New hire weld test

Date 06-20-2016 12:52

1) Code(s)?
2) Processes?
3) Product Line?
4) What Industry?
5) Where is Waldo?
6) What test practice?

Gotta love the way those cascaded.

By illmaniac123 (*)

Date 06-20-2016 13:44

We do ASME IX and D1.1 work.
GTAW, GMAW-S, GMAW-P
This is mostly piping and tubing for train, automotive, mining
You've lost me at waldo

The problem is that the true weld program coordinator was here before me and he didn't teach anyone how he went about things. Expectantly he passed away and another guy was shoved in his spot. He had to piece together a lot of things and he just decided to leave without notice. Now I haven't been in the welding test/certification position before this and I am thrown into the larger mess. I figure putting a halt to what chaos is going on and making a new test requirement would be the best to guarantee we have quality employees.

By TimGary (****)

Date 06-20-2016 14:21

A lot of places use the Welder Certification tests as an interview.
Pass the weld tests (on your own time), and the drug tests = get the job.

Are you familiar with the range of qualification tests needed to cover the work your Welders will be exposed to, and how to conduct / document them? If not, you'll at least need to consult with an knowledgeable CWI /SCWI to get you started.
The codes that you mentioned do not require a CWI to qualify Welders, but many Customer contracts do. You need to verify this. If this is the case, you'll need to sub out the work or hire a CWI for qualification.

Where I work, the hiring ordeal is pretty intense. Welders have to pass aptitude assessment, weld test, background check, and 3 drug tests (saliva, urine, hair follicle) to get hired as a $13ph simple steel Mig Welder. A result of this is that we wind up finding people who are willing and hire-able, and then have to train them to be Welders. In this case, the initial job interview weld test is very simple. I just get them to run a few fillet welds on a pre-set machine to see if they have any skills at all, or if they lied about supposed skills during the interview. (If someone says during the interview "Yes, I'm and experienced MIG Welder, and then tries to scratch start an arc with the MIG gun, then it's pretty safe to assume he's dishonest...) Those who get hired go through an intense training and qualification program before welding on product.

So, what it boils down to is are you looking for experienced self starters who can hit the floor running, or do you have an in-house training program? Experienced guys who can pass drug and background checks have become quite rare.

Tim

Tim

By illmaniac123 (*)

Date 06-20-2016 14:36

Our scope of work is typically .065" carbon steel tubes butt welded. We can have inexperienced welders running quickly. Some welders said that similar places they worked had intense tests. Things like they had a completely unplugged TIG welder and some beveled plate to open root weld. They had to set up the machine completely and run the joint. Others say they just had to run a tee or lap with a preset machine. I figured that a TIG and MIG joint of similar tubing size would get someone going since that is representative of the base of what they are going to be running.

By TimGary (****)

Date 06-20-2016 14:49

What qualification tests are you running?

Tim

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 06-20-2016 15:09

I think the tests should be representative of the skills you want the candidate too have when the "hit the floor" after any in-house orientation/training.

Qualification tests as described in codes have the following attributes.

1) Very generic and may not represent the conditions at work.
2) Expensive to witness and test.
3) May be "practiced for" .
4) Meet the code but may not meet your needs.
5) Don't require much thought or understanding of welding/production conditions on the part of test supervisor.
6) Can be done offsite easily because of the "standardization" of the code rules.
7) Acceptance criteria of many codes is less than that required by company specification. (ASME Sec IX for instance only requires complete fusion/penetration)

Qualification Tests for assesing skills can have the following attributes.

1) Can be specific welds (or portions thereof) representing a challenge similar to that to be experienced in work.
2) Can be very inexpensive to administer.
3) Cannot be "practiced for"
4) Does not meet the code but doesn't need to for assessment purposes.
5) Requires supervision by someone experienced in welding that understands the difficulties encountered during making the weld.
6) Can be done offsite or by other organizations however specific instructions/procedures would have to be provided.
7) Acceptance criteria can be tailored to meet the requirements more specific for the position.

The above is an opinion and not based upon any survey of industry. The testing requirements can vary widely from "Show up with a hood and gloves" to written test, welding test, and oral review board.