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Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Documents & Downloads / How can I learn to set up quality manuals?
- - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 06-02-2016 21:34
Ive had a weird dream lately, never thought it would come to me that one day I would actually want to be a auditor.  But, I do.  I find it a pretty awesome job and full of knowledge for the welding mind.  I have recently come across a customer who needs to begin the process of becoming a certified fabricator.  Seeing as the idea of creating a quality manual is a good part of an audit I am trying to find maybe some examples or direction to how one should look and be worded.  I have AWS B5.17 that has what needs to be included but am looking perhaps for some source examples. 

J maxwell
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 06-02-2016 21:44
"I have recently come across a customer who needs to begin the process of becoming a certified fabricator."

AISC certified fabricator?
Parent - - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 06-02-2016 21:53
both AWS, and LA City
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 06-02-2016 22:28
No, if they want LA City they better go with AISC's program.  Don't waste time with the AWS Certified Fabricator program.

Brent
Parent - - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 06-02-2016 22:40
I was just kinda using the B5.17 to learn what is needed. I don't have very much experience in writing one or how to build a high quality manual.  Is there a check list on their website?
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 06-03-2016 00:32
Been a while since I did any research on AISC's programs but I believe you can find all you need at aisc.org .  They have a pretty comprehensive website with all kinds of information.  You may need to use the search function to find what you are after.  Some of their categories are almost as bad as AWS for being hard to get to what you need. 

Brent
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 06-03-2016 10:45
By certifying in the AISC's program for buildings or bridges, you also qualify to apply for the AWS certified fabricator. At my old employer, they paid the money(wasn't a lot) and mailed AWS a copy of the current AISC certificate and they mailed out the AWS certificate.

I've caught wind that the AISC's program is changing AGAIN, ugh. They went from the "checklist" years ago to a program that is similar to an ISO style quality program. And now I hear that they will be changing it up again to include erection. I do not understand the reasoning there, because a large portion of the shops that I help with their AISC quality program sub out erection to someone local in the area where the jobsite is. I can only think of one that actually has an erection crew on staff.
Parent - - By 60John (*) Date 06-03-2016 15:07
You can find all the requirements on the AISC website. Your manual has to be based on how you actually do things don't cut and paste from somewhere else. And only things used for final inspection need to be calibrated don't get caught in the company wanting all tapes squares levels Etc being calibrated becomes a nightmare.A work traveler can save you on paperwork as well along with a cut list where heat numbers are recorded. Erection requires a separate manual and requires actual erection to be performed.
Parent - By jwright650 (*****) Date 06-03-2016 20:39
"only things used for final inspection need to be calibrated"

Correct, at my previous employer they were verifying all of the fitter's and welder's tools....I found that to be a complete waste of energy and time. I cut out all of that nonsense and only verified the inspection tools that would actually be accepting or rejecting the work for in-process or final inspections in both the fab and paint shops.

Jordan there are also endorsements that the fabricator can add on to their AISC certifications...ie the sophisticated paint endorsement- which has several categories..ie enclosed, covered and open/exposed shop
If you want to help fab shops with this QMS get familiar with SSPC and NACE to get a good handle on surface prep, coating application/curing and inspection. Without some core knowledge of these if may be tough to help them cover their bases in that aspect.

Keep asking questions, I'm sure many of us here can help you get your feet wet writing quality manuals for companies. It sure helps if you understand how a particular shop operates to be able to help them with their manual.
Parent - - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 06-03-2016 15:45
The company that I am looking to make this for does not do heavy construction.  It is mostly D1.1 but not too heavy, D1.2, D1.2, D1.6.  They do a little of everything what i would consider light to medium fabrication.  Will that still fall under AISC?
Parent - - By 60John (*) Date 06-03-2016 17:55
AISC is for buildings or bridges. If you are talking stairs, strip malls,drug stores, or multistory buildings then AISC. If AESS steel then AISC I've never done aluminum or stainless structures only repair on personal stuff (motors and frames) none of the companies I've worked for did stainless or aluminum.
Parent - - By MRWeldSoCal (***) Date 06-06-2016 05:04
The company this is for is entertainment and light structural, like stages and floats and things of that nature..
Parent - By Eutectic (**) Date 09-23-2016 11:46
It is not American,
but ISO 3834 is the Quality control system that would supplement or cover for, if not done, the ISO 9001 quality managemtn system.
ISO 3834 is specifically for welded fabricaiton and give a list of actions to be taken and procedures to have in place and records to keep depending on the level of fabricaiton you are executing. Could help as a guideline.
Up Topic Welding Industry / Welding Documents & Downloads / How can I learn to set up quality manuals?

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