FORGING A BRIGHT FUTURE TOGETHER: HIGHLIGHTS FROM CANWELD 2023

Another successful CanWeld Conference is officially in the books! 

The theme of CanWeld 2023 highlighted the thriving and diverse maritime communities, with a focus on advancements in workforce development, coastal industry, and emerging technologies. The conference – held in the heart of downtown Moncton, New Brunswick at the Delta Beausejour Hotel – brought together some of the brightest minds and innovators in the industry. 

A primary draw for CanWeld attendees is the opportunity to hear about the newest technologies and innovations in welding and joining. This year did not disappoint. Presenters spoke on topics ranging from the theoretical – such as droplet temperature at the GMAW process and modelling heat input in electric resistance welding – to the applied – such as the effect of anisotrophy in wire arc additive manufacturing and the role of nanomaterials.

Here are some highlights that resonated with attendees during this enriching experience.

Jim Hansen, Project Engineer, Arc Welding & Directed-Energy Deposition Processes at EWI (Edison Welding Institute) spoke on Day 1 about work underway to develop buried arc GMAW (GMAW-B) procedures and benchmark the performance of this process against existing welding operations in shipyard contexts. On Day 2, Hansen returned to talk about EWI’s work in integrating infrared (IR) camera instrumentation into arc welding systems to provide real-time cooling rate data. 

Carter Trautmann, who is completing his Master’s degree in Materials Engineering with the Canadian Center for Welding and Joining (CCWJ) at the University of Alberta, shared his research into determining the residual stress in the solidified weld metal. He proposed a simple equation that can be applied to predict the results of fatigue failure tests on several laser-clad repaired components with different starting conditions.

A returning guest to CanWeld, Jim Galloway, Professor and Coordinator of Welding Programs at Conestoga College, explored the effects of systematically altering the gas blend for steel applications when using the spray-transfer mode with GMAW – and how such selections can have implications for welding cost and quality. 

Adrian Gerlich, Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, outlined some of the advances in aluminum welding technologies for engineers and practitioners in industries relying on aluminum for the light-weighting of vehicles and structures.

Addressing the labour shortage in welding and related trades continues to be critical. Technologies such as cobots, machine learning, deep learning, and AI are evolving and improving to help fill in the gaps in the workforce – and to support attraction and retention in the industry. Matthew Yarmuch, MSc, PEng, IWE, Founder and President of MattCo Engineering Solutions Inc., spoke about the challenges and opportunities associated with automation technologies, and how new technologies can be used to empower the welding and joining workforce. 

In a spirited panel discussion, Max Ceron, Director, CWB Association, and Jason Becker, host of Arc Junkies Podcast and a welder/fabricator with his own company Underground Metal Works, led a conversation about how industry in Canada and the US are working to improve access to the skilled trades and develop the next generation of tradespersons. Supporting Indigenous people in the industry was another theme of this year’s conference.

“I am personally overjoyed with the participation of all those who attend, sponsor, present, and work to make this event the success it is,” said Max Ceron, Director, CWB Association. “With more than 130 attendees over two days, a facility tour (thank you, NBCC (New Brunswick Community College)), Industry Awards night, VIP events (thank you, Apprenticesearch.com), and speakers in three languages represented, we continue to provide Canada’s premier networking event for industry and all those within it.”

Did you miss CanWeld this year? We’ll be sharing selected presentations on the CWB Association website, so stay tuned.

As always, the CWB Group is thrilled to showcase the best and brightest in the industry, and to ensure that the welding and joining communities have the opportunity to network and support each other. 

Thank you to this year’s speakers, sponsors, and guests, who truly made CanWeld 2023 a year to remember. 

See you at the Toronto Congress Center on June 12 and 13 next year for CanWeld 2024!

Watch for more information about CanWeld and other events to come from the CWB Group.