look at this process in relation to its use within the manufacturing of pressure vessels.

The presentation will discuss the effects of different welding processes on the same joint using the same material, thickness and diameter. It will be presented within the context of the seven nozzles having been set up and tacked by one person (to ensure consistency), it will then talk through the process of the parts being welded using different processes and combinations of welding processes, before looking at the accurate measurement of the parts (before and after) to assess the quality for NDT and DT (VT, RT, PT and microsection). Finally, the presentation will cover and assess these results against different codes from EN 13445, RCC-M, ASME etc.

Speaker

Welding Institute Member, Eur Ing Michael Baverstock MSc CEng MWeldI will deliver the webinar presentation.

Mike Baverstock’s extensive knowledge of this presentation subject is supported by over 30 years’ of experience working within the welding industry. He has worked in multiple industry sectors, ranging from working with aircraft through to pressure vessels. Mike now runs his own welding engineering consultancy business, helping different companies in various industries to improve their welding quality and processes.

Register for the Event

To find out more about the event and how to join, please click here.

Register for the Welding Processes Investigation Webinar!

Volunteering with The Welding Institute

In recognition of this week being National Volunteers’ Week 2020, The Welding Institute would like to highlight the important role that our volunteers have and continue to play within the Institute. With the challenges faced by everybody this year, we are more grateful than ever!

Volunteers’ Week is celebrated annually to recognise the contributions that people across the country make through volunteering. Find out more here.

The Welding Institute would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers as, without their support, the Institute could not provide the services and experiences to its Members that it does. Our volunteers are a vital part of making these experiences so positive!

As a Professional Engineering Institution, one of our aims is to encourage the progression of our Members professionally through utilising the knowledge and experience of our more established Members. This aim has been continuously met by the hard work and effort of our volunteers, who are involved with the development of the Institute through participation on our Boards and Committees, supporting our Branch Network, managing events, or running Educational Outreach Programmes, to name just a few examples.

Our volunteers are also responsible for mentoring and assessing applicants in their pursuit of professional membership and Engineering Council registration, and this can be a challenging yet rewarding process. The role of membership and registration assessor allows volunteers to play a meaningful and valuable role in supporting the progression of other engineers and technicians in the industry, encouraging them to develop their skills and confidence. Volunteering is also an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate your professional experience and support your own personal development too!

Types of Volunteers

Volunteers of The Welding Institute take many different forms, with the majority being volunteers that assist with the professional development of our Members through mentoring and assessing Members for professional status.

Find out more:

Our Volunteering page explains more about the volunteering roles offered by The Welding Institute.

Want to get Involved?

Check out our Volunteer Vacancies page and see how you can get involved!