Carrying out visual inspection of welded motorsport components or structures
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out the dimensional and visual inspection of welded motorsport components or structures, in accordance with approved procedures. This includes checks during the production process, and post fabrication checks. You will be required to select the appropriate inspection equipment, based on the features to be checked and the accuracy to be measured. This will involve checking that the appropriate equipment is within current test dates and, where necessary, setting up and calibrating the equipment ready for the inspection operations to be performed.
You will check that the materials to be welded are in the specified state and condition, and that the set-up arrangements for welding are correct. Inspection during manufacture will check that welding activities are proceeding according to the welding specification and good practice. On completion of welding and fabrication activities, you will visually inspect the welded joints against the acceptance criteria, and check that dimensions and distortion are within specified tolerances. You will mark areas where non-compliance exists and record the results of the inspection.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the inspection activities, seeking out relevant information for the activities undertaken, and reporting any problems with the inspection equipment or activities that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside you personal authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and will provide an informed approach to applying visual inspection procedures to motorsport welded components or structures. You will understand the inspection process and its application, and will know about the equipment and inspection techniques, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with motorsport welded components, and the safeguards necessary for undertaking the activities safely and correctly. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices and procedures throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- follow the correct specification for the product or equipment being inspected
- identify and confirm the inspection checks to be made and acceptance criteria to be used
- carry out all required inspections using appropriate equipment, methods and techniques
- identify any defects or variations from the specification
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- ensure that work records are completed, stored securely and available to others, as per organisational requirements
- leave the work area in a safe condition on completion of the activities, as per organisational and legal requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the specific safety precautions to be taken whilst carrying out the activities (including any specific legislation, regulations or codes of practice relating to the activities, equipment or materials)
- the health and safety requirements of the work area and the activities, and the responsibility these requirements place on you
- the hazards associated with the activities, and how to minimise them and reduce risks
- the personal protective equipment and clothing (PPE) to be worn during the activities
- how and where to obtain the required drawings and related specifications, and how to check that they are current and complete
- how to extract and use information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to current industry standards and codes of practice)
- how to interpret first and third angle drawings, imperial and metric systems of measurement, workpiece reference points and system of tolerancing
- how to extract information required from drawings and welding procedure specifications (interpretation of welding symbols; scope, content and application of the welding procedure specification)
- types and features of welded joints in plate, tube and sections (fillet and butt welds, single and multi-run welds, welding positions, weld quality)
- the use of British, European and International standards in determining if welded fabrications are fit for purpose
- the general principles of quality assurance systems and procedures
- the preparations to be undertaken before the welded fabrications are inspected (access to test area cleanliness and physical condition of test area)
- the visual and dimensional inspection methods and techniques that are used for welded fabrications
- the equipment that is used to carry out the various inspection checks (rules and tapes, weld measuring gauge, bore scope, optical aids such as magnifying glass and mirror, CCTV viewing system)
- the areas to be checked prior to welding the fabrications (joint preparation, joint set-up, parent metal condition, condition of consumables, equipment settings)
- the features of the welded joints to be checked (linearity or profile, weld root run, inter-runs, final dimensional tolerances, distortion, shrinkage, visual appearance of welds, excess weld metal, undercut, penetration and profile)
- how to calculate allowances for weld gaps and weld shrinkage, in order to attain overall global tolerances
- acceptance criteria to be used, and the influence of defects on the service performance of the fabrications (including risks and consequences of failure)
- the need to carry out the checks and to record the results using the appropriate documentation
- the procedure to be followed if inspected products are out of specification
- the importance of completing inspection documentation, what needs to be recorded and where records are kept
- the problems that can occur with the inspection activities and how they can be avoided
- the extent of your own responsibility, and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
- how to access, use and maintain information to comply with organisational requirements and legislation
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Carry out all of the following during the inspection process:
- obtain and use the appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, welding procedure specifications, quality control documentation)
- adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, hazardous substances, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
- obtain and check the condition and calibration dates of tools, measuring instruments and equipment used
- follow specified or appropriate inspection procedures
- identify and record out-of-specification features, in the appropriate format
- mark and identify areas where non-compliance with specification or defect indications are found
- leave the work area in a safe and appropriate condition on completion of the activities
Ensure that inspection equipment obtained is in good working order, to include six of the following, as appropriate to the operation/features being checked:
- weld measuring gauge
- CCTV viewing system
- rule, tape or other linear measuring device
- magnifying glass
- adjustable square/protractor
- mirror
- depth gauge
- portable lighting
- borescope
- means of marking defective areas
- other specific inspection equipment
Carry out specified motorsport prefabrication or sub-assembly inspection checks, to include all of the following:
- the condition of joint preparations
- the set-up arrangements for welding
- welded joint preparation dimensions
- the condition of consumables
- flatness or profile of sheets, plates, and linearity of sections
Carry out the inspection of four of the following types of motorsport welded fabrications:
- chassis structures
- swirl pots
- header tanks
- wishbones
- panels
- heat exchangers
- uprights
- wings/bodywork
- pedals
- water or oil coolers
- space frames
- brackets
- roll cages
- exhaust systems
- radiators
- other specific components
Carry out specified inspections during fabrication, to check all of the following:
- condition of the weld root zone and inter-runs
- inter-run cleaning of weld faces and surfaces
- distortion and shrinkage
Carry out the specified final inspection checks, to include all of the following:
- overall dimensional tolerances
- visual appearance of welds/weld profile
- extent of distortion, shrinkage or misalignment
- evidence of damage (requiring restoration)
- defect indications manifested on weld or parent metal surface
- extent of excess metal, undercut, penetration or lack of penetration
Carry out the inspection checks against one of the following:
- approved construction drawings
client specifications/detail drawings
current industry standards, codes of practice and
legislation- welding procedure specification