What Qualifications Must a Welder Have?

Manufacturing many machine parts, equipment, industrial installations, or structures requires permanent and stable joining of materials to achieve the necessary mechanical load resistance. The most commonly used technology for joining components while maintaining high strength is metal welding. However, appropriate certifications are necessary for preparing welds, ensuring that the entire process will be carried out correctly. Let’s find out what qualifications a welder should have and examine what they involve.

What should you know about welder certifications?

Performing welds requires valid certifications issued by a certified institution, such as the Institute of Welding. The welder’s book issued after passing the exam contains details about the tasks that the person can perform. These include specifying the welding process according to PN-EN ISO 4063, which can be Manual Metal Arc welding MMA (111), self-shielded flux-cored arc welding (114), submerged arc welding with electrode wire (121), MIG welding (131), MAG welding (135), active gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding (136), inert gas-shielded flux-cored arc welding (137), TIG welding (141), plasma welding (15), and oxyacetylene welding (311). Additionally, they specify material groups such as austenitic steels, Cr-Mo-(Ni) steels with low vanadium content Mo ≤ 0.7% and V ≤ 0.1%, or austenitic-ferritic stainless steels. The weld type (butt weld BW, fillet weld FW, and BW+FW) and material form (plate or pipe) are also important. Crucial are welding positions PA (flat), PB (horizontal-vertical), PC (horizontal), PD (overhead), as well as PF (vertical up) or PG (vertical down), and for pipes H-L045 and J-L045. The weld thickness, material thickness, and pipe diameter are also significant.

How long are welder certifications valid?

Welder certifications are issued for a specific period, which depends on the particular positions they include. Most certificates are valid for one, two, or three years. After this period, they should be renewed. It’s worth noting that some industries require additional documentation from welders.