Standard-compliant welding
Implementing welding standards with confidence
How you can implement current welding standards with confidence
Standards, customer requirements, and audits set out a framework for welding processes. Companies must ensure that their manufacturing meets the applicable requirements.
Poorly defined responsibilities, missing verification, and a lack of transparency create extra work, generate unnecessary costs, and make audits more difficult.
That’s why the same questions always come up in day-to-day work:
- Who is authorized to weld?
- What standards are to be followed during welding?
- How are we making sure standards are followed?
- How can we prove they are being followed?
Standard-compliant welding means staying on top of qualifications, welding procedure specifications, manufacturing processes, and verification at all times. This way, quality, traceability, and audit readiness aren’t left to chance. Instead, it’s a matter of implementing requirements reliably and documenting this in a traceable way.
How to make sure welding standards are followed in day-to-day work:
- Keep a constant overview of valid qualifications
- Use Fronius welding procedure specifications to reduce your workload
- Work with well-maintained and calibrated welding systems
- Manage information centrally and provide verification more quickly
- Get employees the training they actually need
The standard-compliant way to weld
Standard-compliant welding follows a clearly defined sequence. Four steps set the stage for quality, traceability, and audit readiness.
Understanding the requirements
It’s important to know the requirements before starting welding. Different standards, regulations, and customer specifications may apply depending on the component and application. These determine which qualifications, WPS, inspections, and certificates are required.
- EN ISO 3834: Quality requirements for welding
- EN 1090: Steel construction and supporting structures
- EN 13445: Pressure equipment and plant construction
- EN 15085: Rail car construction machinery directive: Machines and lifting gear
The key question is: What are the resulting requirements for manufacturing, quality assurance, and documentation?
Laying the groundwork for standard-compliant welding
The following elements form the basis for standard-compliant welding:
- Qualified personnel: Welding teams and supervisors must hold the required qualifications.
- Suitable welding procedure specifications: Welding work must be carried out in line with valid, approved specifications.
- Equipment and operational safety: Welding systems must meet the specifications and work reliably.
Additional requirements may apply to inspection personnel, materials, quality systems, production planning, or material traceability, for example.
Depending on the application, welders and operating personnel need to be suitably qualified (e.g., to EN ISO 9606 or EN ISO 14732 standard).
Personnel must be able to present valid proof of their qualifications for the respective area of application.
Typical challenges:
- Keeping qualifications and validity up to date
- Determining the right areas of application
- Having certificates to hand at all times
Development: Virtual training offers a way to realistically simulate complex welding processes—for novices and experienced welders alike.
Training: An all-in-one solution for certifying welders—from hands-on preparation through to standard-compliant testing and certification
Keep an overview of qualifications: Manage validity, certificates, and areas of application from a single, central location, and ensure their availability at all times.
A valid WPS is a must for standard-compliant manufacturing.
Welding procedure specifications set out how welding is to be done and the parameters that need to be applied. They create the basis for reproducible manufacturing that meets the relevant standards.
Typical challenges:
- No WPS, or current ones not up to date
- Lack of clarity around versions and approvals
- WPS not available at all times
- Creating your own WPS takes time and money
There’s an easier way: Standard welding procedure specifications (SWPS) take away the hassle of having to create your own.
Stay on top of your WPS: Keep your WPS up to date and available, while managing them centrally.
Calibration and maintenance help keep your operation running safely and welding systems working reliably.
These are some of the basic requirements underpinning quality assurance in many areas of application.
Typical challenges:
- Monitoring calibration intervals
- Documenting maintenance conditions
- Ensuring equipment availability
- Replacing wear parts at the right time
Manufacturing to standard
Here’s the key question: Is your manufacturing business really meeting the defined standards?
Requirements aren’t always followed consistently in practice.
Typical challenges:
- WPS not available or not up to date
- Parameters are modified to suit the situation
- Welding sequences aren’t followed consistently
Configure parameters with confidence: Defined jobs and user rights help you work in line with reliable parameters and reduce unintended modifications.
More information: Welcube Centrum and WeldCube Air
Guided welding: Guide your welders step by step through WPS and welding sequences while staying compliant with the relevant requirements.
Provide verification
You’ve done it, but you also need to prove it.
Having the right verification available in full, transparent form is crucial in the context of audits, quality assurance, and complaints.
Typical challenges:
- Information spread across different systems
- Documentation needs to be complete and up to date
- You need an efficient way to prepare for audits and complaints
It all adds up to a lot of search and coordination work that eats up time and resources. Having central access to WPS, qualifications, and the relevant certificates creates transparency and takes the hassle out of audits.
Get a single, central overview of your certificates with WeldCube Air and manage WPS and qualifications efficiently.
Standard-compliant welding: our solutions
Fronius supports you at every stage, from qualification and manufacturing to documentation and audit readiness.
Teaming up for standard-compliant welding
No two manufacturing companies have the same requirements. From qualifying your team to production to audit readiness, we help ensure every weld meets the standard.
