Welder / Welding Operator Certification

Welder and welding operator certification is a personnel certification process that verifies, through an independent examination, a welder's ability to apply a manual or partly mechanised welding process, and a welding operator's competence to set up, adjust and operate fully mechanised or automatic welding equipment. The underlying principle is that weld quality depends largely on the manual skill of the person performing it and on process control; therefore, however well a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) has been prepared, the qualification of the person who will apply that procedure flawlessly in the field must also be demonstrated. Certification objectively establishes that the candidate produces an acceptable weld bead on a representative test coupon under defined conditions.

The examination is built around the essential variables that represent actual production conditions. In welder qualification these variables are defined as the welding process (111 manual metal arc, 135/138 MAG, 141 TIG, 121 submerged arc, etc.), product type (plate or pipe), material group, filler metal and shielding gas type, joint geometry (butt/fillet weld), welding position (such as PA, PC, PF, PH, H-L045) and the weld metal thickness range. Each variable defines the range of qualification of the certificate; for example, a pipe weld made single-sided, without backing and in the vertical-up (PF) position provides a broad range of qualification that also covers easier positions. In the welding operator examination, the emphasis shifts from manual skill to competence in setting up the equipment correctly, adjusting the parameters and monitoring and correcting the process.

In practice, the candidate welds the test coupon in a designated welding process and position; the coupon is first subjected to visual testing (VT) by an experienced inspector. A coupon that passes visual testing is then subjected, depending on the weld type, to non-destructive testing (radiographic RT or penetrant/magnetic particle) and/or destructive tests (bend, fracture, macro section). The preparation, examination and acceptance criteria of the test coupons are clearly defined in the relevant standard; the type and size of discontinuities (crack, lack of penetration, slag inclusion, porosity, undercut) must remain below the limits. The certificate is thus based on measurable inspection results rather than on subjective judgement.

A distinctive aspect of this certification is that its scope can be structured according to actual needs. Pipe butt weld qualification within the ASME or EN scope for a pressure vessel manufacturer; fillet and butt weld qualifications meeting EN 1090 requirements for a steel construction manufacturer; and programmes covering special position and backing requirements for pipeline projects are prepared on request. The certificate's validity is continuous; however, confirmation by the employer/coordinator every six months that the welder regularly uses the process is required (or re-evaluation at the interval foreseen by the standard). Otherwise validity lapses and a new examination is required.

The output of the process is a traceable qualification certificate (welder/operator qualification certificate) that contains the essential variables, the range of qualification, the examination date and the inspection results. This certificate is used directly as evidence in tender files, third-party inspections, CE marking processes (e.g. EN 1090, PED 2014/68/EU pressure equipment) and in meeting customer quality requirements. TÜV AUSTRIA SILA KALİTE carries out this service within an accredited programme according to TS EN ISO/IEC 17024 for personnel certification bodies, adhering to the principles of impartiality and confidentiality; the certificate issued thus gains recognition and credibility at both national and international level.