Basis of this E-Training
Welding operations in the areas of steel structures, transport and maintenance shall comply with AS/NZS 1554 series. The standard specifies a range of quality requirements including qualification testing of welders. It requires welders to be qualified to AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 or AS/NZS 2980. The first option is the one preferred by the industry is not industry-specific and can therefore be utilised across a range of applications and industries, including the manufacture and repair of pressure equipment. AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 allows welders to work across the industries and countries. It is anticipated that AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 will eventually replace AS/NZS 2980.
AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 requires that the test weld be made by the welder following a suitably qualified weld procedure (WPS), or draft procedure (pWPS), provided that the latter is successfully qualified in conjunction with the weld test. The procedure shall be prepared in accordance with the application standards (AS/NZS 1554.1, AS/NZS 3992, ISO 15609-1, ASME IX etc.) It shall contain all requirements needed by the welder to reproduce the weld as specified within the appropriate application standard.
In order to successfully pass the (re)qualification test the welder needs to have adequate manual manipulation skills and job knowledge required to setup the job in accordance with the welding procedure (WPS).
Job knowledge requirements within AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 are optional, and whilst syllabus items are as defined within its Annex B, it is noted that these items remain consistent with related standards such as AS 1796 theory syllabus, competency requirements. Welders who have successfully completed the existing AS/NZS ISO 9606-1 theory training, can usually be deemed to comply by the examiner.
The welder is a key part of the welding quality management system (QMS) to AS/NZS ISO 3834. He/she should be familiar with the key aspects of the system such as quality documentation, procedures and ITPs as well as individual inspection stages. The welder shall be able to inspect his own work before Fabricator’s and third-party inspection. It includes visual checks to establish compliance of the weld with that required in the WPS and fabrication documentation. Introduction to welding QMS and welding inspection training for welders is included in this course as two separate modules.
It is recommended that the fabricators working under AS/NZS 5131 Construction Category CC3 and CC4 should employ welders with the Job Knowledge Test endorsement.
Automated and mechanised welding systems, where the required welding conditions are maintained by mechanical or electronic means but may be manually varied during the process are increasingly used in welding fabrication and manufacturing. The operators for these systems shall be qualified in accordance with ISO 14732. A functional knowledge test is compulsory according to ISO 14732 welding personnel – qualification testing of welding operators and weld setters for mechanized and automatic welding of metallic materials. This compulsory requirement can be fulfilled through HERA’s training.