Help on NAVSEA 248/278

Date 08-07-2008 02:27

Gonzo;

Your employer has to have a training program that has been approved by a Level III and by the customer (ultimately SupShips, NAVSEA, etc.). You have to pass a written examination covering all the fabrication documents, pass a visual acuity test, and pass the "demonstration" of welder skills (weld a coupon).

This is not something you as an individual welder can undertake in isolation unless you are the owner/employer.

I provide the classroom training and conduct the examinations, etc. as a Level III that has been approved by SupShips. It is an involved, lengthy process because there are other controls that have to be in place before the welder can strike an arc on a workpiece. All of these steps have to be under the umbrella of your employer.

You need to obtain copies of the following documents:

NAVSEA S9074-AQ-GIB-010/248
NAVSEA S9074-AR-GIB-010/278
MIL-STD-2035A
MIL-STD-22D

You also need the following:
WPSs supported by PQRs that have been through the approval process.
Approved Training Program
Approved QC/QA/Surveillance Program

These are the foundation documents of the welding program you have to institute. There will be many additional military documents to deal with in addition to the four I listed. The reading is involved and not easy to comprehend unless you have had the benefit of working with someone that has been through the process before.

I've been through the process several times with several clients. It is an involved process and entails a lot of ground work before you are ready to start welding.

Best regards - Al

By gonzo

Date 08-09-2008 01:12

..Al ..just want say thank you for your time.. I just started working for this company I'm seting a welding department.
They've never had a weld shop .They been outsourcing all their work.I've aquired both NAVSEA 248/278 books .
Just started reading 248 I'll have to find out about training programs I'm in Pleasanton Ca. so I'll have to see whats around here
and I really apriciate your help. I can see the company has a lot to learn .When they hired me and asked about this type
of certification Is exactly what I told them . that was a type of certification that was more then just going to
an AWS certified testing lab and welding a couple of coupons and that It required a lot more documantation and paperwork.
once again Al thank you.....gonzo

By tom cooper (**)

Date 08-11-2008 19:34 Edited 08-11-2008 20:29

Gonzo-

Aside from Al's typically thorough suggestions, you should not be alarmed at what is expected of you for any Navy work. If you have worked with any of the ASME or AWS Codes then you will easily relate to Navy welding requirements. They have a different emphasis on essential variables, different permitted base materials, limits on welding wire & fillers, record keeping, etc., etc., but the method to qualify procedures and welders is very much the same. I suspect your company will be a shop oriented "build-to-print" operation and one happy thing to keep in mind is that every Government procurement office has an equipment specialist or equipment engineer that should provide you with any technical guidance that you may need on the equipment or components you are making. If your contract requires you to submit weld procedures for NAVSEA approval, then the contract will detail how to do this. If your contract does not specifically tell you to submit procedures for NAVSEA approval then the Level III individual that Al mentions may have procedure approval authority. You should clarify this with the contract specialists.

One spec that Al didn't mention is Mil-Std-271 which describes the methods of inspection AND also the Level III personnel which he mentioned must be certified IAW this document which further invokes another standard, American Society For Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) document SNT-TC-1A. This is a standard for certification of commercial NDT inspectors. So your welding Level III can be either certified directly by NAVSEA or (more likely) certified by an ASNT authorized school. Either certification will be valid in the eyes of the Mil-Std-278 folks.

If your company does not already have a Level III on staff, you may need to consider hiring an outside consultant for this purpose until you grow your own Level III. Just as you will likely hire an NDT company for RT examinations, you can hire an NDT company to fulfill the Level III weld related requirements.

Write back if you have any specific questions.

By gonzo

Date 08-11-2008 20:32

Tom I dont think I can thank you enough you don't know the weight you have lifted of my shoulders I been goin nuts
trying to find all this info online ..but I think I'm on the rigth track slowly but getting there I've done work for a couple of goverment places
but always in house as a certified welder. The company would send me to a lab I get certified and just weld . I have a lot to learn so once again thank you for this info.I'm trying to get my hands on as much info as i can get .This company just gave me a chance to
do everything from scratch . thankx .........................................gonzo

By 803056

Date 08-12-2008 01:54

You are on the right track by asking the questions before jumping in with both feet.

I have a couple of classes coming up shortly. Where are you located? You might be able to join one.

Best regards - Al

By gonzo

Date 08-12-2008 17:17

Good Morning Al....... I'm in Pleasanton Ca near San Francisco there's not to
many places out here I'll keep looking allriht Al ..have a good one ..................gonzo

By tom cooper (**)

Date 08-12-2008 13:45

I envy your position - I would love to initiate a program from scratch. It is very important that you impress upon your managment the most important point in Al's first reply - "...you cannot do this alone...". You need the help of that Level III that we both discussed. Further know that your company will not get any Navy contracts if you do not already have an organized QA system in place. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (also referred to as the "FAR") mandate this to be so. The QA system is much more than a welding inspection/welding administration program and you should let the management worry about that. Make them understand your specialty is to be all aspects of the welding program.

If you can, take advantage of Al's course. Also be aware of Hellier NDT; they hold ASNT classes & exams in Anaheim, Houston and somewhere in Conneticut. I am sure there are other ASNT approved training providers but we use them exclusively.

Good luck.

By gonzo

Date 08-12-2008 17:36

Good Morning Tom Thank you for everything I'm writting everything down and doing as much research as I can
and learning as much as I can about NAVSEA QA system .This is a prety good shop and one of the cleanest I've seen
the owner is really good about cleaniness and Quality of work .and best of all their willing to help with the schooling I need.
It will be hard to find this type of knowledge.In any school I'm going to need a bigger computer just to store all the info I find in this web site
Allright Tom just want you to know that theres a lot of welders out there that really apriciate what you guys do ...... I know I do .......
thankx ........gonzo....

By pataterchip (**)

Date 08-26-2008 16:05 Edited 08-26-2008 21:36

All the other posts are spot on, I am sure this will be great experience for you. One other thing that I thought I would mention is that most Primary contractors (Northrop, lockheed,ETC...) have a liaison person. If your company is doing working for a primary find out from the buyer who that person is, they are uaually extremly helpful.

By gonzo

Date 08-27-2008 19:43

Thank you Pataterchip .. that's were I'm at rigth now just trying to get as much info as I can before
the test ....This company is trying to get into BAE systems