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Shipbuilding and Aluminum Conference
April 13-15, 2026 | New Orleans, LA
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Agenda At-A-Glance
Agenda At-A-Glance
Connect with Industry Leaders at the Shipbuilding and Aluminum Conference
These sessions offer more than just presentations – they’re an interactive platform to connect with thought leaders, ask questions, and gain actionable strategies. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn from industry trailblazers.
Day One | Monday, April 13th
TIME
FUNCTION
8:00 AM
Registration | Continental Breakfast with the Exhibitors
8:30 AM
Shipbuilding Welcome & Introduction
Kevin Roossinck
Kevin Roossinck
8:45 AM
Keynote Address
Three Decades of Welding Requirement Development, Drivers and Challenges, an ABS Perspective
Marcus Cridland
Three Decades of Welding Requirement Development, Drivers and Challenges, an ABS Perspective
Marcus Cridland
9:30 AM
Increased Efficiency and Welding Quality in Shipyard Applications – A European Perspective
Boyan Ivanov and Max Lautenbach
Boyan Ivanov and Max Lautenbach
10:00 AM
Laser Welding in Shipbuilding: From Early Adoption to Production Use
Zack Sanders
Zack Sanders
10:30 AM
Coffee Break with the Exhibitors
11:00 AM
Carpenter Technology Rapid Innovation and Development Methodology
Humberto Raposo
Humberto Raposo
11:30 AM
Enabling Single-Pass Heavy-Plate Welding in Shipbuilding with Electromagnetic Weld Pool Backing
Fatma Akyel
Fatma Akyel
12:00 PM
Lunch and Networking with the Exhibitors
1:00 PM
Rethinking Robotic Welding in Shipbuilding
Peter Alink
Peter Alink
1:30 PM
Smart Robotics in Shipbuilding: Turning Complexity into Competitive Advantage
Jukka Rantala
Jukka Rantala
2:00 PM
Advanced Robotics for Shipbuilding
Alex Ugarte
Alex Ugarte
2:30 PM
Coffee Break with the Exhibitors
3:00 PM
Taking the LEAP: Using Selective AI to Solve Shipyard Welding Challenges
Kyle Drummer
Kyle Drummer
3:30 PM
The Shipyard Highly Adaptive Robot Kit
Chris Baker and Herman Herman
Chris Baker and Herman Herman
Day Two | Tuesday, April 14th
TIME
FUNCTION
8:00 AM
Registration | Continental Breakfast with the Exhibitors
8:30 AM
10 Common Automation Pitfalls and the Right Solutions: Material Flow in Shipbuilding
Dan Colvin
Dan Colvin
9:00 AM
A Comparison between Cold Metal Transfer and Pulsed Multi Control Gas Metal Arc Welding Technologies
Brian Davis
Brian Davis
9:30 AM
Meeting the Mission: Additive Manufacturing in Naval Construction and Sustainment
Micah Keller
Micah Keller
10:00 AM
Coffee Break with the Exhibitors
10:30 AM
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing of ER316LSi Components
Ben Schaeffer
Ben Schaeffer
11:00 AM
Integration of Additive Manufacturing into Naval Ship Construction
Kevin Finn
Kevin Finn
11:30 AM
Implementing New Technology into Submarine Construction
Vincent Mangino
Vincent Mangino
12:00 PM
Lunch and Networking with the Exhibitors
1:00 PM
Aluminum Welcome & Introduction
Andrew Pfaller
Andrew Pfaller
1:15 PM
Keynote Address
Keynote Presentation TBA
Bruce Albrecht
Keynote Presentation TBA
Bruce Albrecht
2:15 PM
Global Supply and State of Aluminum
Carson Williams
Carson Williams
3:00 PM
Break with the Exhibitors
3:30 PM
Understanding and Applying AWS D1.2:2026
Mike Iverson
Mike Iverson
4:15 PM
Making the “Unweldable” Weldable: Material Science and Simulation for Advanced Aluminum Welding
Jeph Ruppert
Jeph Ruppert
5:00 PM
Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall
(Both Conferences)
(Both Conferences)
Day Three | Wednesday, April 15th
TIME
FUNCTION
8:00 AM
Registration | Continental Breakfast with the Exhibitors
8:30 AM
TIP TIG
Juvenal Calvo
Juvenal Calvo
9:15 AM
Innovations in Aluminum GMAW for High Speed, High Efficiency Welding
Vladimir Yasnogordsk
Vladimir Yasnogordsk
10:00 AM
Changing the Game with Handheld Laser Welding
Andrew Pfaller
Andrew Pfaller
10:45 AM
Coffee Break with the Exhibitors
11:15 AM
4XXX vs 5XXX. When and Where?
Sean Walkowski
Sean Walkowski
12:00 AM
Getting a Handle on Aluminum: Cut, Prep, Weld
Steve Bajcer
Steve Bajcer
12:45 PM
Lunch and Networking with the Exhibitors
1:45 PM
Aluminum Weld Repair
Thomas Pfaller
Thomas Pfaller
2:30 PM
Application and Qualification of Aluminum for Wire Arc DED
Slade Gardner
Slade Gardner
3:15 PM
Coffee Break with the Exhibitors
3:30 PM
Friction Stir Welding in Aluminum Shipbuilding: Performance, Efficiency, and Structural Advantages
Blake Breaux
Blake Breaux
4:15 PM
A New Look at an Old Technology - High-Current-Density GMA Welding of Aluminum
David Hebble
David Hebble
5:00 PM
End of Conference