Welder certification

Basic Principle of Certification

Industry standards establish a series of technical rules for systematic testing of welders and thus allow guaranteeing qualification confirmation regardless of product type, location, examiner or examination organization.

Purpose of Welder Certification

The purpose of qualification certification of welders and welding operators is to guarantee that in working on a product, the corresponding welding processes will be performed by qualified personnel in compliance with regulatory requirements to ensure safety and reliability during operation in the product consumer country.

To achieve the certification purpose, it is necessary for the welder to confirm the ability to produce a weld seam on metal that meets regulatory documents using welding equipment, as well as the skill to follow oral or written instructions according to the current standard.

International Welder Certification

Welder certification according to European standards:

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) adopted ISO standards for welder qualification (ISO 9606), replacing the European EN 287 series.

EN ISO 9606 Standard

Consists of five parts under the general title - "Qualification testing of welders. Fusion welding". Dedicated to manual or partially mechanized fusion welding processes of various metallic materials.

• EN ISO 9606-1 -steel and alloys;
• EN ISO 9606-2 -aluminum and aluminum alloys;
• EN ISO 9606-3 -copper and copper alloys;
• EN ISO 9606-4 -nickel and nickel alloys;
• EN ISO 9606-5 -titanium and titanium alloys, zirconium and zirconium alloys.

Fully mechanized and automated welding processes are covered by EN ISO 14732.

EN ISO 14732 Standard

Qualification testing of fusion welding operators and resistance welding setters for fully mechanized and automatic welding of metallic materials.

Personnel performing exclusively programming of welding equipment or actuating devices do not need to undergo qualification testing.

Welder certification according to North American standards

In accordance with ANSI - American National Standards Institute requirements, welder certification is conducted under programs of authorized organizations, three main organizations:

• AWS -American Welding Society;
• ASME -American Society of Mechanical Engineers;
• API -American Petroleum Institute.

Approval (confirmation) of welder qualification is conducted according to requirements of various standards.

Updated welding standards contain requirements for design, welding procedures, welder qualification, product manufacturing, inspection and repair of structures, structural profiles that are subject to static or cyclic loading:

Examples of AWS standards:

• AWS D1.1 -structural steel welding;
• AWS D1.2 -structural aluminum welding;
• AWS D1.6 -stainless steel welding;
• AWS D1.9 -titanium welding;
• AWS D1.5 -bridge welding;
• AWS D15.1 -railway rolling stock welding;
• AWS D17.1 -aerospace welding.

Examples of API standards:

• API 1104 -welding for pipeline construction;
• API RP 577 -welding inspection and metallurgy;
• API RP 582 -welding guidelines for chemical, petroleum and gas industries.

Examples of ASME standards:

ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code Section IX – Qualification standard for welding, brazing and fusion processes technology; welders; brazers and welding brazing and fusion operators.

For Canada, welder certification is conducted according to standards of the responsible body - CSA - Canadian Standards Association.

Welder Certification in Russia - NAKS

All welders and welding production specialists engaged in work on facilities supervised by Gosgortekhnadzor of Russia (hazardous production facilities) must be certified in the welder and welding production specialist certification system.

Certification is conducted in accordance with regulatory documents:

• RD 03-495-02 -"Technological regulations for certification of welders and welding production specialists";
• PB-03-273-99 -"Rules for certification of welders and welding production specialists".

The authorized body to conduct certification is the self-regulatory organization NAKS Association - "National Welding Control Agency" and other accredited companies.

4-level NAKS certification system:

• Level I- certified welder;
• Level II- certified master welder;
• Level III- certified welding technologist;
• Level IV- certified welding engineer.

Welder certification is conducted separately for 29 different types (methods) of welding (surfacing) of metals, for example:

• RD- manual arc welding with covered electrodes;
• RDV- pool manual arc welding with covered electrodes;
• RAD- manual argon arc welding with non-consumable electrode;
• MADP- mechanized argon arc welding with consumable electrode;
• MP- mechanized welding with consumable electrode in active gas environment and mixtures. And others...

Welder Certification Services

RBI Concept provides services for international certification of welders, welding operators and welding technology certification.

We verify practical skills and theoretical knowledge of welders and are accredited as a certification body. All our inspectors undergo certification and have education within international welding education (TWI, IIW, AWS) or equivalent, which guarantees compliance of the issued certificate with European and international requirements.

We offer international welder certification for compliance with requirements of:

• European Union EN ISO 9606-1, EN ISO 9606-2, EN ISO 9606-3, EN ISO 9606-4, EN ISO 9606-5, EN ISO 14732, EN 13585, EN 13067 and others.
• Various regulatory documents of the European Union, such as: PED, TPED, SPVD CPR.
• German technical rules AD 2000-Merkblatt, standards of ISO 3834, EN 1090, EN 15085 series.
• American Welding Society (AWS).
• American Petroleum Institute (API).
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Approach to Welder Certification

• It is assumed that the welder has received special education and/or has industrial practice in the field.
• In welder certification, practical skills in handling welding tools (electrode holder, welding torch or gun) are primarily evaluated, ensuring production of welded joints of appropriate quality.
• In certification of mechanized or automated welding operators, the ability to work on a specific type of welding equipment is evaluated.
• Also during certification, it is necessary to successfully pass a theoretical examination on functional knowledge of welding equipment and welding technology knowledge.

Certification Procedure

The customer enterprise ensures the following:

• Completion of certification application.
• Preparation of preliminary welding procedures - pWPS (preliminary welding procedure specification).
• Certificates for base materials and welding materials.
• Technological capabilities for conducting the necessary set of non-destructive and/or mechanical tests with involvement of qualified personnel conducting tests and equipment with necessary metrological service or possibility of engaging third-party organization for testing.
• Technological capabilities for performing control welded joints at their production site.

RBI Concept – examination organization provides:

• Preparation of certification plan providing for minimum necessary number of welded samples and certificates to be issued.
• Expert presence during certification.
• Verification of candidates' theoretical knowledge.
• Supervision of welding process (which may partially be transferred to the customer's welding supervisor).
• Visual inspection after welding.
• Testing surveillance in own laboratory or sending samples to third-party laboratory.
• Completion of examination reports (TUV template).
• Document review.
• Results evaluation.
• Certificate issuance.

Welders can be certified either on the territory of their own organization (plant) or at our certification centers, with provision of appropriate certification conditions.

Testing and certificate issuance are usually completed within a week. The certificate is issued in digital form or paper form on TUV Rheinland letterhead.

Certification can be performed in the following sequence:

1. Verification of theoretical knowledge of welders and welding operators.
2. Welding of control welded joints according to pWPS (preliminary welding process specification).
3. Sample testing (non-destructive testing and required volume of mechanical tests).
4. Collection of necessary documentation on materials and control.
5. Certificate issuance.

Certificate Issuance

Documentary confirmations of international welder qualification are the welder certification certificate or welder qualification record (WPQ- Welders Performance Qualifications).

Our Accreditations

RBI Concept is accredited in accordance with PED Directive 2014/68/EC, giving the right to certify personnel of manufacturers of pressure equipment.

We also have EN ISO / IEC 17024-accreditation EA BAS, which can be used in all areas of production except PED. EA BAS is a signatory to MLA.