The WaterJet Technology Association-Industrial & Municipal Cleaning Association (WJTA-IMCA) welcomed 1,075 attendees representing 30 countries to the 2015 WJTA-IMCA Conference and Expo held November 2-4, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. The Conference/Expo is a unique event worldwide, and attendees travelled quite a distance to participate.
Ninety-one exhibiting companies displayed waterjet and industrial cleaning supplies, equipment, systems and services, industrial vacuum trucks and hydro-excavators, and related services. The 2015 exhibits experienced particular growth in hydro-vac trucks and contractors showcasing their equipment and services.
The pre-Conference workshop, Waterjet Technology: Basics and Beyond, was held on Monday, November 2. The course covered the history of waterjet technology, fundamentals, applications, equipment, UHP and abrasive cutting applications, and safety.
The educational Boot Camp sessions covered the power of industrial vacuum, pressure loss in waterjet systems, hands-free hydro-excavation, a training program for entry level waterblasters, waterblast nozzle selection, static electricity in HAZLOC vacuuming operations, and robotics in hydrodemolition.
End users and automation developers discussed how the design and application of automated high pressure waterjet cleaning equipment has improved safety, productivity and the quality of industrial cleaning during a panel discussion on Tuesday, November 3. Panelists included Evans Barber, Dow Chemical Company; Rodney Branham, BASF Corporation; Dana D. Moore, E.I. DuPont; Roger Raney, HydroChem, LLC; Joost Ballieux, Peinemann Equipment B.V.; and Rawlin Brown, StoneAge, Inc. The panel discussion was moderated by Kerry Siggins, StoneAge, Inc.
Live demonstrations included surface preparation, industrial vacuuming, robotically controlled shotgunning systems, heat exchanger and tube cleaning, waterjet cleaning at 55 kpsi, advanced controls, new pumps, and more.
Some of the world’s leading engineers and researchers shared the latest technological developments during paper presentations. Topics covered abrasive jet applications, material removal and the environment, jet forces and cut surfaces, drilling and mining, efficiency enhancement and cleaning and blasting.
The WJTA-IMCA awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 3. Lydia Frenzel, Ph.D., Vancouver, WA, received the Pioneer Award in recognition of her significant contributions to the advancement, development and application of waterjet technology for surface preparation and coating removal.
BASF Corporation and The Dow Chemical Company received the Safety Award in recognition of their owner leadership in driving improvement in hydroblasting safety processes and automation.
StoneAge, Inc., received the Technology Award in recognition of major contributions to the development and application of hands-free waterjet technology.
The 2015 Service Award was presented to Kathy Krupp, Lake Jackson, TX, in recognition of her service to the WJTA-IMCA.
“Enhancing the Adhesion Strength of Cold Gas Dynamic Sprayed Coatings by Preparing the Substrates with the High-Frequency Pulsed Waterjet,” authored by M. Vijay, A. Tieu, W. Yan, B. Daniels, and M. Xu of VLN Advanced Technologies, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and B. Jodoin, T. Samson, D. MacDonald, R. Fernández, and M. Yandouzi of the University of Ottawa, received the 2015 Best Paper Award.
In addition to the show’s pronounced international growth, a highlight of this year’s Conference/Expo was the increased representation and involvement from the end users – the plants and customers of waterjet/industrial cleaning services. A major goal of WJTA-IMCA is to bring together manufacturers, contractors and end users for the betterment of the industry.
Another highlight was the focus on new technologies and robotic hydroblasting applications. Many vendor displays and demonstrations were geared toward “hands-free” robotic applications. With more plants and refineries nationwide requiring hands-free hydroblasting solutions, the WJTA-IMCA Expo serves an important need in showcasing these technologies and helping to educate the industry.
Thanks to the sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees. The 2015 Conference and Expo was a great success, with increased participation at all levels.
WJTA-IMCA will return to the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, November 2-3, for the 2016 Expo. New Orleans provides excellent options for entertaining and networking and an exciting, world-class destination while remaining in close proximity to the gulf coast industrial base.
Details will be available at www.wjtaimcaexpo.com as they become available.