IT HAS BEEN 70 YEARS …

The Welding Technology Institute from Gliwice celebrates its 70 jubilee in 2015. Ever since the first International Fair of Welding Technology and Equipment edition the Institute has been a part of the expo.  The Institute's history and present-day challenges for the welding industry is discussed with Professor Engineer Jan Pilarczyk PhD Hab., Director of the Welding Technology Institute.

- Professor, with the 70 years; hindsight, how has the Institute's function changed?

- In 1945, when the Institute was founded its sole role was to train professional welders; they were essential for the post-war reconstruction of the country. After a few years the Institute followed a natural way development and thus had developed to become a research institution. Until now this has been one of the most important tasks of our institution has taken upon itself. To some extent we are also into trainings, however this is much more advanced level compared to what we did in the past. Trainings are targeted at welding engineers, and technologists; the curricula follow the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and European Welding Federation (EWF) guidelines as well as the Welding Technology Institute's own programmes.

- Not only does the Institute, but you also celebrate your anniversary in the capacity of the many-year Welding Technology Institute's director.

- Speaking about facts an figures, it has been 52 years since I started cooperating with with the Institute, I have been its manager for 25 years. I joined the Welding Technology Institute in 1963 when I was an engineer. Initially I performed laboratory research. Over the years of my professional development, it was the turn of 89 and 90, I ran in the first competition designed to select the Institute's director. Now this has been my 5's term of office.

As the first director who had been selected in the competition, I had the chance to experience a truly historical moment of Poland's social and economic transformation. The Institute used to be funded from other financial sources, all of the sudden it had to face the new reality and become a self-financing company. The original idea of a research and design centre had become obsolete. The free market economy, competition and sensitive business information have resulted in creation of laboratories and design offices in particular companies. Thus our business operations were based on different legal requirements i.e. the Research Institutes Act. That all was a considerable challenge.

- Over 70 years, the welding industry has advanced to become one of the most innovative industries. Many of us have not even realized that they deal with welding on daily basis ...

- For many years, the Welding Technology Institute played the role of research and construction centre to serve the industry's needs; it supported manufacturers of welding consumables and equipment, it also developed hundreds of new welding, soldering, pressure welding, padding technologies.

But for the new welding technologies, we would not see modern bridges, ships, cars, trains as well as simple, everyday life things.  Design and production process require different materials to be combined and put together. This creates a considerable challenge for welding, triggers and demands continuous research process. We try to provide greater durability, strength, flexibility of welded elements.   

Gas welding used to be the basic method, now virtually no one uses it. Arc method followed. Recent decade's achievement is demonstrated in laser methods which become better and better. Lasers and great potential they offer change the modern welding industry.

- Does the Kielce expo keep up abreast the latest changes and developments?

- Every year, every consecutive exhibition there are new companies which join the Kielce expo, they bring novelties along. Among novelties there are also laser technologies put on show by several companies, such as Trumpf Poland. Problem-focussed laser-technology related seminars promise to be really interesting; these sessions accompany the trade show.

The Welding Technology Institute has been a part of the International Fair of Welding Technology and Equipment WELDING ever since the expo was created. The 10th edition is about to commence. What is your assessment of this exhibition industry's sector's development over the years?

- It has changes because exhibitors have also been changing the way they showcase their products and services. Today, not only do expos provide information access. This function has been taken over by the Internet today. Trade shows make appliances available for visitors, they wish to see machines and technologies in operation, they want to see the real results.

In my opinion there are too many industry fairs - there are ones in Krakow, Sosnowiec, Poznan, Kielce. This number of trade show depreciates the exhibitions' prestige. Yet expos offer a chance to meet people, face to face contacts between business-insiders is invaluable from the perspective of contemporary welding industry's development.  

- Thank you for the interview.