Description

Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials

Why ISO 3834? Welding is classified as a special process the result of which cannot be always verified by testing after the end of welding. Therefore, the quality of a weld must be checked during the production not by inspections and tests of the finished product, but by suitable management of welding processes. This management may be carried out in accordance with the ISO 3834:2005 standard, which ensures quality of the welds of the final product, which then complies with the specified criteria.

Benefits of welding process certification

This standard forms the basis for proving of conformity and certification of products made with the use of a welding process. A certified manufacturer proves compliance with all the principles of this standard – implementing a high-quality welding process within the requirements of product standards or other specifications.
ISO 3834-2:2005 (higher level of quality requirements) Intended for products with significant safety factors together with the level of static and dynamic stress, with materials designed for high loading during the service life of the products or in the case of an innovative type of structural design or new production procedures that have not been verified in practice.
ISO 3834-3:2005 (middle level of quality requirements) Intended for a wider range of products with normal safety requirements that could be subject to average dynamic or static stresses; the products are generally made of common materials with known welding characteristics, with the guarantee of mechanical stability of products and prevention of the occurrence of unacceptable defects while using WPS qualified procedures and the corresponding level of weld inspection and testing.
ISO 3834-3:2005 (basic level of quality requirements) Intended for a range of products with basic safety requirements that are subject to average static loading; the products are made of common materials with known welding characteristics with the guarantee of mechanical stability of the products.

Integration of ISO 3834:2005 with a product standard

ISO 3834:2005 & Steel structures Production of steel structures – supplements general terminology to the EN standard and explanation of terms from the sphere of documentation and products (FPC) – specifies requirements for capability of manufacturers, assembly, surface finish – adds the topics of management, verification inspections, maintenance, refurbishment and disposal of structures.
ISO 3834:2005 & EN 1090-2 EN 1090-2: Production of steel and aluminium structures, technical requirements for steel structures.
ISO 3834:2005 & EN 1090-3 EN 1090-3: Production of steel and aluminium structures, technical requirements for aluminium structures.
ISO 3834:2005 & EN 15085-2 Welding of railway vehicles; EN 15085-2 Railway applications – Welding of railway vehicles and their parts – Part 2 – Requirements for quality and manufacturer’s certification within welding.

ISO 3834 and marketing

Will the welding production management system help marketing? It is the other way round, marketing must establish requirements concerning the quality management system within welding processes. The client s opinion about the quality of welding operations is important. There is a number of fields where the supplier can only meet the requirements made by product standards, however it is necessary to take into account that according to the client the quality is not only the utility properties of a product, however the client assesses also the quality of related logistic, production supporting and production processes as well as other ways of communication in connection with the final provision of the order.