History
History
The Austrian Oxyacetylene Association (founded in 1905) establishes in 1930 its own instructional and testing institute, the Schweißtechnische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt (in Vienna 1180, Schumanngasse 31).
• In December 1938 the first courses for girls and women are starting.
•September 1st, 1945 the Institute is renamed to Schweißtechnische Zentralanstalt (SZA).
• On the 8th of June 1948 the International Institute of Welding (IIW/IIS) is founded by SZA and 13 other national welding associations in Brussels. The goal of the organization is to have a constant exchange of experience and expertise on international level in regards to the further development of welding.
• Since June 30th, 1948 SZA is authorized by the Austrian state as an official testing institute for welding technology.
• Due to the increasing demand for welding educations a new home for SZA is built in the Viennese Arsenal (1030 Wien). At the completion in 1966 it houses the largest clamping frame in Austria as an important contribution to Austria’s industry and research.
• In January 1979 the name of SZA is extended to SCHWEISSTECHNISCHE ZENTRALANSTALT – INSTITUT FÜR SCHWEISSTECHNIK, WERKSTOFF- und BAUTEILPRÜFUNG.
SZA is now also accredited for non-destructive testing and comprises different laboratories, auditoriums and several training workshops.
• In 1992 the European Welding Federation (EWF) is co-founded by SZA who now holds the Authorized National Body (ANB) for Austria, the supervisory body for the European joining qualifications and welding instruction
• Since 1999 the ANB is also authorized for international IIW- and EWF-courses and extends its educational program to Hungary, Indonesia, Egypt, Iran and Albania
• Due to further demand of space a 5 story center of education and testing is built from 2010 to 2013 next to the original building, which accommodates also cooperation partners in education and testing.
• 2017 the training and testing activities except for the ANB are swapped out to a new legal body, SZA GmbH, which goes into liquidation due to economic problems by 2019. The training and testing activities are taken on by the cooperation partners on the site Franz-Grill-Straße 1,1030 (Arsenal).
Subsequently the association „Schweißtechnische Zentralanstalt” is reconsolidated in October 2019 and SZA is now representing as Responsible Member Society (RMS) of the IIW Austrian’s joining technology on international stage in the well-known way.
As Authorized Nominated Body (ANB) of EWF and IIW-IAB SZA is educational sovereign of international joining technology in Austria.
The new headquarters since 2020 of the association and the ANB at the Austrian chambers of trade, commerce and industry in 1040 Vienna allows optimal conditions for the synergies of SZA with trade, industry, economy and training institutes.