African Fusion March 2019

SAIW bulletin board

SAIW 2019 Welding Challenge standard the highest ever

T he 2019 SAIWWelder Challenge compe- tition, whichwas held from14‑18 Janu- ary 2019, went off with a bang with more than twenty participants from many parts of the country displaying a level of skill unprecedented in this competition. “It once again proved to be the foremost skills test for young welders in South Africa,” says SAIW executive director Sean Blake. The overall winner, Stefan Lottering, won a cashprize of R15 000 and joined an il- lustrious list of winners of this competition, including Thembinkosi Matyeka, Houston Isaacs and Jaco van Deventer, who have gone on to stellar careers in the welding industry. Blake says that Stefan’s effort is a credit to all the youth of South Africa who are involved in the welding industry.

“Like Thembi, Houston, Jaco andmany others, Stefan is an example of thewonder- ful opportunities that welding offers young people who are looking for an exciting and rewarding career. The reason we hold this competition is to encourage young people from all over the country to investigate Become an International Welding Technologist at SAIW what welding has to offer with respect to their futures,” Blake says. He adds that the SAIWWelder Challenge

According to Etienne Nell, the 2019 group of SAIW Welding Challenge competitors was the best yet. “It’s very exciting that the standard of welding among our youth improves every year”, he said.

competition is an industry initiative and would not survive without its sponsors. “We are all grateful that the sponsors

T he welding technologist course is aimed at equipping personnel with the necessary skills and technical knowledge for the planning, executing, supervising and testing of the tasks and responsi- bilities involved inwelding fabrication and construction. Engineering personnel with a National Diploma in engineering, or equivalent

qualification, who intend to pursue ca- reers in welding fabrication should apply for this course. It is suitable for engineers working on site and in fabrication work- shops, inmanufacturing, EPCMcompanies and for end-users of fabricated vessels or structures. The qualification is referenced as suit- able for employees with welding coordi-

nation responsibilities in ISO 3834 and ISO 14731 standards that address welding quality systems. It is also an excellent qualification for Welding Coordination Personnel with the responsibility for confirming the ac- ceptability of welding procedures used in welded fabrications. Module 1 of the SAIW’s International Welding Technologist coursewill run from1 to12April 2019at SAIW’sWesternBoulevard premises in Johannesburg. This Welding Process and Equipment module is the first of four two-weekmodules thatmakeup the course, with Module 2: Materials and their behaviour during welding, running from 6 to 22 May; Module 3: Construction and Design from 24 to 28 June; and Module 4: Fabrication, Applications and Engineering from 22 July to 02 August. In addition, a Practical Modulewill need to be completed to ensure knowledge on the control of the different welding pro- cesses and to familiarise candidates with the problems and typical defects associ- atedwith incorrect use of different welding processes. Exemption from the practical training module is available on application with a suitable CV showing welding experience in all the processes. confidence.lekoane@saiw.co.za

The internationally recognised IIW International Welding Technologist (IWT) qualification is suitable for employees with welding coordination responsibilities in ISO 3834 and ISO 14731 standards that address welding quality systems.

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March 2019

AFRICAN FUSION