Welding materials using electron beam welding machines
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to operate electron beam welding 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 a minimum of supervision, taking personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you produce. **
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a sound basis for your work, enabling you to adopt an informed approach to applying welding procedures and instructions. You will have an understanding of how the electron beam 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 electron beam 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 and work instructions
- confirm that the machine is set up and operating correctly, ready for the joining operations to be carried out
- check that the parent material, components, consumables and joint preparation comply with specifications
- carry out and monitor the machine operations in accordance with specifications and job instructions
- achieve joints of the required quality and specified dimensional accuracy
- make sure that the rate of output is as specified
- deal promptly and effectively with problems within your control and report those that you cannot solve
- shut down the equipment to a safe condition on conclusion of the joining activities
- complete 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 operating electron beam welding installations (including working with machinery; care in presence of high voltage; the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); protecting other workers; machine guards; operation of machine safety devices; x-ray dosimeters; 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 electron beam welding machines (including dangers from the mains and high voltage supplies; live electrical components; emission of x-rays, fumes and gases; hot metal; moving parts of machinery) and how they can be minimised
principles of electron-beam welding; terminology used in welding
the key components and features of the equipment (including electron gun and control of beam power and characteristics; vacuum chamber and its construction; vacuum system and controls; in-chamber manipulating equipment; power sources and power range; material and thickness capabilities; safety features; facilities for loading chamber and work handling)
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
operation of the machine; controls and their function; care of equipment
setting up and aligning the workpiece
monitoring the installation during the welding process; recognition of problems and actions to be taken
problems that can occur with the welding activities (including materials and weld defects; beam instability, loss of alignment, increase in chamber pressure)
self inspection of completed work
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 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