The WaterJet Technology Association-Industrial & Municipal Cleaning Association, WJTA-IMCA, from the United States, gathered 1,022 attendants from 30 countries in its annual expo, held on November 2–3, in New Orleans.
Ninety-five exhibiting companies displayed a focused 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 water-blast tools and equipment; parts and ancillary supplies; industrial services contractors and more.
The educational Boot Camp sessions covered water-blasting safety devices, foot protection, automation in tube bundle cleaning, electronic driver log requirements, hydro blast training, and best practices, verified ground and diesel engine runaway protection for vacuum trucks, pressure loss, and trends in the hydro excavation.
A 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.
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