Nuclear Fabrication Consortium Annual Meeting Announced - Hosted by EWI

EWI to Host Second Meeting on Nuclear Advancement

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Nuclear Fabrication Consortium (NFC) announced today that it will hold its annual meeting on September 21 & 22, 2009. EWI will host the event at its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and the keynote address will be given by United States Senator George Voinovich (R-OH). Senator Voinovich is a member of the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate Change, and Nuclear Safety.

The NFC is working to reconstitute the fabrication supply base and to identify and support collaborative manufacturing technology development efforts, which can provide reduced plant costs and increase quality and safety while enabling development of key components for next-generation nuclear systems.

"We're excited about the potential of the Nuclear Fabrication Consortium. Many of the challenges facing the industry are at the supply chain and plant fabrication level," remarked Craig Hansen, Vice President and Product Line Manager for Nuclear Manufacturing at Babcock & Wilcox, a charter member of the organization. "The NFC is set up to tackle those types of issues using EWI's expertise in close cooperation with industry and other stakeholders."

The NFC was launched in July 2008 by EWI as a collaborative effort between the nuclear industry's utilities, OEMs, system manufacturers, and component suppliers. At the initial kick-off meeting, held in 2008, industry leaders defined the NFC concept over two days of interactive discussions. Participants outlined over 200 issues and concerns regarding gaps and needs in workforce training and development, materials and manufacturing technologies, compliance with codes and standards, knowledge management, and cultural issues across the industry. These needs have been formulated into a Core Studies program which will be discussed at the upcoming meeting.

The upcoming meeting will seek to approve the NFC charter and provide updates on the state of the nuclear industry and key technology areas. Those interested in attending the invitation only event should contact Jerry Oliver, NFC Chairman, at joliver@ewi.org.

About EWI

EWI is a leading engineering and technology organization dedicated to materials joining and allied technologies. We provide applied research, manufacturing support, and strategic services to nearly 2,800 member company locations of global leaders in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy and chemical, government, heavy manufacturing, and electronics industries. Visit ewi.org for more information.