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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
What current volunteer roles do you undertake?
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!
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.
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.
Engineers, Technicians, Project Managers, Consultants, Metallurgists, Materials Scientists, Researchers and Students
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
What is your professional registration title/grade?
I am an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
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.
The job knowledge and weld-search sections are useful as well as the webinars.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
Yes, based on all the reasons highlighted before.
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.
Anyone who is interested in learning about how and why polymers and composites are used in oil, gas and energy transition applications.
As part of the 100 years anniversary celebrations, we are revisiting parts of our century long history – including an artefact from the early days of the Institute!
71 years ago, in 1952, former wartime Minister for Food, Lord Woolton opened a new Fatigue Testing Laboratory at TWI’s Abington site.
Lord Woolton used a ceremonial gavel to open the laboratory and it was this distinctive piece of history that was returned to The Welding Institute by David Natzler, who was passed the small wooden hammer by his friend.
David’s father, Pierre Natzler, had been involved in welding all his life and had relations with The Welding Institute. Therefore, David kindly decided to honour his father by bequeathing the gavel to The Institute.
The gavel includes an inscription on a silver plate which reads, “British Welding Research Association Used by the Rt Hon Lord Woolton P.C. C.H. to open the Fatigue Testing Laboratory at Abington – 23rd June 1952.
A Unique Build
The fatigue laboratory was built specifically to house a large Lösenhausen fatigue machine, with a 5 ton crane being brought in to help with the installation. The 200 tonne machine was the largest fatigue machine in the world at the time. While the Lösenhausen machine was remarkable for the period, the laboratory structure itself was also ground-breaking.
The fatigue laboratory was one of the first buildings globally to be built using Plastic Design Theory, which was developed in the 1940s.
Plastic Design Theory was a original approach to the design of steel-framed structures following research carried out under Cambridge University’s leadership. Professor John Baker carried out the research via a British Welding Research Association Committee on the Load Carrying Capacity of Frame Structures. This led to a 1948 amendment to BS 449, related to ‘The Use of Structural Steel in Building.’ Plastic Design Theory allowed design loads in steel framed structures to be more accurately calculated, and consequently permitted the use of smaller sections for beams and columns, leading to a more economical use of steel. As a result of this, the fracture laboratory was claimed to be 50% lighter than an equivalent conventional structure.
While the Lösenhausen machine was certainly the catalyst behind the build of the new facility, the laboratory also housed other prominent pieces of equipment, including the ‘Jacks Rig,’ which was built by former TWI Chief Executive Bevan Braithwaite and is still in use today!
Fatigue Laboratory Work
The Lösenhausen machine was used frequently on a number of projects in the decades following, including for a programme testing the fatigue properties of joint designs, which led to an innovative new design standard. Leading to aid fatigue based failure in engineering components and structures.
The End of an Era
After 61 years of service, the fatigue laboratory was demolished in 2013, image to the right is of the laboratory being switched off, to make way for the building of new facilities at TWI’s headquarters near Cambridge. While the Jacks Rig was moved into the newly built engineering hall, the Lösenhausen machine was eventually taken out of service and replaced with newer rigs to perform industrial fatigue tests.
However, with the return of the gavel that was used to open the original fatigue laboratory, there remains a strong bond to the heritage of The Welding Institute and demonstrates the foundations of the work carried out on fatigue research and expertise.
Over our 100 year history, The Welding Institute has evolved from a small institution uniting 20 acetylene welders with electric arc welding engineers to now being the leading engineering institution supporting welding and joining professionals.
A landmark in our history was our appointment as a Professional Engineering Institution, licenced by the Engineering Council. We wanted to take this opportunity to explore our unique relationship with the Engineering Council and, additionally, the importance of this milestone.
As the UK regulatory body for the engineering profession, the Engineering Council holds national registers for over 228,00 engineers and technicians.
The internationally recognised standards of professional competence and ethics that govern the award and retention of these titles are set and maintained by the Engineering Council, ensuring employers, government and wider society, both nationally and internationally, can be confident in the knowledge, experience and commitments of those holding professional registration titles.
As a professional engineering institution, The Welding Institute was granted licence from the Engineering Council in 1996 to assess candidates for inclusion on the national register of professional engineers and technicians, including the titles:
Engineering Technician (EngTech)
Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
Chartered Engineer (CEng)
With currently over 42.5% of our Members being professionally registered, The Welding Institute continues to work closely with the Engineering Council through professional registration and is licenced to carry out the process for accreditation and approval of educational programmes.
A key element of the Engineering Council’s role as the regulator for the UK engineering profession is to set and maintain the standards for professional registration. This includes setting the criteria that education programmes must meet to become ‘accredited’ or ‘approved.’ Prospective students, employers and society have the assurance that accredited or approved programmes meet the standards set by the engineering profession.
Professional Recognition: professional registration evidences to others that you are competent due to the skills that you have demonstrated to the Engineering Council and, in turn, can lead to professional recognition from peers including employers, employees and clients.
International recognition: your professional registration status is an internationally recognised title.
Exposure to career opportunities: our membership benefits, that you gain access to through professional registration, can help you to progress within your career. For example, with our new exclusive Jobsite, which provides access to around 550 trusted companies offering relevant jobs in the welding, joining and allied technologies industries.
Build new networks: by becoming professionally registered, you join a growing community, enabling you to become connected with peers and colleagues and other likeminded professionals.
Industry Influence: as a professionally registered engineer or technician, you will be - or will be beginning to - take on responsibilities that support the development of other professionals. The knowledge and experience you gain from this can help you to gain greater influence within your industry.
“The fact that my experience is peer-reviewed speaks volumes. Not having a full bachelor’s degree could automatically make me exempt from some job roles. However, having IEng status shows that I can still work at that level using my experience.” - Carl Lavis IEng MWeldI IWS/EWS
"I believe it is important to be acknowledged by my peers; mainly for recognition of competence, commitment and evidence of expertise" - Jade White BSc BEng (Hons) CEng MWeldI EWE/IWE
If you’re interested in learning more about professional membership and registration, or beginning your journey to become professionally registered, find out more or speak to our membership team!
The Welding Institute
Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6AL, UK
+44 (0)1223 899000
theweldinginstitute@twi.co.uk
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