Argentine Welding Association

The Argentine Welding Association is an NGO whose mission is to provide products and services to our members and our industry with the advancement of science, technology and application of welding materials and related processes.

They sent us the following information related to the organization that will surely be of interest to professional welders in Argentina.

On December 26, 1996, a non-profit entity called Argentine Welding Association, aimed at promoting the development of the welding sector in Argentina at all levels. To this end, the following purposes are defined: convene and organize the Argentine welding community, promote the development of the welding sector, train and prioritize the profession of welding instructors, defend the interests of the welding community, establish and strengthen links with international entities linked to the welding sector. The first Directive Commission of the AAS was constituted by President: Dr.-Ing. Mario SOLARI; Vice President: Engineer Oscar CASTRO; Secretary: Ing. Pablo MARINO; Treasurer: Ing. Juan Antonio ALONSO; Titular Vocals: Mr. Juan Carlos MACHADO; Ing. Carlos Antonio PIEKLO and Ing. Guillermo OPORTO; Substitute Members: Maria Cristina TIRACCHIA; Ing. Hydeé Blanca NOCETI; Ing. Juan Carlos PRECE; Ing. José Gabriel CASAS; Mr Robert

PACINI. The Oversight body was made up of Mr. Eugenio PARDAL and Ing. Gonzalo BORI and substitute Ing. Luis Basas Arenillas.

ASA Background

The AAS has as its antecedents the Argentine Welding Institute (IAS) of outstanding performance during the 1970s. The Argentine Welding Institute (IAS), a member of the IIW, was dissolved as an association at the beginning of the 1980s, and its activity, library, IIW membership, and main referents led by Ing. José PALMA and Ing. Jorge BENHAYON, were transferred to the Instituto Argentino de Siderurgia (IAS), acting as the IAS Welding Committee. Some of the founding members of the AAS participated in both institutions, so we can affirm that the AAS maintains the continuity of the activity and fills a need in terms of the existence of a non-profit professional association. In the 90s, the Latin American Welding Foundation, FLS, together with the Technological Cooperation Project between Germany and Argentina sponsored by the GTZ (Cooperation Agency belonging to the German government), led by Mr. Raul TIMERMAN and Ing. Luis De Vedia, had an important role in the development of welding in Argentina. The FLS continued with some of the IAS activities such as IIW membership and the library, which were eventually transferred by IAS Siderurgia to the FLS.

The creation of the AAS was promoted by the GTZ Project both by contributing financially to the formation of the new association in 1996, and by inviting the President of the AAS to Germany to participate in the ESSEN Welding Fair together with the FLS.

Argentine Welding Congresses

The First Argentine Welding Congress was held in November 1978 at the Centro Gral. San Martín, Buenos Aires, with more than 300 participants from 14 countries. Its organization arose from a proposal from the DTS, Welding Technology Division, INEND Department, Gcia. Development, CNEA, presented to the Argentine Institute of Welding to carry it out jointly. The organizing committee was chaired by Dr. Mario Solari (Head of the DTS, CNEA and Director of the CNEA SECYT Welding Technology project) with the Authorities of the First Congress President: Ing. Jorge M. Benhayon; 1st Vice President: Ing. Heraldo Biloni; 2nd Vice President: Ing. Jose Palma; and Secretary General: Lic. Raul Timerman. The organizers of the Congress were: National Atomic Energy Commission, Argentine Welding Institute, OEA CNEA Multinational Metallurgy Program, and SECYT CNEA Welding Technology Project. The Congress was inaugurated by Dr. Castro Madero (President of CNEA). From the II to the VIII Argentine Welding Congress they were organized by the Welding Committee of the Argentine Iron and Steel Institute, formed after its integration with the Argentine Welding Institute. The IX Congress was organized by a group of professionals and companies independently, given that the Welding Committee of the Argentine Iron and Steel Institute had been dissolved. While the X Congress was proposed and organized by the Argentine Welding Association in order to continue the activities of the welding community that in the past were channeled by the IAS. Subsequent welding events were and are sponsored by the AAS.

Brief History of Postgraduate Courses in Welding

It is natural that education and training at the highest level of specialization in welding, Welding Engineer, is a mission of the University, due to the complexity and depth of knowledge required. The university has not always had a leading role in this matter. An analysis of the subject carried out in the United States has shown that there is no time left in an undergraduate degree to receive the specific courses required for a welding specialist. While in order to be a specialist, it is necessary to previously know mathematics, physics, chemistry, computing, materials science, electricity, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, etc., at a level compatible with that achieved by engineering graduates. Therefore, specialization in welding is offered internationally through postgraduate courses taught by Universities or Welding Institutes of recognized prestige.

The European Economic Community has set the minimum requirements for the education of the European Welding Engineer. Guidelines that have been developed by the National Institutes of Welding within the framework of the International Institute of Welding (IIW).

In our country, in the 1970s, during the period of great development of nuclear technology, there were short welding courses and “Welding” had been introduced as a subject in some undergraduate courses. In 1979, the Rosario Regional National Technological University (UTN) created the first Postgraduate Course in Welding Engineering, lasting two years, granting the university degree of Welding Engineer. This experience, although successful, could not be continued due to lack of financial support.

In 1980, a 480-hour Postdoctoral Seminar on Welding was held at the National Atomic Energy Commission, CNEA, taught by top-level international experts and financed by the OAS.

In 1981, the quality assurance regulations applicable to the Atucha II Nuclear Power Plant Project required the presence of Welding Engineers in the manufacture of national components. Although there were Argentine professionals with extensive experience in welding, there was no systematic training in this regard.

ENACE SA, architect – engineer of the Atucha II Project, organized with the SLV – Duisburg (Germany) (part of the DVS German Institute of Welding) the dictation of a course at the level of Welding Engineers that was developed in Duisburg in 1981 and was intended for the training of Argentine specialists.

In 1982, the CNEA proposed and organized the First Welding Science and Technology Course, a 400-hour postgraduate course that was given at the headquarters of the Argentine Iron and Steel Institute. Five courses were given with more than 110 graduates. Graduates of the course were recognized in the nuclear field. The course program was carried out on the basis of the European Welding Engineering Course, meeting the requirements of topics and class hours. At the suggestion of CNEA, the Course was transferred to the University environment, with some courses organized by IAS-UBA. During some years of the 90’s, due to lack of interest in industrial production, this postgraduate course was discontinued, contributing to the current deficit in the training of professionals in this specialty. At the end of the 1990s, the National Technological University, Regional Cuyo, promoted the organization of the postgraduate course for Welding Engineers, obtaining the approval of the specialization course by the rectorate of the UTN. This course was implemented first in Mendoza and then in Buenos Aires through the Regional Haedo and the support of the IAS. Currently the program is in force and follows the guidelines of the IIW European Welding Course and is the natural continuation of the CNEA IAS course.

The UTN course for welding specialists was promoted by the Argentine Welding Association, AAS. The AAS considered that there was capacity and experience to teach the postgraduate course in the country with Argentine professors, recommending the development of a program similar to the IIW within the Argentine university environment. To achieve international recognition and certification, the AAS proposed to negotiate an agreement so that graduates of specialization courses held in the country, who have followed international guidelines (UTN Course, CNEA-IAS-UBA Course), can take an examination before recognized experts capable of issuing the international certification.