This standard identifies the competencies you need to prepare and operate manual plastics welding equipment, in accordance with instructions and/or approved welding procedures. You will be required to check that all the workholding equipment and manipulating devices required are available and in a usable condition. You will be expected to check the welding equipment, to ensure that all gas supplies (if using an external gas supply) and electrical inputs are securely connected and free from damage. In the case of welding torches that have integral fans you will need to check that filers are free from debris. In preparing to weld, you will need to set and adjust the welding conditions, in line with the instructions or welding procedure specification, paying particular attention to the ambient conditions and the selected welding nozzle type. You must operate the equipment safely and correctly and make any necessary adjustments to settings, in line with your permitted authority, in order to produce the welded joints to the required specification.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the welding activities undertaken, and to report any problems with the welding equipment, or welding activities that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work to instructions, 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 be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will provide an understanding of how manual plastics welding processes work. You will know about the equipment, materials and welding parameters in adequate depth to provide a sound background for the welding operations to be performed, and for ensuring the work output is produced to the required specification.

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the welding activities and when using the associated tools and equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand the responsibility you owe to yourself and others in the workplace.

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1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. follow the relevant joining procedure and job instructions
3. check that the joint preparation complies with the specification and type
4. check that joining and related equipment and welding rods **are as specified and fit for purpose
5. make the joints as specified using the appropriate thermal joining technique
6. produce joints of the required quality and of specified dimensional accuracy
7. shut down the equipment to a safe condition on completion of joining activities
8. deal promptly with excess and waste materials and temporary attachments, in line with approved and agree procedures
9. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

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1. the safe working practices and procedures to be observed when working with manual plastics welding equipment (general workshop and site safety, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), fire prevention, protecting other workers, safety in enclosed/confined spaces; fume control; accident procedure; statutory regulations; risk assessment procedures and relevant requirements of HASAWA, COSHH and Work Equipment Regulations; safe disposal of waste materials)
2. the hazards associated with plastics welding (live electrical components, fumes and gases, hot material, elevated working temperature, enclosed spaces), and how they can be minimised
3. the manual plastics welding processes (basic principles of hot gas, extrusion, injectiweld socket fusion and geomembrane welding; ancillary equipment; care of equipment; consumables; weld rod; power ranges)
4. types of weld rod and their correct storage
5. the types of welded joints to be produced (fillet and butt welds; single and multi-run welds; joints in pipe, and, plate and profiles; welding positions)
6. setting up and restraining the joint (the use of jigs and fixtures, restraining devices, tack welding size and spacing in relationship to material thickness)
7. checks to be made prior to welding (confirming correct set-up and alignment of parts, cleanliness of materials, pre-weld scraping, condition and flow rate of gas/air, condition of and electrical connections, and operating parameters)
8. the techniques of operating the welding equipment to produce a range of joints in the various joint positions (fine tuning parameters, correct manipulation of weld rod, correct procedure for closing down the welding equipment)
9. the importance of complying with the work instructions and the welding procedure specification
10. how to use and extract information from engineering drawings and related specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate British, European or relevant International standards in relation to work undertaken)
11. problems that can occur with the welding activities and how these can be overcome (causes of distortion and methods of control; effects of welding on materials and sources of weld defects; methods of prevention and rectification)
12. the organisational quality control systems used, and weld standards to be achieved
13. weld inspection and test procedures used (including destructive and non-destructive methods)
14. trial welds and certification and their applicability to your work
15. the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
16. reporting lines and procedures, line supervision and technical experts

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1. Prepare for the manual plastic welding process, to include carrying out all of the following:

   1. obtaining the appropriate equipment for the welding activities to be carried out (type, wattage, output)
   2. checking the condition of the welding equipment to be used
   3. setting and adjusting welding conditions/parameters, in accordance with welding procedure specification
   4. preparing the work area for the welding activities (such as screens, mats, positioning fume extraction equipment)
   5. ensuring that the workpiece is correctly set up with regard to specified joint surface preparation and that it is secure
   6. obtaining and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment

2. Set up, check, adjust and use plastics welding and related equipment, to include two of the following:

Note one of the processes chosen must be hot gas or extrusion welding

1.  hot gas
2.  extrusion
3.  socket fusion
4.  heated wedge  

3. Use materials and welding rods as appropriate to the welding process used, to include both of the following:

   1. two types of material from different material groups
   2. two sizes or types of welding rods

4. Produce welded joints as appropriate to the process, to include one of the following:

   1. fillet welds
   2. butt welds
   3. socket welds
   4. lap welds

5. Weld joints according to approved welding procedures, in good access situations, in two of the following positions, as appropriate to the process:

   1. flat
   2. horizontal
   3. vertical upwards
   4. vertical downwards
   5. overhead

6. Produce welded components which:

   1. achieve a minimum weld quality equivalent with BS EN 13067, or as required by the application standard
   2. meet the required dimensional accuracy within specified tolerances

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​Additional Information

You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

• strong work ethic
• positive attitude
• team player
• dependability
• responsibility
• honesty
• integrity
• motivation
• commitment

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3

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31 Mar 2020

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Current

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Original

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Semta

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SEMFWE219

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Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, Metal Forming, Welding and Related Trades

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5213

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engineering; welding; fabrication; manual welding; plastics; hot gas; extrusion process; socket fusion; heated wedge

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