This standard identifies the competencies needed to prepare friction welding machines for production in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to set up and check both the welding installation and all associated mechanical and electrical apparatus forming part of the mechanised or automated installation. This will include setting up of handling and loading equipment, workholding arrangements, in-process monitoring features, transfer mechanisms and safety equipment as is applicable to the machine type.

In setting up the welding conditions you will be expected to set the electrical conditions, process cycle times, rotational/orbiting speed and weld and forge travel. You must produce trial welds and prove the machine is working satisfactorily before declaring the installation ready for production. Making adjustments to settings to achieve specification and solving machine related problems during production, will also form part of your role.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for setting up the welding equipment and to report any problems with the welding equipment or welding activities that you cannot resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with minimum supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.

Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of your work, and provide an informed approach to applying friction welding procedures. You will understand the welding process carried out, and its application, and will know about the equipment, relevant materials and consumables in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for setting up the equipment, correcting faults and ensuring the work output is produced to the required specification. You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the machine and its 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.

---

1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. follow the relevant joining procedure specification and job instructions for the work to be produced
3. check that the equipment is as specified and in usable condition
4. obtain the required components and check that the joint preparation complies with the specification
5. set up the handling, work-holding and associated equipment to achieve correct joint positioning
6. select and prepare the appropriate consumables in line with the joining procedure specification
7. set and adjust the machine operating conditions to achieve joints of the required quality and within specified dimensional accuracy
8. check that all safety mechanisms are in place and that the equipment is operating satisfactorily
9. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved

---

1. the safe working practices and procedures to be observed when setting and operating friction welding installations (working with machinery; the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); machine guards; ventilation and fume extraction; machine safety devices; stopping the machine in an emergency; closing the machine down on completion of activities; statutory requirements, risk assessment procedures and relevant requirements of HASAWA, COSHH and Work Equipment Regulations; safe disposal of waste materials)
2. the hazards associated with friction welding machines and how they can be minimised (dangers from live electrical components; fumes; hot metal; moving parts of machinery and components)
3. the basic principles of friction welding (using heat generated by friction to join metals by welding; rotational and orbital methods of heat generation, forming a weld; use of filler metal; principal features of a welded joint; welding cycle, parameters, heat input; how variation in the settings influences the weld features, quality and output; terminology used in welding)
4. the key components and features of the equipment (types of machines; constructional features; mechanical features, drive train, driven and stationary component holding devices, force generation, and control systems, in-process monitoring features, data acquisition and sensors; braking systems; welding cycle control; feedback and recording)
5. mechanised and automated welding basics (types of installations; machine functions: loading, handling, clamping and transfer of components; control of machine functions; safety features)
6. extracting information required from drawings and welding procedure specifications (to include symbols and conventions to appropriate British, European or relevant International standards in relation to work undertaken)
7. preparation of joint faces; finish, tolerances
8. problems that can occur with the welding activities and how these can be overcome (welding characteristics of parent materials and sources of weld defects; methods of prevention)
9. setting up the welding equipment to the welding procedure specification (setting welding cycle; heating and forging forces, rotational speed)
10. checking the machine functions to the required specification (running pre-production trials to prove that the installation is working satisfactorily)
11. organisational quality systems (standards to be achieved; production records to be kept, methods of testing friction welds and principles of quality control in production)
12. personal approval tests and their applicability to your work
13. the extent of your responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve

---

---

​

1. Ensure the friction welding equipment is suitable for production by carrying out all of the following checks:

   1. the equipment is correctly maintained and in a safe and usable condition
   2. the equipment is correctly calibrated
   3. all electrical and mechanical systems function smoothly
   4. equipment shut down systems function correctly

2. Set up the welding equipment and parameters in accordance with the welding procedure specification to include setting all of the following as is applicable to the type of installation:

   1. friction and forge cycle times
   2. friction and forge loads (forces)
   3. frictional burn-off characteristics and forge displacement
   4. rotational speed or other appropriate friction conditions
   5. braking effort

3. Set up the components to achieve correct joint fit-up and alignment to include setting and checking all of the following as is applicable to the type of installation:

   1. surface preparation and condition of joint faces is according to specification
   2. handling and loading equipment
   3. workholding devices
   4. transfer mechanisms
   5. safety devices

4. Set up the equipment to produce welded components which covers both of the following:

   1. two different components
   2. two different material groups

5. Prove the installation is operating correctly and is ready for production by producing specified trial welds and checking all of the following as is applicable to the application:

   1. visual appearance of weld        
   2. machine settings are as specified
   3. dimensional accuracy              
   4. in-process monitoring and data acquisition
   5. quality of weld

6. Solve problems in production relating to two of the following:

   1. machine performance        
   2. condition of prepared materials being joined
   3. joint set-up                        
   4. consumables

---

---

---

​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

---

---

---

---

---

3

---

31 Mar 2020

---

Current

---

Original

---

Semta

---

SEMFWE3-14

---

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

---

5213

---

engineering; welding; fabrication; machine welding; setting; friction welding machine; parameters; equipment; transfer system; safety devices

---