Certification of welders, welding operators and brazers
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Kiwa is a Notified Body (NoBo) under Pressure Equipment directive in many European Country. Within the EU, Notified Body is a third party accredited by a Member State to assess whether a product to be launched on the market meets specific standards. Conformity assessment may include inspection and examination of a product, its design, as well as the manufacturing environment and processes associated with it. We can personnel certification service to our customers almost every country in Europe.
Personal certifications in welding
Kiwa performs personal certification of welders, welding operators, machine setters and brazers in accordance with the following standards:
- EN ISO 9606-1 Welder testing - Fusion welding - Part 1: Steel
- EN ISO 9606-2 Welder testing - Fusion welding - Part 2: Aluminium and aluminium alloys
- EN ISO 9606-3 Welder testing - Fusion welding - Part 3: Copper and copper alloys
- EN ISO 9606-4 Welder testing - Fusion welding - Part 4: Nickel and nickel alloys
- EN ISO 9606-5 Welder testing - Fusion welding - Part 5: Titanium and titanium alloys, zirconium and zirconium alloys
- EN ISO 14732 Welding personnel – Testing of operators for fully mechanized welding and machine setters for fully mechanized and automated welding of metallic materials
- TDOK 2014:0587 Welder testing - Welding of rails and rail components
- EN ISO 13585 Brazing - Testing of brazers and brazing operators
The certification process for qualification testing of welders:
The certification can be carried out at your own company, welding school or in some countries we have our own Welding Studios.
How to apply for certification
An application for certification must be drawn up by the person to be certified. In the application, all information about certification such as the standard, type of certificate and test details are recorded. The application is signed by the applicant, which means that the person certifies that they have read and approve the certification rules.
Test laying determines whether the requirements of the current standard are met
Before starting the test, our inspector reviews the manufacturing instructions against applicable requirements and labels the test pieces for traceability. The inspector supervises the test and ensures that the requirements of the current standard are followed. Depending on the standard, mandatory or voluntary knowledge tests are also carried out in connection with the examination.
How does testing for a personal certification work?
When the test is complete, the inspector performs a visual inspection of the sample. If the requirements are met the samples are taken for non-destructive testing or destructive testing. The scope of the test depends on the standard and type of sample.
What happens if you fail an exam?
If you do not meet the requirements of the standard during testing or after testing, you have the option of a new attempt. If you do not pass it on the second attempt, you must train before a new certification opportunity is booked.
Completed certificate - how you as an applicant get a certificate
After the test has been carried out with an approved result, the certification documentation is compiled and assessment is carried out by Kiwa personnel who have not been involved in the test. If everything is in accordance with the set requirements, certificates are issued to applicants. The validity period of the certificate is determined by the respective standard and any choice of the type of certificate. The certificate is distributed to the employer, who distributes it to the persons concerned if necessary. Should the employer not distribute the certificates, certified can always request it from us as we in accordance with ISO17024 are the owners of the certificates and the certified person has the right to access the certificate.
Extension/revalidation of certification
Depending on the standard and type of certificate, the certificate may be revalidated at the end of its period of validity. The employer applies for revalidation of the certificate. In the event of a revalidation, Kiwa does not need to supervise the testing. We review the basis for revalidation and if the requirements of the standard are met, the validity period is prolonged for another period.
Note: ISO 9606-1 and ISO 14732 have certificate types that are not extendable, while the other standards can be extended at different intervals, two or three years.
Certificates issued by another certification body may be taken over in the event of an extension/revalidation. A separate application must be filled out for a possible takeover.
Period of validity of welding certificates and soldering test certificates
Certificates according to ISO 9606-1 and ISO 14732 have the possibility to be non-extendable. Then the validity period is 3 and 6 years respectively, provided that the welder has maintained his competence and has not stopped welding for more than 6 months.
Renewable welding certificates according to ISO 9606 part 1 to 5 and ISO 14732 are valid for two years (three years for welding operators), provided that the welder has maintained his competence and has not stopped welding for more than 6 months.
Certificates according to ISO 13585 are extendable and valid for 3 years from the date of examination, provided that the brazer has maintained his competence and has not stopped welding for more than 6 months.
Certificates according to TDOK 2014:0587 are extendable and valid for 3 years from the date of examination.
How to extend the validity of your welding certificate
To extend the validity period for another two years (three years for welding operators), the application for extension must be accompanied by:
- The certificate wherein your employer has confirmed every 6 months that you have worked within the validity of the certificate with acceptable results. For TDOK, a one-year interval applies instead.
- For ISO 9606-1, records of volumetric tests (buttwelds), fracture, bend or macro tests (fillet welds) carried out on two welded joints carried out during the last six months of validity.
- For ISO 9606 parts 2, 3, 4 and 5, testing from a welded joint is sufficient. The welding tests shall be within the scope of validity of the certificate and shall be of similar difficulty to the initial test.
- ISO 13585 requires only a protocol of volumetric or mechanical testing from a brazed joint carried out during the last six months of validity. The solder test shall be within the scope of validity of the certificate.
- For the extension of certificates with supplementary fillet weld tests, a test protocol is required in which a weld is to be fractured macro tested (only applies to ISO 9606-1).
- For TDOK, completely different rules apply and there must be attached 10 or 5 documented production joints depending on the welding method and an NDT protocol for each year the certificate is valid. Every six years, theory tests must also be rewritten and an appointment must be booked with Kiwa.
Kiwa Qualified helps you to manage certificates
Manage and monitor the certificates digitally via our new Kiwa Qualified customer portal. As a customer, you can see an overview of the company's certificates receive a reminder email about extensions, print certificates and more.
It is fast to implement and it is easy to migrate information from old certificates to the Kiwa Qualified environment. If you have old certificates issued any organisation in pdf-format we can bring them easily to new Kiwa Qualified system.