Lastly, in 1938 A. P. M. Fleming was elected president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, a pinnacle of professional achievement and a fitting recognition of his pioneer work in the twin fields of engineering education and research.

WORKS MATTERS
The rapid growth of fabrication by welding required a new tank shop, which was laid out in 1929 by T. Dooley under T. Campbell, the transformer superintendent. The standards engineer was made responsible for a close liaison between the drawing offices and tank shop with a view to helping the draughtsmen to introduce welding into their designs, but three or four years later the greater amount of fabrication made it necessary for each drawing office to have its own welding expert. A welding school was started to give initial training and refresher courses to welders on the Company's staff; this was very helpful during the subsequent changeover from covered electrodes to bare wire.

In 1930 G. E. Bailey, appreciating the important part of fabrication in manufacture, inaugurated a separate 'steel products' department with Campbell as its first superintendent. The motor application section of the general engineering department, set up two years before, was made responsible for development work, and an engineer was appointed to coordinate the use of welding in the shops and the design of welding equipment. Many of the new welding sets were given trial runs in the tank shops: the first welded gear-case for steam turbines was made in 1930, and the first combined cylinder and condenser in 1931. By this time transformer tanks, bedplates, yokes, and a variety of other products were in regular production. In 1934 a separate shop was provided for the manufacture of welding equipment.

The growth of welding naturally affected the iron foundry. Some of the simpler designs such as bedplates, stator frames, and condenser shells were being fabricated. but the demand for turbine cylinder castings increased and is still large. The foundry turned out its biggest cylinder casting in 1935: it weighed 64 tons and required five ladles to pour it. Condenser shells up to 16 ft 6 inches in diameter were also cast.

The original pattern shop still survived, but a growing stock of patterns meant that less space was required for patternmaking; parts of the department were progressively taken over for other work. In 1937 a new pattern shop was built, and the old building was completely occupied by the instrument and meter department.