FUSION Journal of the Southern African Institute of Welding MARCH 2022
Contents
March 2022 FEATURES 4 Fabrication development initiatives for sustainable growth African Fusion accompanies SAIW’s John Tarboton to the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI) in Middelburg to talk to Hector Makgato of the MSI and the DEDT’s Bheki Mkhabela about their training and business incubation initiatives for the region’s SMMEs and fabrication industries. 6 High-integrity training and fabrication for SA’s power and petrochemical sectors African Fusion profiles SAIW Members, Eduardo Construction (EC) and the EBS Training Academy (EBS) in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga. 10 SA’s National Welding Capability and its significance to the UN’s SDGs African Fusion extracts the highlights from an SAIW report about how the SAIW and the welding industry are positively influencing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 16 Gas supply modes to better suit customer requirements African Fusion talks to Mwali Kawawa and Michael Ashley of Air Liquide about the multiple supply mode options open to users of the company’s industrial gases and gas mixtures. 18 AWT and 2Roads form a formidable asset repair offering African Fusion talks to Kagisho Bapela of Two Roads Group (2Roads); and Ross Tudhope of Applied Welding Technology (AWT) about the excellent fit between their repair capabilities for industrial plant. 20 A new vision for welding automation: affordable, collaborative and green Yaskawa Southern Africa’s MD, Andrew Crackett, talks about exciting new opportunities for those in general industry seeking to improve the productivity, quality and efficiency of their welding processes. 22 Leak testing of fabricated tubes and pipes In this white paper, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) outlines its offering of plugs, stoppers and dams to help those needing to perform leak testing on the tubes and pipes they fabricate. 24 HandyPlasma: manual plasma cutting made easy Keith Saunders of ESAB Southern Africa introduces the new HandyPlasma manual plasma cutting package, which offers a lighter, faster and more portable option for cutting carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminium sheet and thin plate materials. 27 Air Products: a trusted supplier and reliable partner Welding specialist Sean Young of Air Products outlines the role and benefits of different shielding gas compositions and how Air Product’s strives to best meet customer needs. 29 The Fronius iWave: an Innovative 3-in-1 TIG/ MMA/MIG/MAG solution The newly released iWave 3-in-1 from Fronius is an intelligent, high-end series that sets new multi-process standards in quality, flexibility and connectivity. REGULARS 3 Message from John Tarboton 8 Front cover story: voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa: The best for the best 30 Welding and cutting forum 32 Today’s technology: New VRTEX® 360 COMPACT: now with virtual oxyfuel cutting
Published three times a year and mailed out together with MechChem Africa by: Crown Publications (Pty) Ltd Crown House Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Streets Bedford Gardens 2007 PO Box 140
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Editor: Peter Middleton E-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Advertising: Peter Middleton E-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Publisher: Karen Grant
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Deputy publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis Production & layout: Darryl James Circulation: Brenda Grossmann Printed by: Tandym Print, Cape
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Martin Laren, of voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa, with Christo Wiid and Annah Magopa, talk about the joint venture (JV) between voestal- pine Bohler Welding and Afrox for the manufacture and development of welding consumables in Brits, South Africa.
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www.africanfusionmagazine.co.za
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March 2022
AFRICAN FUSION
Message from John Tarboton
SAIW and SAIW Certification
SAIW Governing Board President: Joseph Zinyana – New Age Engineering Solutions Michel Basson – Sassda
H aving have just completed the analysis of our 2021 Student Survey, I am thrilled to report that student satisfaction with the services the SAIW offers continues to improve, for our Weld- ing Technology, NDT and Practical Welding courses.
Anthony Boy – CEA Paul Bruwer – Sasol Gert Joubert Andy Koursaris – Retired Muzi Manzi – AFSA Morris Maroga – Eskom
Based on responses from 736 of our students, we are seeing very good improvement in overall customer satisfaction. In the 2021 survey, we reached the global benchmark of 69% of our students being ‘Very Satisfied’. If this is combined with the ‘Somewhat Satisfied’ response, then 93% of students are either ‘Very’ or ‘Somewhat Satisfied’, which is 5% better than the global SurveyMonkey® benchmark. Our overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 54.6 has also risen to above the global benchmark of 47%. This metric statistically compares the percent- age of promoters minus the percentage of detractors, and to be above the Global benchmark is very reassuring. Also pleasing is the opinion of students about the quality of our lectures, which is now up at 4.44 on a 5 point scale. The analysis of the comments reflects this more strongly, with 100% of the comments about SAIW lecturers being positive. We have also just completed a comprehensive marketing plan to help us to identify ways of making the SAIW a more accessible and affordable Institute for its members and to grow the client base. We have identified several new offers in this regard. For our flagship ISO 3834 Certification scheme, as a conversion strategy, we will continue to offer free SAIW membership services to ISO 3834 clients, including: discounts on our world-class training courses, SAIW consulting and testing services from our SANAS-accredited technical laboratory; a free one-day introductory webinar/seminar to guide fabricators on their journey to certification; the use of SAIW facilities; and, for corporate clients, exclusive access to our Welders’ Database. SAIW Welding Technology courses have now all been modularised to improve flexibility, accessibility and affordability. MobiCred is available for those wanting to establish a payment plan for ‘Learn Now, Pay Later’ financing; and more courses are being offered as hybrids, giving customers the option of attending virtually and/or in person. The International Welding Specialist (IWS) and IWS Bridging courses will now be offered after hours – online from 6:00 to 8:00 pm from Monday to Thursday and as hybrids on Saturdays – to improve affordability and acces- sibility for out-of-towners and working customers. We have also made the pricing for this course more affordable and we are offering a further 50% discount for those who register for an IWS course after having completed an International Welding Practitioner (IWP) course. Every student on one of our International Welder programmes will be eligible for a free Robotic Welding course and each subsequent week of training on the same welding process will be discounted by 5% compared to the previous week. In Emalahleni, I have recently had meetings at the Highveld Industrial Park on the old Highveld Steel and Vanadium site, which remains ideal for heavy industrial use. As well as hosting 80-odd SMMEs and MMEs, the facility has a fully functional, SETA-accredited training centre that can accommo- date 2 000 artisans from electricians and instrumentation technicians to boilermakers, fitters and turners. Included is a fully equipped 20-bay welding school that is currently unused. We have been invited to consider running a satellite SAIW training centre from the facility, which would involve very little capital outlay. This would bring the SAIW to the people living in the East Rand, which would make access to our high quality IIW and QCTO welder training programmes far easier for them. We would love to hear from companies in and around Emalahleni that are interested. John Tarboton
J Tarboton – SAIW Dawie Olivier – OSG
Tony Paterson – Retired Johann Pieterse – AFROX Willie Ranking – Retired Carel van Aswegen – Steinmüller Kevin Xaba – ESAB
SAIW Certification Governing Board Chairperson: G Buitenbos – Steinmüller P Pistorius – University of Pretoria D Olivier – SAQCC CP
G Joubert – ArcelorMittal N Venter – Aveng Group G McGarrie – Steinmuller P Bruwer – SAQCC IPE H Potgieter – SAIW Certification J Tarboton – SAIW
SAIW and SAIW Certification representatives
Executive director
SAIW Certification CEO
J Tarboton
Herman Potgieter Tel: (011) 298 2149
Tel: (011) 298 2101
john.tarboton@saiw.co.za
herman.potgieter@saiw.co.za
Welding technology and training NDT training Shelton Zichawo Mark Digby Tel: (011) 298 2148
Tel: (011) 298 2169
shelton.zichawo@saiw.co.za
mark.digby@saiw.co.za
Customer services & practical welding Etienne Nell Tel: (011) 298 2135 etienne.nell@saiw.co.za
Executive secretary Dimitra Kreouzi Tel: (011) 298 2102 (Direct) Fax: (011) 836 6014 dimitra.kreouzi@saiw.co.za
Finance and administration manager Michelle Warmback Tel: (011) 298 2125 michelle.warmback@saiw.co.za
Regional student liason Liz Berry Tel: (021) 555 2535 liz.berry@saiw.co.za
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AFRICAN FUSION
SAIW partners with MSI and DEDT in Mpumalanga
Fabrication development initiatives for sustainable growth
African Fusion accompanies SAIW executive director, John Tarboton, on a visit to the facilities of the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI) in Middelburg to talk to the Centre Manager, Hector Makgato and Bheki Mkhabela from Mpuma- langa’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT), about their training and business incubation initia- tives for the region’s SMMEs and fabrication industries.
“ T he purpose of the Mpuma- langa Stainless initiative (MSI) is to incubate and nurture the sustainable development of small and medium businesses (SMMEs), artisans, aspired entrepreneurs and unemployed youth, with a core focus on steel fabrication including stainless steel because of the key role that Columbus Stainless plays in the local economy,” begins Hector Makgato, director of the MSI training and fabricator facilities in Middleburg. “Steelwork makes up most of the eco- nomic activity around Middelburg and in the surrounding communities. We have a current mandate to support 25 SMMEs on the programme, but this is set to double to 50 during 2022,” he notes At an early stage of the development of a business, MSI funds are directed towards
training our clients in basic welding and metal fabrication, business management, health and safety and other compliance matters. “We have also established a fab- rication facility on this site, where we offer cutting, bending and grinding facilities for the use of companies on our programme, with in-house support from our staff,” he notes. “We believe this is a market changer because it enables small companies to ac- cess the expensive machines they need for processing steel, stainless steel, aluminium or any other material needed to service their customers,” Makgato says. With regard to welding skills, similar services are being offered offsite, but the plan is to add, through the SAIW, a number of fully equipped welding bays to complete the fabrication offering at the facility. “Welder training is critical if SMMEs are to
Hector Makgato, Centre Manager for the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI). become successful and sustainable fabri- cation businesses,” notes John Tarboton. “In cooperation with the MSI, we hope to move some of our regional SAIW Training activities into this facility. If funding can be secured, we are happy to be the welding service providers for SMMEs on the pro- gramme, delivering the training necessary to certify welders in the processes their jobs require. The MSI has established a steel plate processing facility for use by SMMEs on MSI programmes. A: EUROMAC CNC punching machine. B: 3.0 bending press brake. C: Hydraulic cutting shear/guillotine. “Also, however, we hope to establish a full QCTO Welder Training facility here to train welding apprentices for the local community. If we can secure funding from a small number of established local fabri- cators to support 8 to 10 apprentices on a QCTO course, we can justify funding the establishment of an SAIW welding school in Middelburg,” he says.
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SAIW partners with MSI and DEDT in Mpumalanga
Apprenticeships key to overcoming skills and employment crisis To solve South Africa’s skills crisis and the lack of suitably qualified welders, the SAIW is seeking to partner with companies who want to produce artisan welders to the cor- rect standard and with the necessary skill levels. This can take place via the govern- ment approved QCTO – Registered National Occupational Qualification (Welder) 3-year Apprenticeship scheme. to ensure sufficient pass rates,” says John Tarboton, the SAIW’s executive director. “We are not focused on ticking off a list of training modules as quickly as possible, with little regard as to whether the required technique has been mastered and suffi- ciently practised. Our training culminates in a test based on objective criteria accord- ing to ISO 3834 standards where the actual quality of a weld, including its height and thickness, for example, is assessed, not just the act of having completed a weld.”
• Minimise liability costs through appro- priate training of workers. • Access SETA grants, SARS tax benefits and BBBEE scorecard points for skills development. The apprenticeship scheme has also been proven to reduce training and recruitment costs. Once the training programme is com- plete, business’s gain skilled employees who are trained to industry standards and familiar with a company’s operations and culture. This provides a lower-risk, lower- cost style of recruitment and enhanced employee retention. To promote the use of this scheme, the SAIW is offering QCTO apprenticeship courses at its Johannesburg Headquarters with the potential for a satellite school in the Highveld Industrial Park in Emalahleni and a second potential site in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. www.saiw.co.za a number of other products that could be manufactured locally for markets in Gauteng and other regions,” he notes. “We envisage a Centre-of-Excellence (CoE) consisting of self-sustaining units that use advanced technologies to deliver key products for the South African market,” he tells African Fusion . As part of the CoE, Makgato suggests that the MSI will operate a research unit to explore both the market needs and the integration necessary to meet these needs. “The MSI sees a need to assist individual SMMEs with the challenges they are facing, finding solutions to their most pressing problems and fostering a cooperative ap- proach,” he adds. He hopes that four to five new com- panies can be incubated every year, and expects it to take three or so years to get each company to the point of sustainability. “As well as the equipment resources and technical skills, business and financial skills are also vital for sustainability and success. There are no fast ways to make SMMEs self- sustaining,” Makgato argues. “This region is a manufacturing hub for Mpumalanga, because of the many steel, petrochemical and mining sites in the area. The manufacturing sector contributes 17.2% to the GDP of the local municipality, which is significantly higher than South Africa’s overall GDP. We are determined to foster this growth and to expand the opportunities available to our local com- munities,” Bheki Mkhabela concludes.
As an Approved Training Body (ATB) under the IIW and a QCTO accredited train- ing institute, the SAIW is in a prime position to assist companies with the selection of candidates for its three-year apprentice- ship training scheme, which offers both QCTO and IIW Diplomas – the latter being recognised in 60 countries. The SAIW’s training methodology uti- lises both theoretical in-depth knowledge and practical real world skills. “There is a reason our QCTO programme takes three years, not three weeks as in many other institutions where training is rushed and based on the easiest methods of welding QCTO apprenticeships require the stu- dents to be signed up by their employers for three years, but only half of that time is spent at the training school. “The system works with about six months at the school and the other six months at the workplace, and not necessarily in continuous blocks. This means that employers will start to be able to benefit from their employees’ skills long before they are fully qualified,” Tarbo- ton notes, adding that nobody can learn how to weld at the high levels required by those fabricating pressure vessels, tanks, piping and structures in four weeks. “For any high integrity welding work, we need to be developing artisan welders,” he notes. “For specific jobs, however, shorter welding courses are often relevant and sufficient. The SAIW regularly takes on customised welder training to equip and
Business benefits The apprenticeship scheme is also not just a ‘nice to have’. It has tangible commercial benefits for companies, enabling them to: • Recruit and develop a highly-skilled workforce that helps grow their busi- ness. • Improve productivity, profitability and their bottom line. • Create flexible training options that en- sure staff develop the right skills. certify welders with the immediate skills needed to complete a job,” he adds. A Centre of Excellence for SMMEs Bheki Mkhabela from DEDT says that the Mpumalanga Provincial Government has also secured a substantial piece of land for a new business park in Middelburg. “We have funds and the land for a new facility for a number of different companies under- going incubation. We see this as a Future Production Technologies hub, where differ- ent SMMEs are incubated on the site, while collaborating with each other,” explains Mkhabela. “We have identified a range of typical products that can be manufactured here, such as corrugated stainless steel pip- ing, guttering, door and window frames, exhaust boxes, catalytic converters and
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SAIW Member Profile: EC and EBS
High-integrity training and fabrication for
African Fusion visits SAIW Members, Eduardo Construction (EC) and the EBS Training Academy (EBS) in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, and talks to Adelio Oliveira, technical manager for EC, and Johan Sack and Kobus Pieterse, the MD and Training manager of EBS, respectively.
E duardo Rodrigues, the visionary behind all the Eduardo Group com- panies, was one of the highly skilled welders imported from overseas for Es- kom’s expansion programme in the 1960s. He took advantage of the skills shortages of that time to establish a technical skills sup- ply and training company to meet industry needs in South Africa. “The volume of welding that goes into a boiler on the tubing side is just astro- nomical,” says Adelio Oliveira of Eduardo Construction (EC), and in the 60s, a huge number of welders were being brought in from overseas to meet that need,” he relates. “Our founder was quick to see the opportunity to develop and supply local skills to the African power and petro- chemical industries,” he notes. “The EBS Training Academy, however, was formed much later, in 2002, in col- laboration with Steinmüller Africa, contin- ues Johan Sack, the MD of EBS. “But the vision underpinning EBS goes back to the same need seen by Eduardo Rodriguez to develop the technical welding skills neces- sary for building and repairing power sta-
tion boilers and piping systems for South African industries,” he tells African Fusion . Core to this vision is the need for customised welder training to meet the specific needs of the power industry, as well as petrochemical, paper and pulp, steel-making and other industries requiring high temperature, high pressure equip- ment and piping systems. “EBS started out with a focus on developing our own skills for Eduardo Construction’s internal requirements, but we now service many clients in various industries. We also train apprentices through three-year QCTO pro- grammes,” says Sack. Kobus Pieterse continues: “The principal need in the power and other industries served by us are manual welding skills required for installation and repair of diffi- cult-to-reach piping: on tube walls and in heater bundles of boilers, for example. “Our training is therefore highly customised to meet the real welding conditions a welder is likely to experience in a boiler or in a particular industrial plant. We have spent a lot of time and effort developing simulation mock-ups of power station components
a newly qualified welder is about a third slower than an experienced welder, if employers are a little patient, their speed quickly picks up,” he says, adding that it is very important to avoid rushing a welder because that can quickly create repair rate problems down the line, which is counter- productive. In terms of training capacity, Pieterse says that the EBS Training Academy can accommodate 50 welders at any one time, some on short and some on longer welder training programmes. “Our shortest course is three weeks, which would qualify that welder for tack and/or down-hand MMA welding only. “If you’re talking about higher integrity pipe and boiler tube welding, which is our strength, then welders need to be able to weld pipe using TIG and MMA welding processes in the complicated positions associated with boilers and industrial plant piping. Our MMA course for pipe welding takes three months, and the TIG compo- nent will take another three months, with a further six weeks for simulated training in the tight, awkward, out-of-position welding environments in most plants,” he notes. From an accreditation perspective, he adds that welders must perform their qualification weld test pieces inside the different simulation stations before being coded for work in the power or petrochemi- cal industry. Sack adds: “Since 2002, we have trained so many welders that we sometimes fear generating an oversupply. But we have never yet found that to be the case. The
for various areas within the boilers. Similarly, our work teams are prepared for a par- ticular project based on that project’s specific work scope. “After a welder has been qualified for general pipe welding using the TIG weld- ing process for root welding, followed by MMA/stick weld- ing to fill the pipe joint, we then qualify him or her in-situ using our different simula- tions, materials, welding processes and procedures. This is the ultimate test, to make sure that welders quali- fied by EBS can complete real welding joints at the quality levels and within the time requirements of a project,” Kobus Pieterse says. “Time pressure is embed- ded into the training and, while we generally find that
At the EBS Training Academy, welders are usually qualified for general pipe welding using the TIG welding process for root welding followed by MMA/stick welding to fill the pipe joint.
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SAIW Member Profile: EC and EBS
SA’s power and petrochemical sectors
Above: Eduardo Construction has recently completed the last of 12 pairs of top and bottom tube plates for the replacement boiler reheaters at Lethabo Power Station. Left: EBS has spent a lot of time and effort developing simulation mock-ups of power station components for various areas within the boilers.
top and bottom, so that the reheater tubes can be slid in from the bottom up – and there are about six and a half thousand tubes per set. The allowable tolerances were extremely tight,” he point out. The replacement project involves re- moving everything from the old reheaters and replacing them. “Our part of this proj- ect is now complete. We’ve built all 12 sets for the six boilers at Lethabo, and it was a five year contract that we managed to complete in just over two years,” he adds. A few of the many other notable projects include: • The assembly and welding of main- steam form pieces for ESKOM’s Duvha Power station (2008 to 2011). • Pre-fabrication of piping spool pieces for the Wax Plant Upgrade at Sasol (2012). • Fabrication of both the Medupi and Kusile Re-Heater inlet and outlet tube bundles (2011 & 2012) and the Fabrica- tion of the Duvha Burner Mouth Open- ings Assemblies – 33 Units for Steinmül- ler Africa (2012-2014). • Site assembly and fabrication of the boil- er walls for units two to six of ESKOM’s Kusile Power Station, as well as the HAH Super-heater Vertical boiler walls and the HAD Evaporator Spiral boiler walls for units one to six (2012-2018). • Workshop fabrication of piping spool pieces with the onsite assembly and erection of the replacement boiler Soot Blower piping for the SAPPI Ngodwana Mill. While Oliveira concedes that a few jobs might be too big for Eduardo Construction,
need is as great as ever,” he points out.
Fabrication at Eduardo Construction An established market leader in the provi- sion of competent fabrication services to the power generation, steelmaking, pet- rochemical and mining industries in South Africa and abroad, EC employs specialist manual welders and other highly skilled artisans, supervisors, QC/NDT inspectors, heat treatment technicians and operators. “We have the proven skills, equipment, infrastructure and resources to execute mechanical engineering projects to exact- ing technical and quality specifications, within budget and agreed time-frames,” says Adelio Oliveira. “Our experience as a mechanical en- gineering contractor/subcontractor for mechanical erection, maintenance and refurbishment projects, has enabled us to develop an in-depth knowledge of the requirements of clients, particularly in the power industry, along with the pressures and deadlines that they experience,” he notes. Specialist in-house skills include: high pressure piping and pressure equipment; specialised welding; pipe fitting and boiler making; and general fabrication and con- struction. Citing a recently completed success, Oliveira says that the last of 12 pairs of top and bottom tube plates for the replace- ment boiler reheaters at Lethabo Power Station have just been completed. “Once a pair of these tube plates gets to site, they have to line up perfectly with each other,
Clear quality benchmarks for each of the qualification tests are on permanent display at the EBS training facility in Emalahleni.
Eduardo Construction provides fabrication services to the power generation, steelmaking, petrochemical and mining industries in South Africa and abroad. “there’s no job too small,” he assures. “We are willing to take on anything, no matter how small or how specialised the work. “We also have an extensive network within the Eduardo Group to assist us with the skills and other project resources we might need, as well as strong partnerships with sub-contractors and key clients in the power and other key industries in South Africa,” he concludes.
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AFRICAN FUSION
Cover story: voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa
voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa The best for the best
Martin Laren, CEO of voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa, with company COO, Christo Wiid, and quality, R&D and technical service manager, Annah Magopa, talk about the joint venture (JV) between voestalpine Böhler Welding and the local Linde Group company, Afrox, for the manufacturing and develop- ment of welding consumables in South Africa.
v oestalpine Bohler Welding Africa was established in 2020 as a joint venture (JV) between voestalpine Böhler Welding and Afrox, for the local development and manufacture of weld- ing consumables for sub-Saharan Africa. The plant, which is located in Brits in the Northwest Province of South Africa, was first established 1972 and has gone through several changes and improvements over the years. It currently employs 115 people and has an annual capacity of 7 000 t of stick electrodes. In response to a question about the initial focus of the JV and its current status, the JV CEO, Martin Laren says that the first phase of integration is now completed and the facility is an active member of the voestalpine Böhler Welding Group network. “There is, of course, more work to be done in order to make us fully integrated to the voestalpine Böhler Welding family. This
without forgetting the solid background, partnership and strong connection with Afrox. We will continue our work to further connect with various specialists within voestalpine Böhler Welding to exchange ideas and best practices,” he says. Some examples he gives are: • Global process development: To im- prove measurement and analysis, target setting, and to introduce best practices wherever possible and wherever they can further improve our current manu- facturing processes. • R&D, which is a big area for cooperation: Reviewing compositions, identifying new raw materials and introducing new and different welding consumables, etc. • Procurement: Access to a global pur- chase network will give us a lot of new opportunities for optimisation in terms of cost and quality. When asked about organisational chal-
COO, Christo Wiid, and quality, R&D and technical service manager, Annah Magopa. lenges and specific stategies to convince local employees to embrace the change, Laren says that change in an organisation is always challenging: “But there is a long tradition of welding electrode production in Brits and the employees are very profes- sional and specialised. My experience, so far, is only positive and our staff is highly motivated to continuously improve our factory performance and to drive change. “New inputs and ideas from voestalpine Böhler Welding, along with the opportunity to become part of a global company with a clear focus on the highest levels of process technology and product quality have all been only positive,” he adds. On the issue of collaboration of the JV partners, he says it is not without chal- lenges, but Laren is finding inspiration in combining the procedures and processes from two big welding companies to identify optimum solutions. “As a Joint Venture company, we have very strong support from both partners and we have a clear focus. Process and product development, global supply chain and application know- how is being supported by voestalpine Böhler Welding, while support for impor- tant key functions such as Purchasing, Finance, Human Resources and IT is coming from Afrox. It is a winning combination!” Also important for voestalpine Böhler Welding, Laren points out, are sustain- ability and reducing the plant’s carbon footprint. “In addition, compared to im- ports from overseas, we have significantly improved availability and lead times for key locally produced consumables,” he says. Christo Wiid, COO of the JV, who has a solid and long background in Afrox,
Martin Laren, CEO of the voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa JV, at the off-loading side of the continuous furnace.
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The highly motivated voestalpine Bohler Welding Africa team, from left: Gerrie Meyer, Mxolisi Maphanga, Alpheus Mogale, Annah Magopa, Vincent Sohkane, Dimakatso Mashilo, Christo Wiid, Legogang Menyatswe, Jonathan Maswanganyi, Riaan Baker, Barend Steyn, and Martin Laren.
incoming raw materials and wires, and our finished product testing laboratory for chemical and mechanical testing of the manufactured consumables and associ- ated weld specimens. The facilities are fully operational and utilised and will be further expanded by adding a weld demonstration and testing facility to support customers with weld tests, training and welder/pro- cedure qualifications,” notes Wiid. “We also have a lot more space at the Brits factory to further expand our locally manufactured product range and to grow locally produced volumes of the voestal- pine Böhler Welding and Afrox product ranges, along with strong commitment from both JV partners to make the neces- sary investments,” he adds. The production programme is very wide ranging, from high-quality 6013 rutile elec- trodes and basic coated 7018 low-hydrogen electrodes to stainless, heat resistant and repair and maintenance electrode compo- sitions. “We produce the well-known and recognised electrodes such as Vitemax, Co- balarc and CR70, but our programme is now also complemented by the world-famous Böhler Welding electrodes: FOX A-OHV, FOX A-EV 50-1 and the Avesta 308L-16, 309L-16, 316L-16 and 2209-17 stainless electrode. “The inputs and ideas we get from voestalpine Böhler Welding group company help us to overcome the challenges faced when it comes to the introduction of new or different raw materials and this also helps to further develop and improve our products,” says Annah Magopa, Quality, R&D and technical service manager. “As the only global welding consum- ables manufacturer with a local production facility to service the South African and the sub-Saharan African markets, there is a need to guarantee the high quality
continues: “The JV now has access to a wealth of experience and knowledge from the voestalpine Böhler Welding Group. Value has been added to all aspects of manufacturing: technology, manufacturing techniques, productivity improvements, materials knowledge and sourcing – the whole spectrum. “voestalpine Böhler Welding is a partner that truly understands welding electrode production. It is great to be part of this global company,” he says, adding, “and we are now well positioned to support the growth of this business.” Describing the new innovations and the range of welding consumables currently being manufactured at the Brits plant, Wiid says the plant has an excellent lay-out with very good material flow. Production is divided into two value streams: • A ‘Standard’ high-volume stream for ru- tile and basic, low hydrogen electrodes. These are produced in a highly efficient process with automatic batch weighing at the start of a high speed, twin head extrusion line with integrated continu- ous low and high temperature electrode baking. • A ‘Special’ stream for stainless, medium alloyed, heat resistant, repair and main- tenance electrodes produced on smaller extrusion lines followed by batch drying. Both value streams deliver product to semi- automatic packing lines that accommodate all the packaging options: standard cartons and vacuum packs along with small 1 kg and 2 kg packages. This combination is ideal to position voestalpine Bohler Weld- ing Africa as an efficient volume producer as well as a flexible producer for smaller batches of more specialised electrodes. “Furthermore, we are very proud of our facilities and equipment for testing
Laboratory Supervisor, Lydia Motaung, at the spectrometer for testing weld-metal chemical compositions of test specimens. standards that people have come to expect from the brands Böhler Welding and UTP,” she notes. Brits has a long tradition of producing covered electrodes and many of the staff were there in the early days of the company. “The team is highly motivated to further develop and improve processes, products and services to our customers and we continue to work to empower and develop our staff, while also advancing our B-BBEE status,” adds Laren. “Our Brits facility is solid and we have high levels of expertise in all areas. Af- rox electrodes are well known for their excellent quality and performance and, while it is always a challenge to introduce new products and processes, I am fully convinced that the Böhler Welding and UTP electrodes being produced also con- sistently meet the highest global quality standards as well as the expectations of all our JV customers,” Martin Laren concludes. www.voestalpine.com/welding
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SAIW’s positive influence on SDGs
SA’s National Welding Capability and its significance to the UN’s SDGs
SAIW recently published a report co-authored by SAIW and IIW Fellow, Chris Smallbone; and SAIW Executive Director, John Tarboton, about how the SAIW and the South African welding industry are positively influencing the United Na- tions’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). African Fusion extracts the highlights.
T he Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) and the South African Government are supporters of the United Nations (UN) project to continu- ously improve on the delivery, both locally and globally, of the 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) agreed to by world leaders in 2015. Citing South African and African Union initiatives written prior to the emergence of the SDGs, the report notes: • The 2012 adoption by the South African Government of The National Develop- ment Plan (NDP): Vision 2030 – ‘Our future, make it work’ as a development lodestar and roadmap. • The African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 – ‘The Africa we want’ , signed during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the formation of the OAU/AU in May 2013. South Africa has made progress in respect of some of the SDGs, but is confronted by ma- jor challenges on many fronts, particularly with its economy being on a prolonged low- growth path of less than 1.5% since 2016 and having shrunk by 6.43% in 2020. The levels of poverty, inequality and unemploy- ment are high (unemployment is currently at a staggering 45%) especially among the youth. Along with many countries, the Co-
vid-19 Pandemic has had a negative effect on the 2020-2021 period. According to the Global SDG Index, the country is ranked 107 out of 165 countries that reported in the current period. SAIW’s work on SA’s NWC and links to the UN SDGs Welding is an enabling technology used across almost all industries in South Africa and in a wide range of applications, from micro-joining of medical devices, electron- ics and photonics, to larger scale applica- tions such as bridges, buildings, ships, rail, road transport, pressure equipment and pipelines. The importance of welding to national economic performance can be demonstrated in numerous ways. It encompasses the total life cycle of welded products/structures including de- sign, manufacture, conformity assessment, inspection and testing, operation, main- tenance, repair and decommissioning, in- cluding recycling and other environmental conditions. It is critical to the infrastructure of any country. The welding industry is defined as those organisations and people: • Involved with the total life cycle of welded products/structures.
• Engaged in, or employing, any of the organisations or people involved above. • Supplying welding equipment or con- sumables or materials to be welded. • Involved with education, training, qualification, certification, research and development, work health and safety (WHS) standards and industrial relations aspects of welding. SAIW, together with its members and networks, has worked for many years on improving the nation’s National Welding Capability (NWC) and can point to many examples of implemented NWC initiatives that significantly progress the SDGs and improve the quality of life of people and the environment. Such initiatives include amongst oth- ers, education, training, qualification and certification of personnel to both national and international standards, assisting companies to meet exacting standards of customers, R&D and technology transfer. SAIW also assists in improving education and training to increase self-sufficiency and diversity in skilled personnel in South Africa and other African countries. SAIW’s excellent national and interna- tional networks of individuals and organisa- tions, including the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and its members, enables it to cooperate and collaborate with them and leverage many of the activities, includ- ing technologies, required to progress the various SDGs. The SAIW has also been a great support- er of the IIW and its initiative, to improve the global quality of life. Examples for each SDG are categorised in
At the of heart of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): an urgent call for action.
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SAIW’s positive influence on SDGs
sustainability of the industry, guiding its stabilisation and progress and thus opening up more career opportunities. In addition, the introduction of new and appropriate fabrication technologies asso- ciated with the IIoT will boost productivity, reduce waste, expand business models and be more responsive to market needs, all of which can contribute to a reduction of poverty levels. SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture Low-cost investments in better nutrition for children can lead to better education and more productive adult lives. Research in Ghana and Malawi has shown that as little as US$5 00 per month can save lives and transform livelong prospects, and that each dollar spent delivers US$36 00 of social returns. SAIW has many examples of how weld- ing technologies developed over the years have contributed to food security and the reliability and integrity of food processing plant and equipment. • Collaborating with organisations such as the Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda) and the Aluminium Federation of South Af- rica (AFSA), SAIW has also contributed to our local ability to build, repair and maintain plant and equipment for food processing and transportation and agri- cultural facilities. • The hygienic requirements of the food and beverage industry place high de- mands on the welds used for tanks,
the report, although many are interlinked. “Hopefully, the examples given under each SDG will lead to mutually beneficial projects between the SAIW, the different tiers of government in South Africa, the welding industry and aid agencies,” write Chris Smallbone and John Tarboton. The challenges facing South Africa are immense, the report suggests, with more than half of South Africa’s 60-million people living in abject poverty. The vast majority these people simply want a decent job, food, education, health, safety and security and a roof over their heads for their family as well as a decent environment to bring up their children. The SAIW initiatives help progress such wishes: SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere • Industrialisation through manufacturing and construction can lead to economic growth and the associated creation of quality jobs with a high labour absorp- tion rate. In metals manufacturing and construction, welding is the enabling technology that allows industrialisation to take place. • As a career choice, welding is able to ab- sorb unskilled, poorly educated people and give them in-demand, well-paid, quality jobs. • Further education and training create career path opportunities to even better jobs in the welding industry. SAIW is also supporting the South African Steel and Metal Fabrication Master Plan 1.0, which aims to improve the long-term
Welding technology is an enabling technology used across almost all industries in South Africa. Photo: SAIW Member, Turmill Proquip Engineering, 2019 pipes and vessels. Most notably in the dairy and other food and beverage in- dustries, South African fabricators make significant efforts to ensure that the weld integrity is adequate and that the surface finishes meet specified requirements for hygiene. • South Africa has excellent opportunities for promoting urban and rural ‘start-ups’ in the food, beverage and agriculture sectors, which can start with young people acquiring basic skills in welding and go through to engineering personnel with degrees and diplomas. • SAIW’s members also supply significant support to farmers, including subsistent farmers, for the construction, mainte-
SAIW has more than 250 companies certified to the IIW Manufacturers Certification Scheme according to ISO 3834, thus helping cities and human settlements to be safe, resilient and sustainable. Photo: SAIW-certified ISO 3834 company, FFS Refiners, 2017.
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SAIW’s positive influence on SDGs
South African industry resulted in an outstanding outcome in improving quality of life and ongoing opportunities for young people.” • The Australian Federal Government later supported SAIW in the training of 20 disadvantaged people in South Africa as welders and, through the South African Fabrication and Construction Training Trust Fund (SAFCTF), hundreds more were trained at SAIW as welding inspectors, welding supervisors and NDT personnel [12]. • A major training project involving over 20 countries in Africa was initiated and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to promote radiation-based NDT techniques [13]. South Africa and Tunisia played very effective coordination and implementation roles and this project led to the formation of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Develop- ment and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA). Projects continue to this day. • Since 1994, SAIW has been involved with a number of initia- tives with UNIDO [5] and this has continued, most recently with UNIDO creating a video showcasing SAIW’s capabilities and facilities in Johannesburg. Locally, the SAIW has offered training and personnel qualification for more than 30 years. The Institute is regarded as the industry standard in South Africa and this is backed by international rec- ognition. Achievements include: • SAIW and IIW welding inspector training, qualification and certification programmes have qualified over 5 000 individuals. • 2 300 certificates have been issued in the main non-destructive testing (NDT) methods during the past eight years. • Nearly 30 000 days of welder training having successfully taken place on a variety of courses to meet the standards required for employment in industry. • Since 2003, 150 International Welding Engineers (IWEs) have been trained and qualified at the Universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand, 171 International Welding Technologists (IWTs), 257 International Welding Specialists (IWSs), 117 International Welding Practitioners (IWPs), while 58 International Welders have been trained and qualified. • The SAIW has managed and administered the South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Inspectors of Pressurised Equipment (SAQCC IPE) and the South African Qualification and Certification Committee for NDT personnel (SAQCC NDT) for over 30 years, ensuring that South Africa has sufficient competent personnel in these fields. • In 2014, SAIW formally established the SAIW Foundation to provide training to disadvantaged individuals across the broad spectrum of welding specialisations and allied technologies. Some nation-wide local initiatives include: • In 2016, SAIW was selected by the Department of Higher Educa- tion Centres for Specialisation project to implement the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) National Artisan curriculum for welding in TVET (Technical and Vocational Edu- cation and Training) colleges [6]. • To ensure that it complies with the appropriate accreditations, SAIW Certification has been approved as an IIW Authorised Nominated Body for Company Certification (ANBCC), an IIW Authorised Nominated Body (ANB) and a MerSETA (Manufac- turing, Engineering and Related Services SETA) accredited training provider. In welding related fields, all this has contributed significantly towards the equitable quality education goals embedded in UN SDG 4 – in South Africa and Africa.
SAIW and IIW welding inspector training, qualification and certification programmes have qualified over 5 000 individuals. Photo: SAIW Graduation, 2018. nance and repair of agricultural equipment and plant. A key objective for our industry, therefore, should be to train as many people as possible in food related sectors to equip them with the welding skills and knowledge to deliver local support. SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages The continuous well-being of people in our country depends on accessibility to health systems to increase life expectancy. Weld- ing contributes to meeting various medical objectives and many are implemented by IIW Members in the SAIW networks. Examples include: • Plant and equipment to produce pharmaceuticals, medical gases and medical radioisotopes, which are classified as es- sential products. Using the research reactor SAFARI-1 South African Manufacturer, NTP Radioisotopes, produces these for use in local and international hospitals. • A number of SAIW company members produce medical gases and are involved in installing them into the national networks of hospitals and medical facilities. The criticality of this industry was highlighted recently by the massive need for oxygen during the COVID-19 crisis. • SAIW also plays a key role from a health and safety viewpoint, enabling the appropriate standards, guidance notes and educa- tional materials to be used throughout the country to continu- ously improve the well-being of people working in the industry. SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Education and training is the SAIW’s core strength and the Institute has created and implemented many lifelong learning opportuni- ties, both in its own right and from within the International Institute of Welding (IIW). The SAIW has also helped to establish closer partnerships between higher education institutions and industry, and the de- velopment of effective, affordable training systems to contribute to national economic development, international competitiveness and the attainment of social goals. Examples of education initiatives involving overseas partners include: • The Canadian, Dutch and South African Governments were persuaded to provide the funding to train and qualify 65 dis- advantaged people in NDT at SAIW. An IIW success story about this states: “This wonderful team effort, between three national governments, industry bodies, national welding institutes and
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SAIW’s positive influence on SDGs
SDG 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls SAIW has always been involved in programmes promoting women and girls to enter welding related fields at various levels and areas such as education, training, research, development and technology transfer, accompanied by the appropriate career paths. Examples include: • The implementation of scholarships and support for STEM initia- tives targeting gender equality and greater diversity. • The SAIW Foundation’s recent collaboration with ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to train six Grade 12 learners as IIW Inter- national Welders. South Africa’s water resources are at a critical point with challenges such as: amount available; unequal distribution and access to clean water; quality and state of water infrastructure; droughts caus- ing towns to run dry; and corruption that has affected municipal treatment plants, resulting in sewage flows into streets, rivers and groundwater. It is anticipated that the country’s water demand will outstrip supply by 2030. South Africa also has highly variable rainfall. The use and benefit of improved welding fabrication and construction technologies that can mitigate against low rainfall and drought, most notably, desalination and water recycling plants, can truly assist the country in this regard. SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainability management of water and sanitation for all SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all ESKOM supplies 90% of South Africa’s electricity with 80% of this being generated by coal-fired power stations, and the remainder from one nuclear power station, a handful of smaller pumped storage and hydroelectric stations, and a growing number of wind and solar energy farms. ESKOM, SAIW and its member networks work closely with each other to ensure the competence of manufacturers and maintainers of South Africa’s power equipment. As well as present reliability and pollution aspects associated with the coal-fired fleet of power stations, a major challenge being faced is the need to transition to clean and renewable energies, such as solar, wind and hydro. SAIW’s networks are involved in helping the development of affordable, reliable, sustainable and clean modern energy for the country, including developing indus- tries competent to manufacture and maintain renewable energy equipment and components. Up to 2030, however, even with a determined effort to move to cleaner energy sources, coal, oil, gas and nuclear energy plants will require the same attention to reliability in service as is currently provided by the technologies, personnel and companies in SAIW’s member network. SAIW is also supporting the growing need for the welding technologies needed to support the transfer to newer energy technologies. SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth There are many factors that can have a positive effect on the growth of a country’s economy. Some of these involve creating the correct cultures within the country. For example, SAIW has had a positive influence on cultures related to ethics, skills respect, productivity, quality, work, health and safety, environmental, innovation and service excellence amongst others in the welding related industries.
Through welding promotions and competitions, the SAIW advances welding as a career choice that can upskill people and give them in- demand, well-paid, quality jobs. Photo: SAIW’s Young Welder of the Year, 2013. Examples of how these can contribute to an excellent national welding capability can be easily shown. SAIW and its members, being in the “welding industry”, have a positive effect on economic growth. Innovation and the need to have competent people to play their parts in innovation also places emphasis on the importance of education, training, qualification and certification of people as well as certification of companies in the country to improve this SDG. These are areas in which SAIW plays a significant role. Its strategies to assist companies with new and appropriate technologies, links with education and training organisations and the excellent success of its ISO 3834 company certification programme with over 250 companies certified, all contribute to improving this SDG. SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation For successful, sustainable and innovative industrialisation, a coun- try needs a skilled workforce, which must include qualified and certified personnel in welding and related services. Ever since its formation in 1948, SAIW, its members and its networks have been involved in meeting these needs, while building up a vast array of resilient world-class infrastructure in South Africa. In further of support of SDG 9: • SAIW inspires an innovation culture, both in itself and in the country, where everybody is encouraged to contribute towards bringing in something new and to make changes. • SAIW, its members and networks have been at the forefront of welding related research and development and the diffusion and marketing awareness of new and innovative technologies. • SAIW is a leading provider of the skills people need to develop and deliver new and innovative technologies through world- class training programmes. • South African industry has helped ensure, through its involve- ment with the SAIW, and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the development of national and international stan- dards for the integrity and reliability of resilient infrastructure, and SAIW regularly organises seminars for the industry, dedi-
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