ISO 3834 Welding process certification

ISO 3834. Quality Management System Certification for Welding Processes

Standards in the field of welding production regulate all its stages - from design to manufacturing and control of welded products. Standards include requirements for welding processes, quality control of welded joints, and personnel qualification for performing welding operations in all industries. Compliance with regulatory documents is often a mandatory regulatory requirement or customer requirement to ensure proper control and properties of welded joints that may affect product performance characteristics.

Furthermore, compliance with welding standards for most standards for manufacturing vessels and equipment operating under pressure is a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining a certificate of conformity for this type of product for deliveries to foreign markets.

Certification Objectives According to ISO 3834

• Confirmation of compliance with mandatory legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Achievement of production process stability, high quality of provided services and products.
• Confirmation of suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the implemented quality management system.
• Reduction of production costs, reduction of costs for non-conforming products, savings of raw materials, energy and other resources.
• Compatibility of the quality management system in welding processes with practices in EU countries, rapid adaptation to EU requirements.

Application of ISO 3834

ISO 3834 establishes requirements suitable for various situations. They can usually be applied in the following cases:

• in contract conclusion - to determine requirements for welding quality;
• by manufacturers - to establish and fulfill technical requirements for welding quality;
• in developing norms and rules, as well as standards defining requirements for welding quality;
• by organizations that evaluate performance quality, for example independent testing organizations, customers or manufacturers.

ISO 3834 can be used by internal and external organizations, including certification bodies, to assess the manufacturer's ability to satisfy customer requirements, rules/norms or the manufacturer's own requirements.

ISO 3834 certification may be necessary for organizations that produce welded products, especially those that will subsequently be used in equipment operating under pressure. This standard is also applied in conjunction with the QMS standard for building metal structures EN 1090 and the QMS standard for railway transport welding EN 15085 (serving as their basic foundation regarding welding production requirements).

Structure of the ISO 3834 Standard Series

The standard consists of the following parts:

• Part 1. Criteria for selecting the appropriate quality level.
• Part 2. Comprehensive quality requirements.
• Part 3. Standard quality requirements.
• Part 4. Basic quality requirements.
• Part 5. Documents necessary to ensure compliance with ISO 3834-2/3/4 quality requirements.
• Part 6. Technical report on the guidance for applying ISO 3834-2/3/4.

ISO 3834 Certification Services

• Consulting on ISO 3834 compliance confirmation issues.
• Product conformity assessment according to ISO 3834.
• Preparation and conducting of laboratory tests in the EU.
• Technical documentation preparation.
• Complete certification process support.

ISO 3834 Assessment Procedure

To ensure reliable and efficient production, management personnel must understand and evaluate sources of potential risks and implement appropriate procedures to manage them.

According to the type of construction and own resources, the manufacturer can choose one of three quality levels: comprehensive, standard and basic (Parts 2, 3 and 4 respectively). Each regulates different levels of product quality requirements based on the following criteria:

• degree of product hazard;
• production complexity;
• range of constructions;
• range of applied materials;
• volume of operations;
• risks of defect occurrence and their degree of influence on product characteristics.

When checking compliance with the "comprehensive" level during assessment, three areas are considered:

• Implementation and maintenance of a quality management system (QMS).
• Presence of a welding supervisor with competence in the areas of design, production and testing of welded components at the level of an international welding engineer, with strictly defined responsibility and authority in accordance with EN ISO 14731.
• Certified welding personnel for compliance with EN ISO 9606 requirements. In case of mechanized or automatic welding work, operators must also be certified for compliance with EN ISO 14732. Non-destructive testing personnel - according to EN ISO 9712 standard.

The "standard" level differs from the previous one in the first point, which states that only the presence of a documented and implemented quality manual (or technical and production instructions and other specifications) is necessary. During the audit, only verification of process interaction is conducted.

When assessing at the "basic" level, the presence of QMS and a welding supervisor is not required. The manufacturer must confirm knowledge of quality and welding process control requirements. Welders must be certified according to EN ISO 9606, and operators of mechanized and automated welding according to EN ISO 14732.