By Keith Jones, Liverpool

This article comes from the U.K. in response to the article “Skilled Labor and Good Craftspeople are Hard to Find,” The World of Welding, Spring 2003.

How far should we go in the training and qualification of welders?  Well the systems in place may seem OK, however the testing of welders, in my opinion, does not go far enough.  For instance, a welder turns up to complete ASME IX , EN287 in the 6G, H-L045 position.  He dresses in the appropriate safety gear, picks up the electrode and proceeds to tackle the test piece.  On completion the piece is marked up and the welder awaits his qualification.

Question 1.  Has the welder chosen the material from a selection or is it given to him by the test centre?

Question 2.  On the choice of material, does the welder bevel the work and set it up?      

Question 3. Has the welder chosen the correct electrode from a varied selection, or were they readily available on the bench?

From what I have noted, many welders, if not all, turn up for the tests and haven't a clue of materials, electrode types, set-up or bevel parameters.  To my mind, a welder must know what material he is going to weld, the type of service the material is to be used for and the type of electrode to use and a good knowledge of geometry.  They must be able to understand material specification sheets, electrode data and drawings…and not align themselves to just welding “run of the mill” mild steel.

As for my students, several materials are made available, from low carbon to structural steel to chrome-moly and heat treatable steels.  Before the test, the welder is given a drawing giving all dimensions and a material specification.  Then he has to choose the correct material, cut and bevel it, then set it all up; the same with the electrodes.  From a wide variety, he needs to choose and to determine if the electrodes are in a suitable condition.  Those that require heating need to be put in an oven at the correct temperature and then he has to weld the test piece.

So, how far do we go?  Instructors can only go as far as the nominated time allows.  It is up to the welder to study all these parameters, and constantly learn, as new technology, materials and electrodes come along. Unfortunately many operators think that welding a fillet is a qualification to be called a “ Welder”.