African Fusion November 2023

SAIW 2023 Awards and Gala Dinner

Tsiliso Litali was awarded the Phil Santilhano Memorial Award for Best Level 1 Welding Inspector and Coordinator Student.

ND Engineering won the Best IIW ISO 3834 Company Award.

Chandri Swanepoel won the SAIW Best Welding Co-ordinator Award. ing (IIW) Manufacturing Certification Scheme ISO 3834 Company Award: ND Engineering. • Honorary Life Membership of the SAIW: Professor Tony Paterson. • Fellow of The SAIW Award: Makakane Morris Maroga. • SAIW Gold Medal 2023: Columbus Stainless. Sunithi Barends, winner of the SAIW Presi dent’s Award for NDT Level 1, expressed her pride in the achievement, saying: “I am incredibly proud to win the President’s Award for NDT. This recognition will propel my career as an NDT technician, allowing me to become an NDT Level 3 and Inspec tion Specialist. “I am honoured and proud to have won the Presidential Prize and been chosen out of all the brilliant students. I am particularly grateful to my colleagues in my current Sasol Inspection Learnership at SAIW who have contributed so much to me winning this award.” Sunithi Barends’ prize of a R60 000 bursary from the SAIW will cover her SAIW NDT Level 3 Basic course and UT2 and VT2 modules. “This award and recognition will increase the momentum of my career path as an inspector and NDT technician, as well as my pursuit of becoming an NDT Level Three and Inspection Specialist,” said Barends. Tsiliso Litali was awarded the Phil Santil hano Memorial Award for Best Level 1 Weld ing Inspector and Coordinator Student. Adding to his triumph is the development

Honorary Life Membership of the SAIW was granted to Tony Paterson, (left photo) while Makakane Morris Maroga became a Fellow of The SAIW (right photo).

development of 3CR12 stainless steel, a proudly South African innovation that has revolutionised the stainless steel industry and offers remarkable toughness and weld ability, even in thick gauges. On the company certification side, ND Engineering won the Best IIW ISO 3834 Company Award. The company’s owner and MD, Elvis Green, said: “While there is not one singular project that stands out as the crowning achievement, it’s the cumulative success of numerous projects and the comprehensive application of ISO 3834 principles that paved the way for this recognition. The decision to integrate ISO 3834 into our operations marked a trans formative moment, as it deepened our understanding of welding,” he said. Looking ahead, John Tarboton ex pressed confidence in the SAIW’s upward trajectory and called for continued com mitment and dedication from industry professionals. He extended gratitude to the dedicated volunteers who have served the industry selflessly and thanked the entire SAIW team for their unwavering commitment. www.saiw.co.za

of an innovative non-destructive testing (NDT) technique. In Tsiliso Litali’s words: “This innovative approach is designed to enhance the detection and characterisa tion of defects in welded structures, a vital element in ensuring the structural integrity of various projects.” He explained: “‘My work has been instrumental in minimising the risk of structural failures, a crucial aspect of overall health and safety. Additionally, the application of these technologies has the added benefit of saving both time and resources, expediting project completion to a remarkable degree.” Chandri Swanepoel won the SAIW Best Welding Co-ordinator Award. Swanepoel said she has had to overcome gender biases in a traditionally male dominated sector. “This has given me a unique perspective on the significance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and reinforced my commit ment to breaking barriers and empowering other women to pursue careers in male dominated fields,” she said. The overall SAIW Gold Medal award was given to Columbus Stainless for their groundbreaking work in the invention and

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November 2023

AFRICAN FUSION