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Course:WELDINGOFMILDSTEEL
Module9

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2009.08.16

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List of content
MODULE9..........................................................................................................................................4
Deliveryoftheproduct....................................................................................................................4
TheEuropeanWeldedProductDirectives.......................................................................................5
TheEuropeanWeldedProductStandards.......................................................................................6
TheENISO3834............................................................................................................................8
Identificationandtraceability........................................................................................................10
Qualityrecords...............................................................................................................................10

MODULE9

Delivery of the product.

Manufacturingprocessessuchasfusionweldingarewidelyusedtoproducemanyproducts,andfor
somecompanies,thesearethekeyproductionfeatures.Productsmayrangefromsimpleto
complex;examplesincludepressurevessels,domesticandagriculturalequipment,cranes,bridges,
transportvehiclesandotheritems.
Theseprocessesexertaprofoundinfluenceonthecostofmanufactureandonthequalityofthe
product.Itisthereforeimportanttoensurethattheseprocessesarecarriedoutinthemosteffective
wayandthatappropriatecontrolisexercisedoverallaspectsoftheoperation.Ingeneral,ISO9001
standardhasbeendevelopedinordertoapplyaconsistentQualityManagementSystem.
However,surfacecoating,painting,compositemanufacture,weldingandbrazingareconsideredas
specialprocessesbecausethequalityofthemanufacturedproductcannotbereadilyverifiedby
finalinspection.Inthecaseofweldedproducts,qualitycannotbeinspecteddirectlyintheproduct,
buthastobebuiltinduringfabrication,aseventhemostextensiveandsophisticatednon
destructivetestingdoesnotimprovethequalityoftheproduct.
Forthisreasonqualitymanagementsystemsalonemaybeinsufficienttoprovideadequate
assurancethattheseprocesseshavebeencarriedoutcorrectly.Specialcontrolsandrequirements
areusuallyneeded,whichrequireadequatecompetencecontrolbefore,duringandafteroperation.
Forproductstobefreefromseriousproblemsduringproductionandinservice,itisnecessaryto
providecontrolsfromthedesignphasethroughmaterialselection,intomanufactureandsubsequent
inspection.Forexample,poordesignmaycreateseriousandcostlydifficultiesintheworkshop,on
site,orinservice;incorrectmaterialselectionmayresultinproblems,suchascrackinginwelded
joints.
Toensuresoundandeffectivemanufacturing,themanagementneedstounderstandandappreciate
thesourcesofpotentialproblemsandtoimplementappropriateproceduresfortheircontrol.
Alltheseconsiderationsleadtothedevelopmentofspecificstandards,ENISO3834.

Forlonganumberofpeoplehavethoughtthatadefinedlevelofquality,couldhaveprimarilybeen
reached, through the implementation of "a manual and several documented procedures",
considering the specific technical knowledge, over the fabrication process applied, a matter of
secondaryinterest.
Gettingthe"substantialquality"isquiteeasy:torecogniseafirstprioritytothespecifictechnical
competence on the fabrication process. According to that, the European trend in quality
managementisclearlymovingfromasystemapproachtoaprocess/productapproach,claimingfor
Manufacturestoshowanevidencedcompetence.
TheEuropeanProductDirectivesandtheirreferringEuropeanstandards,claimingforthefulfilment
ofspecifictechnicalrequirements,areexhaustiveexamplesofthat.
The European Welded Product Directives.
TheEuropeanDirectives,havethedualpurposeof:
ensuringthefreemovementofgoodsthroughatechnicalharmonizationand
guaranteeingahighlevelofpublicinterestprotection.
Innovativefeaturesofthislegislation,addressedtotheintroductionofCEmarking,include:

thedefinitionofmandatoryessentialrequirementsand
thesettingupofappropriateconformityassessmentprocedures.
TheManufacturerassumestheresponsibilityofdesigningandperformingaproduct,boundtobe
placedontheCommunitymarket,retainingtheoverallcontrolalongthewholefabricationcourse.
ForthattheManufacturermustgiveclearevidenceofhavingthenecessarycompetence.
Consistentlywiththisresponsibility,theManufacturerisduetoensurethattheconformityofhis
productisassessedtotheessentialrequirementsoftheapplicableDirectives.
WhereaDirectiverequiresproductsand/orsystemstobeindependentlyassessed,thismustbedone
bya"NotifiedBody".However,eveniftheNotifiedBodyisinvolved,theresponsibilityofthe
productconformity,isprimarilyontheManufacturer.
ThemostimportantEuropeanDirectives,concerningweldedproducts,areshowninthetable:

87/404/EEC
97/23/EC
99/36/EC
89/106/EEC
01/16/EC
96/48/EC

SimplePressureVesselDirective
PressureEquipmentDirective
TransportablePressureEquipmentDirective
ConstructionProductDirective
ConventionalRailSystemDirective
HighSpeedRailDirective

SPVD
PED
TPED
CPD
CRSD
HSRD

The European Welded Product Standards

ItisuptotheManufacturertodecidewhichwaytogothroughtofulfiltheDirectivesessential
requirements,givingevidenceofsuchafulfilment.Thesimplestway,oftenfromcontractualpoint
ofview,isthatoftheEuropeanstandards,eitherharmonisedornot.
The European harmonised standards, provide a direct presumption of conformity to the
correspondingDirectivesessentialrequirements.
TheEuropeannonharmonisedstandards,arehoweveranagreedtoolthatcanassuretransparency
andcommonunderstanding;consequentlytheyarebecomingamoreandmoreappliedreferencein
manufacturingcontracts.
ThemostimportantapplicableEuropeanstandards,dealingwithweldingfabrication,areshownin
thetable:
Directive
87/404/EEC
(SPVD)
97/23/EC
(PED)
99/36/EC
(TPED)
89/106/EEC

Product
Standard
EN286
EN13445
EN13480
EN12952
EN12953
EN13530
EN14025
prEN1090

StandardTitle
Simpleunfiredpressurevesselsdesignedtocontainairornitrogen
UnfiredPressureVessels
MetallicIndustrialPiping
WaterTubeBoilersandAuxiliaryInstallations
ShellBoilers
CryogenicVesselsLargetransportablevacuuminsulatedvessels
Tanksfortransportofdangerousgoods
Executionofsteelandaluminiumstructures

(CPD)
01/16/EC
(CRSD)
96/48/EC
(HSRD)

prEN15085

Weldingofrailwayvehiclesandcomponents

All these standards, when facing the welding fabrication process control, mention directly or
indirectlytheENISO3834.

Exampleofapressurevessel.

The EN ISO 3834

StatedthattheManufacturer,isfullyresponsibleforhisproductconformity,aneffectivecontrolof
thewholefabricationcourse isanonignorablematter,particularlywhenaspecialprocesslike
welding,withitsancillaryactivities(e.g.:PWHT,NDT,etc),isinvolved.
Thiscontroloverthewholefabricationcourseis:
notonlythecorrectwaytofacetheresponsibilityduties,
butalsothebestroutetofulfilthecontractualandregulatoryrequirementsofthemarketed
productwithoutanywasteorextracosts.

Ontheotherhand,itiswellknownthatanynewtechnologicalinnovationoranynewregulatory
referenceappliedimpactsontheorganisationalsystem,whichisatthebasisoftheindustrialprofit
makingprocess.
TheENISO3834ismadeoffiveparts,whoseheadlinesareselfexplaining;
Part1:Criteriafortheselectionoftheappropriatelevelsofqualityrequirements;
Part2:Comprehensivequalityrequirements;
Part3:Standardqualityrequirements;
Part4:Elementaryqualityrequirements;
Part5:Applicabledocuments.
The main criteria, by means of which, the Manufacturer can select the Part of EN ISO 3834
convenienttohisfabricationprocess,are:
thecriticalstateoftheproductfromsafetypointofview;
themanufacturingcomplexityoftheproduct;
therangeofmaterialsused;
thepossiblemetallurgicalproblemsthatcanarise;
theweldingprocessesadoptedandtheirlevelofautomation;
thesignificance,withrespecttotheexpectedservice,ofpossiblemanufacturingdefects.
AllreportedabovemeansthatthecorrectPartofENISO3834tobechosenisnotnecessarily
dependingonthedemandedqualityoftheproduct,butratheronthe realneedforthespecific
fabrication process to be controlled in order to systematically guarantee the fulfilment of the
contractualandregulatoryrequirements.
Inotherwordsitisthetypologyofthespecificfabricationprocessthedrivingparameterforthe
selectionofthecorrectENISO3834Parttobeconsistentwith.
Asalreadysaid,allphasesoftheweldingfabricationprocessaretakenintoconsiderationbytheEN
ISO3834,thatis:
Contractualandregulatoryrequirementreview;
Technicalrequirementreview;
Subcontracting;
Weldingpersonnel;
Inspectionandtestingpersonnel;
Equipment;
NDTpersonnel;
Weldingandancillaryactivities;
Weldingconsumables;

 Storageofparentmetals;
Postweldheattreatments;
Inspectionandtesting;
Nonconformanceandcorrectiveactions;
Calibrationandvalidation;
Identificationandtraceability;
Qualityrecords.
Beingamanagementstandard,theENISO3834referstootherspecificstandards,dealingwith
particular topics or operations concerning the welding fabrication process (e.g.: personnel or
procedurequalification,NDT,PWHT,etc.).
TheENISO3834,ismoreprocessorientedandattentivetothetechnicalaspects;infact:
notonlythequalitymanualisunneededasbefore,
but even the unwritten praxis, rooted on a specific technical competence, tend often to
replace,withanequalvalue,thedocumentedprocedures.
Eventhenonconformancesappeartobeprimarilyevaluateddependingonwhethertheyaffector
not(andifyes,inwhatextent)theproductrealquality(insteadoftobeonlyabreachtothequality
system),leadingthereforetoaprocessorientedassessment.

Identification and traceability

Identificationofpiecesandparts,andthepossibilitytoretracetheirpositionduringthe
manufacturingstagesandwhendeliveredtothecustomerisoneofthemosteffectivewayto
achievequalityoftheproductandtohavefeedbackaboutitsfunctionality.
However,itshallbenotedthatidentificationandtraceabilitycanimplyexpensiveproceduresand
arethereforenotrequiredbytheISO3834standard.However,theycanberequiredbystandards,
fabricationcodesorbythecustomerhimself.
Wheneverrequired,itshallbemaintainedduringthemanufacturingprocess,whichmeansthatfor
everypieceorcomponentitshallbepossibletoretrieveitshistorybymarkingthepartsand
controllingtherelevantdocumentation.Documentedsystemstoensureidentificationand
traceabilityoftheweldingoperationsshallinclude:
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identificationofproductionplans;
identificationofroutingcards;
identificationofweldlocationsinconstruction;
identificationofnondestructivetestingproceduresandpersonnel;
identificationofweldingconsumable(e.g.designation,tradename,Manufacturerof
consumablesandbatchorcastnumbers);
identificationand/ortraceabilityofparentmaterial(e.g.type,castnumber);

identificationoflocationofrepairs;
identificationoflocationoftemporaryattachments;
traceabilityforfullymechanisedandautomaticweldequipmentforspecificwelds;
traceabilityofwelderandweldingoperatorsofspecificwelds;
traceabilityofweldingprocedurespecificationofspecificwelds.

Quality records
Qualityrecordsshallberetainedforaminimumperiodoffiveyearsintheabsenceofanyother
specifiedrequirements.
Qualityrecordsshallinclude,whenapplicable:
-

recordofrequirement/technicalreview;
materialcertificates;
weldingconsumablecertificates;
weldingprocedurespecifications;
equipmentmaintenancerecords;
weldingprocedureapprovalrecords(WPAR);
welderorweldingoperatorqualificationcertificates;
productionplan;
nondestructivetestingpersonnelcertificates;
heattreatmentprocedurespecificationandrecords;
nondestructivetestinganddestructivetestingproceduresandreports;
dimensionalreports;
recordsofrepairsandnonconformancereports.