laser vision scanning of welds

The Inspection Expo & Conference (IEC) took place February 5–7, 2025, in St. Louis, Mo., drawing inspection industry professionals from across the country and the world. This collaborative event, organized by AWS, the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP), and the Nondestructive Testing Management Association (NDTMA), offered participants a multifaceted experience.

Attendees connected with leading experts, explored cutting-edge developments, and built professional relationships with peers dedicated to inspection excellence and materials integrity. The conference featured in-depth sessions on advances in welding inspection, nondestructive examination (NDE), coating inspection, and structural steel inspection. Participants discovered sector-specific applications, received updates on evolving industry standards and certification requirements, and participated in meaningful exchanges regarding professional ethics.

Celebrating IEC’s third edition, Richard Holdren, AWS’s 2025 president, delivered the opening welcome speech, describing it as “the only conference by inspectors, for inspectors.” Holdren emphasized the importance of diversity and cross-industry collaboration and encouraged attendees to visit exhibitors and attend sessions from different tracks to gain diverse perspectives. He concluded by thanking the planning committee, the conference co-chairs, and the AWS staff for all their efforts in making this year’s IEC a reality.

Michael Turnbow, a retired Tennessee Valley Authority executive with over 35 years of NDE experience and current chairman of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) NDE personnel qualification and certification project (ANDE), delivered a keynote addressing major challenges in inspection reliability, personnel qualification, and the need for improvement in certification standards. Turnbow spoke about ANDE-1, ASME Nondestructive Examination and Quality Control Central Qualification and Certification Program, a performance-based qualification standard incorporating the Systematic Approach to Training (SAT). This methodology, successful in military and industry applications for over 70 years, enhances human performance and efficiency by allowing progression based on demonstrated proficiency rather than time-based requirements.

IEC will return in 2026. For more information, visit the conferences page at aws.org/community-and-events.

CARLOS GUZMAN (cguzman@aws.org) is managing editor, digital and design, and Inspection Trends editor.