The WaterJet Technology Association-Industrial & Municipal Cleaning Association (WJTA-IMCA) welcomed 1,022 participants representing 30 countries to the 2016 WJTA-IMCA Expo held November 2–3, at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. 2016 represented the Expo’s third year in New Orleans.
Ninety-five exhibiting companies displayed a focused but impressive range of equipment and services, including high pressure pumps and robotic tools for industrial cleaning and surface prep; industrial vacuum trucks, hydro-excavators and combo units, including water recycling hydro-vacs; tank cleaning pumps and robotics; sewer cleaning and inspection; advanced wireless controls and automation; manual waterblast tools and equipment; parts and ancillary supplies; industrial services contractors and more.
The educational Boot Camp sessions covered waterblasting safety devices, foot protection, automation in tube bundle cleaning, electronic driver log requirements, hydroblast training and best practices, verified ground and diesel engine runaway protection for vacuum trucks, pressure loss, and trends in hydro excavation.
An exciting new panel discussion covered the future of the industry, focusing on issues including advancements in plant protocols, special applications (refractory removal), advancements in technology, water recycling, mergers and acquisitions, and workforce issues.
Live demonstrations included new pumps, robotic shotgunning systems, heat exchanger cleaning, industrial vacuum trucks and hands free robotic vacuuming, dry ice blasting, automated indexing of tube bundles, coating removal/surface prep, and more.
A special WJTA-IMCA awards presentation was held on Wednesday, November 2. WJTA-IMCA has in the past presented awards only in odd-numbered years in conjunction with the association’s biennial technical conference. The Safety Award was presented to the WJTA-IMCA Safety Committee for High Pressure Waterjetting and the Owner Working Group for High Pressure Safety in recognition of their outstanding efforts to review, revise and update the Recommended Practices for the Use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment.The document has now been released as the Industry Best Practices for the Use of High Pressure Waterjetting Equipment.
In addition to the show’s pronounced growth in exhibit space and industrial contractors, a major trend was the increased participation from a broadening range of facility/asset owner representatives. WJTA-IMCA will return to New Orleans for the 2017 Conference & Expo, October 25–27. Details will be available at www.wjtaimcaexpo.com.