Preparing laser welding machines for production
Overview
This standard identifies the competences needed to prepare laser 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, transfer mechanisms and safety equipment, as applicable to the machine type. In setting up the welding conditions, you will be expected to set the optical system, beam characteristics, beam alignment, electrical parameters, welding speed and where applicable, the shielding gas system. You must produce trial welds and prove that 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 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 laser 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 that the work output is produced to the required specification.
You will understand the safety precautions required when working with the laser welding machine and with 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.
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 relevant joining procedure specification and job instructions for the work to be produced
check that the equipment is as specified and in usable condition
obtain the required components and check that the joint preparation complies with the specification
- set up the handling, work-holding and associated equipment to achieve correct joint positioning
- select and prepare the appropriate consumables in line with the joining procedure specification
- set and adjust the machine operating conditions to achieve joints of the required quality and within specified
dimensional accuracy - check that all safety mechanisms are in place and that the equipment is operating satisfactorily
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
- 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 setting and operating laser welding installations (including working with machinery; care when working with laser beams; protecting other workers; 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
the hazards associated with laser welding machines (such as dangers from laser beams; live electrical components; fumes and gases; hot metal; moving parts of machinery) and how they can be minimised
the basic principles of laser welding (including using a laser beam to join metals by fusion; forming a weld; use of filler metal; principal features of a welded joint; process principles, nature of the laser beam; methods of generating a laser beam; guiding and optical focussing, laser optics, parameters, heat input; use of shielding gases, how variation in the parameters influences the weld features and penetration, quality and output; terminology used in welding)
the key components and features of the equipment (including types of laser beam generator, beam characteristics, power ranges; beam guiding and focusing arrangements; power sources; materials and thickness capabilities; facilities for manipulating the components for welding; safety features; shielding gas supply and control)
mechanised and automated welding basic principles (such as types of installations; machine functions; loading, handling, clamping and transfer of components; traversing components for welding; control of machine functions; safety features)
how to extract 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)
how to carry out currency/issue checks of the specifications you are working with
types of joints applicable and the edge preparation required
problems that can occur with the welding activities and how these can be overcome (including causes of distortion and methods of control, welding characteristics of parent materials and sources of weld defects; methods of prevention; effect of metal vapour on beam characteristics, penetration and weld shape)
methods of setting up the components to achieve correct beam alignment, penetration and control of distortion; manipulation and workholding equipment to present the joint correctly, relative to the beam
setting up the welding equipment to the welding procedure specification (such as electrical and optical conditions; focal distance; welding speed)
checking that the machine functions to the required specification (such as running pre-production trials to prove that the installation is working satisfactorily)
organisational quality systems (such as standards to be achieved; production records to be kept)
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
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