Theresa Arndt and Christian Held were at the 77th IIW from July 7 to July 12, 2024. The IIW is an annual international conference hosted by the International Institute of Welding. This year, it was held in Rhodes, Greece, with over 1,000 participants. Commission XVI of the Annual Assembly is all about "Polymer Joining." This year, Commission XVI was held over three days, with lots of contributions on different joining processes for plastics. Theresa Arndt and Christian Held also shared the latest finding from their research projects, "Anvil-free ultrasonic welding" and "SMC/BMC direct screw fastening," in front of Commission XVI. The presentations were well received and led to some great discussions, where new insights and ideas were shared. At the IIW's social events, such as the German Delegation Meeting or the National Evening, new contacts were made and existing ones were strengthened. One of the highlights of this year's IIW for the KTP was the awarding of Prof. Schöppner for his many years of service to the IIW.
