Author: GAWDA MEDIA

The gas supplier’s quick guide to excelling and surviving in the upcoming high-speed race for change and perfection. By Robert Gerry, CRO, Lampton Welding Supply During the 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention in Tampa, Lampton Welding Supply CRO Robert Gerry took part in the industry panel during the closing General Business Session. During that session, Robert alluded to the pace of change in our industry as “approaching light speed” and compared it to Star Wars and the Millenium Falcon. Following the Convention, Robert sent over the article below to discuss that point further. If you dare to reach forward to hit…

A big thank you to the entire team at Earlbeck Gases & Technologies for hosting GAWDA Media for a facility tour in July 2025. It was a fantastic opportunity to see your operations up close and experience the culture of excellence you’ve built.We’d also like to offer a warm congratulations to Allison Earlbeck on her new role as GAWDA President for 2025-2026 − an exciting chapter ahead for her, Earlbeck Gases & Technologies and the association.

Datacor sponsored the Photobooth at the  2025 GAWDA Annual Convention President’s Farewell Gala. The Gala was held at the Motor Enclave in Tampa, Fl.

TRACKABOUT: Voice-to-Text That Speeds Cylinder Registration Tired of keying long serials, dates, and specs with cold hands and a line of cylinders waiting? TrackAbout’s new voice-to-text turns asset registration into a hands free and heads up task. Speak the values, keep moving, and let the system capture what used to slow you down. WHY IT MATTERS Manual entry is slow, error-prone, and tiring. Cylinder setup asks for serial numbers, manufacturer details, sizes, contents, test dates, and more. Every extra tap invites a mistake or a redo. Voice-to-text, delivered through TrackAbout’s Voice Activated Workflows, helps teams enter accurate information faster, with…

In high-purity, corrosive, and toxic gas services, the design and cleanliness of cylinder valves are not just operational details—they are critical safety determinants. Even a single particle, droplet of moisture, or trace amounts of incompatible material can trigger chain reactions leading to leaks, fires, or explosions. Real-world incidents have demonstrated that inadequate valve design or cleanliness has caused fatalities, equipment destruction, and extended production downtime. As reported by Peng et al., “According to a survey by SEMATECH for silane incident, cylinder valve involved in about 16.3% of the incidents and is the second largest source of equipment involved in silane…

As part of its continued push to help GAWDA members get the most out of their membership dues in the association and stay on the front lines of emerging industry trends and hot-button issues, GAWDA has several volunteer committees devoted to specific areas of the industry. The volunteer committees include Government Affairs, Industry Partnering, Insurance & Benefits, Member Services, Safety, Technology, Women of Gases and Welding, and Young Professionals.This feature in Welding & Gases Today will update readers on the latest news and events from each committee. We thank all the committee chairs for their help and input, as well…

When Eric Wood officially accepted the mantle of GAWDA Presidency, he immediately had enormous shoes to fill. Not only was he accepting the presidency from Gary Halter, fresh off of his IMPACTful year as President, but he did so following in the footsteps of his own father, Craig Wood, who previously served as GAWDA President. And on top of that, he did so as GAWDA celebrated its 80th Anniversary in 2025. So, it was especially poignant, when Woody selected “Sustaining a Resilient Culture” for his theme as GAWDA President. He worked all year, meticulously crafting two conferences and countless other…

Tired of manually setting up new accounts, logging cylinder information, and calculating rental costs? Save time, eliminate human error, and achieve cost savings with the introduction of new Datacor AI technologies, to be rolled out in stages over the next 12 months.  The following information is a summary of an interview with Lou Zhang, Senior Lead, Data Science at Datacor who is a key contributor to the Datacor AI initiatives. USE CELL PHONE CAMERA TO STREAMLINE DATA ENTRY  The first AI feature to be rolled out in 2025 includes the use of a cell phone camera to input information quickly and…

GAWDA Concludes 80th Anniversary Celebration With an Incredible Convention 2025 has been a milestone year for GAWDA, as we have spent the entire year commemorating our 80th Anniversary. That celebration culminated with the 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention in Tampa, Florida. More than 900 GAWDA members converged in the Sunshine State for four days of unparalleled networking, education, and camaraderie. This year’s theme was “Sustaining a Resilient Culture,” and GAWDA and its members were up to the task, as we continued to show what has made GAWDA great for eight decades. The show had something for everyone, from the inspirational, to…

The 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention Kicks Off with Newcomers and President’s Welcome Receptions The 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention saw the return of the GAWDA Guides Event during the Newcomers Reception. The GAWDA Guides originally debuted during the 2025 SMC in Dallas. This year’s GAWDA Guides Program was revamped slightly, as the Guides (a who’s who of industry legends) brought their newcomers’ around to learn more about GAWDA’s different committees. It was an excellent way to get newcomers’ acquainted, not only with each other, but also with all GAWDA has to offer. The Newcomers’ were given a BINGO board to fill…