Welding marine materials and structures using semi-automatic MIG/MAG and flux cored arc processes
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to prepare and operate semi-automatic MIG, MAG and flux cored wire arc welding equipment, in a marine environment, in accordance with approved welding procedures. You will be required to set up and check the welding equipment and any associated workholding and manipulating devices required. In setting up the equipment, you will need to connect all the required leads/cables, hoses, shielding gas supply and wire feed mechanisms ready for use and to set and adjust the welding conditions, in line with the welding procedure specification. You must operate the equipment safely and correctly and make any necessary adjustments to settings in order to produce the welded joints to the required specification. You will be expected to carry out the welding activities in a range of different environmental/access conditions, which will include working at height, working in confined spaces (such as bilge or double bottoms), working in a non-workshop environment and where it is difficult to access the joints to be welded.
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 activities or equipment that you cannot resolve, or are outside your permitted 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 marine welding procedures and instructions. You will understand the MIG, MAG or flux cored wire arc welding process used and its application and will know about the equipment, materials and consumables, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for setting up and operating the equipment, recognising and correcting faults and ensuring that the work output is produced to the required specification. Visual inspection and non-destructive testing of your completed work is implied.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the welding 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.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
| 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 4. check that joining and related equipment and consumables 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 agreed procedures 9. deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved 10. complete relevant documentation in line with organisational procedures |
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- the safe working practices and procedures to be observed when working with MIG, MAG or flux cored wire welding equipment (including general workshop and site safety, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), fire prevention, protecting other workers from the effects of the electric arc, safety in enclosed/confined spaces, fume control)
how to recognise and deal with emergencies and the procedures to be followed (such as methods of safely evacuating and closing down of compartments in the case of fire or other major incident, first aid, fire fighting and resuscitation of personnel)
statutory requirements, risk assessment procedures, accident procedures and relevant requirements of HASAWA, COSHH and Work Equipment Regulations, safe disposal of waste materials
- the hazards associated with carrying out arc welding (such as live electrical components, poor earthing, the electric arc, fumes and gases, gas supply leaks, spatter, hot slag and metal, grinding and mechanical metal/slag removal, elevated working, enclosed spaces) and how they can be minimised
- the correct handling and storage of gas cylinders, (including manual handling and use of cylinder trolley, leak detection procedures, relevant BCGA codes of practice, cylinder identification, gas pressures, cylinder and equipment safety features, emergency shutdown procedures)
- principles of MIG, MAG, or flux cored wire arc welding, the equipment and its operation (including fusion welding principles, characteristics of the metal arc, power sources, typical equipment and power ranges, care of equipment, control systems, filler wires, gas supply and control, terminology used in welding)
- how to extract the information required from drawings and welding procedure specifications (such as interpretation of welding symbols; scope, content and application of the welding procedure specification)
- types and classification of consumables (including wires, shielding gases - inert and active; control and storage of consumables)
- types and features of welded joints in plate, sheet and tube (including fillet and butt welds, single and multi-run welds, welding positions, weld quality)
- problems that can occur with the welding activities and how these can be overcome (including causes of distortion and methods of control, effects of welding on materials and sources of weld defects; methods of prevention)
- methods of setting up the joint to achieve correct location of components and control of distortion (such as edge preparation, correct joint set-up, cleanliness of materials used, use of jigs/fixtures, manipulators and positioners; tack weld size and spacing in relationship to material thickness and component size; use of temporary attachments, pre-setting)
- setting up the welding equipment and checks that need to be made to ensure that it is safe and ready to use (such as electrical connections, power return and earthing arrangements, wire feed mechanisms, gas supply, equipment calibration, setting welding parameters, care and maintenance of equipment)
- the techniques of operating the welding equipment to produce a range of joints in the various joint positions (including fine tuning parameters, correct manipulation of the welding gun, safe closing down of the welding equipment)
- the organisational quality systems used and weld standards to be achieved
- weld inspection and test procedures used (including destructive and non-destructive methods)
- personal approval tests and their applicability to your work
- the extent of your own responsibility and whom you should report to if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Prepare for the semi-automatic MIG/MAG or other flux cored arc wire welding process, to including carrying out all of the following:
- obtaining the appropriate equipment for the welding activities to be carried out (type, current capacity)
- checking the condition of and correctly connecting, welding leads/cables, hoses, shielding gas supply and wire-feed mechanisms
- setting and adjusting welding conditions/parameters, in accordance with the welding procedure specification
- preparing the work area for the welding activities (such as placing welding screens, positioning fume extraction equipment)
- ensuring that the workpiece is correctly set up with regard to specified joint preparation and is secure
- obtaining and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment
Set up, check, adjust and use welding and related equipment for one of the following welding processes:
- MIG
- MAG
- flux cored wire arc
Use consumables appropriate to the material and application, to include both of the following:
- two wire types and/or sizes from different material groups
- two different shielding gases (where applicable)
Produce welded joints which incorporate both of the following:
- butt welds
- fillet welds
Produce joints in two forms of specified materials from different material groups, to include the following:
- plate
- section/bar
- sheet (<3mm)
- pipe/tube
- other specific forms
Carry out the welding process under three of the following conditions:
- confined spaces (such as bilge, double bottom)
- at height
- in non-workshop environments
- difficult access
Weld joints according to approved welding procedures in the following BS EN ISO 6947 positions:
- vertical upwards (PF) butt weld
and four other positions chosen from:
2. flat (PA)
3. horizontal vertical (PB)
4. overhead (PE)
5. horizontal (PC)
6. vertical downwards (PG)
7. inclined pipe/tube (H-LO45 or J-LO45)
Produce welded components which:
- achieve a weld quality equivalent to Level B of BS EN 25817/ISO 5817 except for excess weld metal, excessive convexity, excess throat thickness and excessive penetration for which Level C shall apply (for aluminium EN 30042/ISO 10042 applies)
- meet the required dimensional accuracy within specified tolerances
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Behaviours:
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