This standard identifies the competencies you need to operate flash welding equipment installations, which have already been prepared for production in accordance with approved instructions, or welding procedures. You will be expected to check that the installation has been approved for production, and that sufficient supplies of all required materials and consumables are present and correct, and ready for production operations to be performed.

You must operate the installation safely and correctly, in accordance with instructions and approved procedures, and achieve a weld quality and tolerances that meet the product specification. The production output may be inspected by visual and non-destructive testing methods to check that the specified quality is being achieved. You must continuously monitor the operation of the installation and make any necessary adjustments to equipment settings, in line with your permitted authority, in order to produce the welded joints to the required specification. Meeting production requirements will be an important issue, and your production records must show consistent and satisfactory performance.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for operating the welding installation, and to report any problems or adjustments to the installation 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 for the quality and accuracy of the work that you produce.

Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis of your work, and will enable you to adopt an informed approach to applying flash welding procedures and instructions. You will have an understanding of how the flash welding process works and is applied in mechanised form, and will know about the equipment, materials and consumables, in adequate depth to provide a sound background to the process operation and for carrying out the activities 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.

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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 work instructions
3. confirm that the machine is set up and operating correctly, ready for the joining operations to be carried out
4. check that the parent material, components, consumables and joint preparation comply with specifications
5. carry out and monitor the machine operations in accordance with specifications and job instructions
6. achieve rail joints of the required quality and specified dimensional accuracy
7. make sure that the rate of output is as specified
8. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that you cannot solve
9. shut down the equipment to a safe condition on conclusion of the joining activities

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1. the safe working practices and procedures to be observed when operating flash welding equipment (rail safety, working with machinery; the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); machine guards; operation of machine safety devices; stopping the machine in an emergency; closing the machine down on completion of activities)
2. the hazards associated with flash welding machines (dangers from live electrical components; fumes; hot metal; moving parts of machinery), and how they can be minimised
3. principles of flash welding; terminology used in welding
4. the key components and features of the equipment (types of machines; constructional features, mechanical and electrical features, component holding devices, force generation and control systems, welding cycle control; feedback and recording)
5. mechanised and automated welding basics; types of installations; machine functions; safety features
6. extracting the 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. operation of the machine; controls and their function; care of equipment
8. setting up and aligning the workpiece
9. monitoring the installation during the welding process; recognition of problems and action to be taken
10. problems that can occur with the welding activities; materials and weld defects
11. weld inspection and test procedures used including destructive and non-destructive methods
12. organisational quality systems (standards to be achieved; feedback from machine; corrective actions; production records to be kept)
13. personal approval tests and their applicability to your work
14. the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve

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1. Confirm that the equipment is ready for operation by checking all of the following:

   1. the equipment has been approved for production
   2. supplies of components and consumables are adequate and correctly prepared
   3. machine settings comply with instructions and the welding procedure specification
   4. all safety equipment is in place and functioning correctly

2. Produce welded components covering both of the following:

   1. two different rail sections
   2. two different rail material groups

3. Monitor the process operation and machine function, and make adjustments as required to parameters and mechanisms, to include all of the following, as appropriate to machine type:

   1. heat and forge cycle time
   2. heat and forge loads (forces)
   3. electrical conditions
   4. weld and forge travel
   5. weld appearance (correct extrusion)

4. Produce welded rails which meet all of the following quality and accuracy standards:

   1. achieve a weld quality as specified in 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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SEMFWE3-59

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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; joining; rails; flash welding machine; characteristics; monitor weld condition; monitor equipment; monitor weld penetration

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