| FAREWELL This 170th issue is the last one of the Practical Welding Letters being published online.
Upon retirement, for more than fourteen years, I came up every month, trying to bring
welding news and reports on innovations to the attention of all those that expressed their interest in the subjects treated,
by subscribing at no cost to this publication. It was quite challenging, at times, to keep up with my obligation to the readers.
I got sometimes encouraging notes and comments, but most of times my monthly publications elicited no reaction whatsoever, leaving me wondering on what should I write and how.
However hard to admit, only a small fraction of the recipients bothered to open the files.
To all others the mere opening would have been a useless distraction unworthy of their time, unavailable even to unsubscribe. Nevertheless, from my point of view, it was a serious, worthy exercise that helped me remain updated on many items that collectively marked the progress of welding technology and of knowledge.
For this I am grateful to this readership that gave me the opportunity to keep busy throughout retirement.
And I got
also the chance to entertain correspondence with a few kind persons who helped me with their questions, contributions and comments.
Now it is for me the right time to retire for good. While looking around and thinking on welding, I came up with a new idea for an innovation I would like to introduce, a new process directly challenging the well known Linear Submerged Arc Welding (LSAW), especially for thick plates.
In principle it should be working with remarkable advantages (substantially shorter welding times
and consumption of much less energy).
It is however nothing more than a combination of two well known and used processes. For the time being I am still trying to find someone interested in developing and trying the new process. It is out of doubt that those depending for their living on successful results from their welding activities, manufacturing or commercial, should be specially alert to remain always informed on the changing
conditions of preferences and of markets.
New technologies, new materials and new requirements may render obsolete traditions that were acceptable for decades. Therefore everyone should try to keep updated, by finding out how to seek essential new knowledge, to maximize the collection of necessary information at minimal cost.
If this publication was a window through which glimpses of interesting news could be picked up, to be followed and pursued if important, now that it is being closed, it could be advantageously substituted with other sources readily available to curious seekers. Substantial information, albeit somewhat biased, can be found with major welding equipment and materials manufacturers.
For keeping updated on welding innovations, subscriptions are available
for the American Welding Society's Welding Journal at
www.aws.org/publications/weldingjournal
and, for materials and metallurgy, from ASM International
at
www.asminternational.org I will end this farewell with my best whishes of good health, prosperity and happiness to all readers. Yours faithfully,
Elia Levi | 
