Welding procedures qualifications and welders qualifications

For the construction of welded manufactured products it is necessary for manufacturing companies to have qualified welding procedures and welders, with reference to the standard in force (ASME, American, and EN, European). These qualifications must be issued by a recognised third party.

Welding procedures qualifications
The achievement of a welding procedure qualification consists of several phases, under the supervision of the recognised third party:

• Preparation of WPS welding specification, which will be used as basis for the welding sample;
• Performance of a welding sample under the supervision of the authorised technician and the Third Party in charge, according to the WPS, needs and applicable standards;
• Performance of NDT and laboratory tests on the welding sample, as requested by applicable standards and any contractual specifications.

Welders and welding operators qualification
The qualification of a welder or of a welding operator can be carried out both simultaneously with the welding procedure qualification or on its own.
The tests to which a welding sample shall be subjected to qualify a procedure are usually more than enough to achieve both the welder or welding operator qualification.

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