Pipe welder Apprenticeship Standard

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Knowledge

K1: The mechanical properties (strength, ductility, toughness, etc.), physical properties (dimensions, weight, corrosion susceptibility, contamination) of commonly welded materials.
K2: The fundamentals of welding metallurgy (Weld Metal Solidification and Heat Affected Zone) and how this can affects weldability of materials and final joint integrity
K3: The common manual arc welding processes and the relative merits for a given application including Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG), Manual Metal Arc (MMA), Plasma Arc Welding (PAW), Metal Inert Gas (MIG), Metal Active Gas (MAG), Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
K4: Pipe and tube weld joint types (Butt, Socket, Set-on Branch, Set-In Branch, Set-Through Branch, Flange) and the relative merits of the multiple preparation types (e.g. J-, V-, U- and double/triple compound angles) and their effect on pre-welding pipe preparation times, weld shrinkage, restrictive access to the pipe weld preparation, welding technique to be adopted and risk of causing defects during welding production.
K5: The welding positions and progression directions associated with welding pipe e.g. Rotated Pipe; Horizontal - Fixed Vertical Pipe; Vertical Weld - Fixed Horizontal Pipe (either upward or downward progression); Inclined - Fixed 45 degree Pipe Overhead (either upward or downward progression).
K6: Pipe bore contamination and how weld root profile affects product performance in service (corrosion, erosion, flow restriction, post-weld conditioning treatments, product contamination (e.g. food, beverage, pharmaceutical) or damage to other components within the piping system (e.g. valves/turbines)
K7: Welding controls to establish and maintain the key primary parameters associated with the welding process (e.g. Current, Arc Voltage, Wire Feed Speed, Shielding Gas Flow Rates, Electrode Polarity etc.)
K8: The major components of welding equipment, ancillary equipment, cabling and their assembly, including Power Source, Wire Feed System, TIG & PAW Arc Initiation Systems, interconnecting communications cables, torches, tongs, gas equipment etc.
K9: Purging systems and damming mechanisms, including their relative merits and limitations, locating relative to the weld and subsequent removal from the piping system (e.g. dams, bungs, foams, ashless paper, soluble films etc.)
K10: Purging gas selection and its relative merits for a given material and weld location/orientation within a piping system, considering its buoyancy, leakage path, risk of asphyxiation, reaction with the molten weld pool and potential effect on weld metal properties.
K11: The relative merits of purge gas injection into the bore to consider the route of gas supply, orifice diameter, volume to be purged, flow rate, acceptable oxygen levels, turbulence effects, waiting time to achieve specified levels and trigger point for withdrawal of purge protection from pipe bore
K12: Flux based bore side root protection mechanisms (bore side fluxes, pastes, flux-carrying consumables such as flux coated and flux-cored rod stock (e.g. MMA, TIG, FCAW etc.), deoxidants within solid wires) and their relative merits, limitations and risks (post weld conditioning processes, foreign material exclusion requirements, product media contamination, downstream component degradation).
K13: Welding Procedure Specification requirements, content and information derived to establish specific production information
K14: Welder Approval Certificates content and definitions to determine scope of coverage
K15: Mechanisms to measure, monitor and control secondary welding parameters (e.g. Bore Cleanliness, Bore side Oxidation, Heat Input, Interpass Temperature), linear shrinkage
K16: Identification and the causes of typical welding defects and how their occurrence can be reduced.
K17: Different types and functions of welding consumables and the requirement for correct identification, storage, conditioning, handling and recycling or disposal.
K18: The requirements for correct storage, handling and segregation of materials and tooling to prevent cross contamination between sensitive materials
K19: When and how to use material removal processes (powered and non‐powered tools)
K20: Supporting activities often provided by others and must be checked to ensure the successful production of pipe welding activities (bore alignment, ovality, bore contamination, fitting, purging, thermal treatment).
K21: Welding quality documentation, organisational reporting systems, procedures and their role within the overall quality process
K22: Performance success factors in production, inspection reporting, productivity, bore cleanliness/contamination etc.
K23: Risks and mitigation measures associated with welding and the working environment, and the organisational risk management processes
K24: Statutory, quality, organisational and health, safety and environmental regulations
K25: Typical problems that may arise within their normal work activities/environment
K26: Organisational systems to control and administer approved processes, procedures, documentation and the potential implications for the organisation if not followed.
K27: Continuous improvement processes, performance review and how this is undertaken within their organisation.
K28: Non-destructive testing reports and radiographs including identification of particular defect types and the associated improvements to process and techniques needed to prevent recurrence

Skills

S1: Work safely at all times, comply with health & safety and environmental legislation, regulations and organisational requirements
S2: Obtain, check and use appropriate documentation (such as job instructions, drawings, quality control documentation)
S3: Plan all preparatory tasks and interfaces and pipe welding activity, before commencing work
S4: Obtain, position and assemble welding equipment and associated safety protection needed for each activity
S5: Prepare, check and protect materials and work areas ready for welding
S6: Inspect the assembly to be welded and undertake remedial work to comply with specification, or implement quality steps if rejected
S7: Receive, inspect, condition and maintain consumables
S8: Set, test, and monitor key welding parameters as detailed within the Welding Procedure Specification and adjust as necessary to accommodate changing orientation as the weld progresses around the pipe joint.
S9: Set-up purge protection within the pipe bore and associate monitoring methods
S10: Set-up bore side protection controls to avoid foreign material ingress into the pipe bore
S11: Remove materials using manual processes, including powered and non-powered equipment
S12: Achieve a quality of work to meet international standards e.g. ISO 5817, ISO 9606, ASME IX, ASME B31.3 for dimensional, surface inspection (e.g. Visual, Magnetic Particle, Dye Penetrant) and volumetric inspection (e.g. Radiography, Ultrasonic inspection, including Time of Flight and Phased Array methods).
S13: Monitor weld quality and dimensions throughout welding activity and on completion of welding and report any issues through organisational production / quality control process prior to release for formal examination by others
S14: Restore the work area on completion of the activity and where applicable return any resources and consumables to the appropriate location
S15: Deal promptly and effectively with problems within the limits of their responsibility using approved diagnostic methods and techniques
S16: Complete any required documentation using the defined recording systems at the appropriate stages of the work activity
S17: Produce pipe welds using two welding processes from TIG, PAW, MMA, MIG/MAG, FCAW
S18: Produce pipe welds using four material groups from Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, High Alloy Ferritic/Martensitic Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Nickel & Nickel Alloys, Aluminium & Aluminium alloys, Titanium & Titanium Alloys, Copper & Copper Alloys
S19: Produce pipe welds covering ALL defined pipe welding positions. These are Flat - Rotated Pipe; Horizontal - Fixed Vertical Pipe; Vertical Weld - Fixed Horizontal Pipe (either upward or downward progression); Inclined - Fixed 45 degree Pipe Overhead (either upward or downward progression)
S20: Produce pipe welds in 3 main joint configurations from Single Sided Butt, Socket, Flange and Set-on Branch.
S21: Produce pipe welds in by continually adjusting the orientation of the welder, welding torch, and welding consumable filler, including restricted access conditions
S22: Produce pipe welds in restricted access conditions by welding with both left and right hands (e.g. boiler tube bundles, proximity of other plant and equipment, limited access locations, welds located with limited visibility of the weld joint)

Behaviours

B1: Takes responsibility for decision-making, without autonomy and within the guidelines of the work instruction, for their workplace, the application of welding processes, and for their productivity
B2: Enquires and seeks guidance, in order to understand the processes and associated industrial applications.
B3: Committed to maintaining competence through Continuing Professional Development planning, preparation and reflection to ensure safety, quality and production and ensuring Continuing Professional Development goals are achieved.
B4: Intervene and challenge poor practice and have confidence to channel feedback to the appropriate authorities to implement change.
B5: Consistently and reliably deliver expectations in safety, production, quality, ethics and self-development
B6: Encourages and supports the development of others and completes point of work risk assessments.
B7: Follows the specified procedures and controls and be personally responsible and accountable for their production work and personal development
B8: Reflect on current and past performance and provide information and recommendations for continuous improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of working practices, and training and development requirements

Duty 1

DUTY: Plan and prepare for the pipe welding activities before commencing work

Duty 2

DUTY: Check materials conform to the specified grades, dimensions, thicknesses and diameters.

Duty 3

DUTY: Inspect weld preparations, assembly and apply remedial material conditioning appropriate to the preparation processes applied

Duty 4

DUTY: Align and position pipes to be welded, recognising ovality, mismatch, clean contamination and foreign material ingress exclusion requirements

Duty 5

DUTY: Establish necessary purging and bore protection of the weld deposit, using dams, barriers, pastes or fluxes

Duty 6

DUTY: Set-up and check the equipment to be used in the preparation and welding of pipes and tubes

Duty 7

DUTY: Adjust and maintain the equipment to be used during the welding of pipes and tubes, applicable to the process being used

Duty 8

DUTY: Read, interpret and apply technical specifications, inspection criteria & drawings to establish detailed welding process controls, bore protection methods and consumable selection

Duty 9

DUTY: Use appropriate tools, equipment and techniques to weld pipe and tubes, whilst considering welding parameters on the integrity of the finished material properties, characteristics and risk of defects.

Duty 10

DUTY: Monitor productivity, quality and consumable consumption throughout the welding of components and identify areas for improving the production process where possible (e.g. access & positioning, technique modification, filler metals, welding gas, purging gas, fluxing systems, electrodes).

Duty 11

DUTY: Adjust parameters throughout the welding of components, recognising the need to adapt to accommodate ongoing changes in welding position and technique (e.g. Preheat, Interpass Temperature, Heat Input).

Duty 12

DUTY: Remove material using manual powered and non-powered hand tools before welding to clean the pipe bore, remove non-integral tack welds, dress anomalies in weld preparations and remove latent defects.

Duty 13

DUTY: Remove material using manual powered and non-powered hand tools, during welding to remove defects (e.g. porosity) and to prevent potential defects being created (e.g. Slag traps).

Duty 14

DUTY: Inspect the completed initial weld run to confirm bore penetration level, profile, oxidation and linear shrinkage prior to final closure then visually inspect the bore side deposit and profile using appropriate inspection techniques

Duty 15

DUTY: Monitor component changes and associated with weld shrinkage, visually inspecting the weld deposit during pipe and tube welding operations.

Duty 16

DUTY: Inspect the final pipe weld and component to ensure, surface finish, weld profile and component geometry meet specification

Duty 17

DUTY: Dress finished weld cap as required in the specification to accommodate subsequent inspection techniques.

Duty 18

DUTY: Restore the work area, welding equipment, and purging devices to a safe and reliable condition on completion of welding

Duty 19

DUTY: Return unused consumables for re‐conditioning and re-use or disposal.

Duty 20

DUTY: Collate and submit quality records information including batch identification, welder identification, weld map and quality dossier

Pipe welder

Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Pipe welder standard?

Knowledge

Skills

Behaviours

Duty 1

Duty 2

Duty 3

Duty 4

Duty 5

Duty 6

Duty 7

Duty 8

Duty 9

Duty 10

Duty 11

Duty 12

Duty 13

Duty 14

Duty 15

Duty 16

Duty 17

Duty 18

Duty 19

Duty 20

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Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Pipe welder standard?