IIW White Paper

9.

Needs and challenges of major industry sectors for future applications

T o become more competitive globally, all industrial sectors will continue to strive for more innovative, integrated, efficient and safe ways of doing business. At the same time, the need to protect Mother Earth also means that design, manufacturing, construction, operational and repair processes must give sustainable development in a sustainable environment. The challenge to upgrade existing products, manufacturing methods and plants has to be in place to meet environmental friendly standards. This means that, in supporting these demands in all industrial sectors, technological advances in material and welding processes have to keep pace. The needs of, and challenges for, major industrial sectors are reviewed and briefly outlined in the following sections.

The pie chart of welding market per industrial sector is shown in Figure 9.1 . The main driving factors behind the development of joining technologies for sheet and plate, are the automotive and shipyard industries.

Global welding market by end users

Shipbuilding & Offshore Construction Automative/Transport Pipeline & Pipe mills Energy Oil, Gas & Process All other

Figure 9.1 The welding market for consumables, equipment and services is estimated to be about US$15 billion ( Reproduced courtesy: ESAB)

9.1 Energy sector The European Community Framework Programme (FP7) describes the overall objective for the 21 st century with the following statement; “ Adapting the current energy system into a more sustainable one, less dependent on imported fuels and based on a diverse mix of energy sources, in particular renewables, energy carriers and non polluting sources; enhancing energy efficiency, including by rationalising use and storage of energy; addressing the pressing challenges of security of supply and climate change, …” Such world-wide strategic objectives for sustainable, competitive and secure energy sources creates new technological challenges to materials scientists and welding technologies to create new infrastructure and to maintain safe structural performance during operation.

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Through Optimum Use and Innovation of Welding and Joining Technologies

Improving Global Quality of Life