The 2024 (8th) International Conference on Robotic Welding, Intelligence and Automation (RWIA'2024) and the 15th Chinese Conference on Robotic Welding (CCRW'2024), hosted by the Robotics and Automation Professional Committee of the China Welding Society and other academic institutions, and organized by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, were held as scheduled at Shanghai Jiao Tong University from November 15 to 17. More than 200 domestic and foreign representatives attended the conference.

The opening ceremony of the conference was hosted by Professor Zhang Guangjun, executive chairman of the conference, professor of Harbin Institute of Technology, and rotating director of the Robotics and Automation Professional Committee of the China Welding Society.

At the opening ceremony of this conference: Professor Wu Lin of Harbin Institute of Technology, former Vice President of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), former President of the China Welding Society, one of the founders of China's robotic welding technology field, and Researcher Song Tianhu, former Supervisory Director of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, delivered video and online speeches respectively; Professor Zhou Wei, President of the International Society For Intelligent Manufacturing and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, attended the on-site meeting and delivered a speech; Professor Li Xiaoyan, Professor of Beijing University of Technology, BoD and Chairman of the Technical Committee Board (TMB) of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), and Vice Chairman of the Welding Branch of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering, attended the scene and delivered a speech on behalf of the Welding Branch of the Chinese Society of Mechanical Engineering; Secretary Sun Lizhen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, attended the meeting and delivered a speech on behalf of the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Chairman of this conference, former Director of the Robotics and Automation Professional Committee of the China Welding Society, Yangtze River Scholar of the Ministry of Education, and Professor Chen Shanben of the School of Materials of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, attended the on-site meeting and delivered a thank-you speech.

The invited keynote speeches of this conference include: Professor Zhou Wei from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, "The Current Status of CoRobot Welding", Professor Skachkov Ihor from Patton Welding Institute, Ukraine, "Welding Process Monitoring Method Based on Artificial Intelligence", Professor Zengxi Pan from University of Wollongong, Australia, "Automatic Offline Programming of Ship Automation Robot Welding", Professor Yongxian Huang from Harbin Institute of Technology, "Robotic Friction Stir Welding and Its Derivative Technologies", and Senior Editor Hu Yin from Springer Publishing, "AI in book publishing at Springer Nature: Current State of TIWM Development and Recommendations". In addition, there are more than 20 invited technical reports and invited reports, and more than 50 oral reports selected by recommendation (Selected paper).

Representatives including Professor Jiao Xiangdong from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Professor Yang Xinhua from Dalian Jiaotong University, Professor Xue Jiaxiang from South China University of Technology, Professor Zhang Yi from Hunan University, and Professor Lu Hao from Shanghai Jiaotong University attended the event and hosted special keynote speeches.

At this meeting, well-known scholars and enterprise experts from major universities at home and abroad gave group reports on the themes of international robot welding, intelligence and automation, and arranged for the meeting representatives to go to Shanghai 3Srobotics Technology Co., Ltd. for on-site inspections and technical visits. Discussion. The research and application issues of intelligent welding manufacturing technology and its future progress were discussed with attending experts, young and middle-aged scholars and corporate technicians, establishing a good communication bridge for future exchanges between scholars.

This conference has received the full support of many experts, scholars and colleagues in the field of robot welding, intelligence and automation at home and abroad. The three-day academic conference is rich in content and covers a wide range of topics. The research direction covers robot intelligent welding technology, in-depth Learning, digital twin technology, quality online monitoring, arc physical characteristics and control, corrosion mechanism and protection, welding subject bibliometric research, including arc welding, plasma welding, laser welding, laser-arc hybrid welding, Narrow gap welding of large components, robot friction stir welding, metal surface deposition repair, and 3D printing. The materials studied include aluminum alloys, stainless steel, ultra-high-strength steel, nickel-based high-temperature alloys, and high-entropy alloys. It not only provides a forum for exchanges in multidisciplinary fields such as welding manufacturing, automation, and artificial intelligence, but also provides a platform for companies to display their results and introduce technology.