Welding Technology

Welding has been in industrial use since the end of the 19^th century. Since then, various different disciplines have developed within it, such as MAG, MIG, WIG, MMA, Plasma, SAW, autogenous and laser welding. Using these welding techniques is accompanied by risks. Here at TÜV NORD we are a competent partner, supporting manufacturers and operators in the efficient implementation of daily welding tasks. Together with our customers, we develop approaches and solutions for their special welding challenges. Certified manufacturers of welded structures can be found in practically every sphere of life: without welding there would be no machinery, pipelines, steel structures, vehicles, aeroplanes and ships; even some medical products require this process.

For the manufacturers of welded steel structures and pressure vessels, rails and defensive technologies, the expertise of the staff that work on them is of decisive importance. With a recognised TÜV NORD certification, welding operations can, in accordance with their obligations, document and communicate the capabilities of their employees. This is an important factor in convincing demanding clients and fulfilling stringent regulations. The qualification of your employees in the field of welding will be carried out by the inspectors at TÜV NORD as a “notified body” in accordance with all the current rules and regulations. This means you can be absolutely assured of the expertise and suitability of, say, your welders, testers and quality assurance/quality management system operators. To keep your knowledge up to date, we organise regular seminars, training measures and courses.

Construction in steel by specialist companies allows the creation of demanding structures for buildings, halls, roofs, bridges, cranes and other edifices. For companies that carry out these complex tasks, along side the required manufacturer qualifications to DIN EN 1090, legally watertight documentation of processes is also of great importance. The same applies to manufacturers of pressure equipment to the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68 EU) and the suppliers and manufacturers of railway and defence products (DIN EN 15085 and DIN 2303). With a neutral, recognised confirmation by TÜV NORD, welding operations are in safe hands here. Process qualification for joining processes The WPQR (Welding Procedure Qualification Record), created in collaboration with recognised materials testing laboratories, safeguards the documentation. These separation and joining processes can be certified to German, European and international requirements and regulations. TÜV NORD has the recognition required to qualify your processes. In addition, our over 100 years of experience allow us to offer further services for all welding-related tasks, making us a competent contact for all questions relating to legal matters and regulations.

Welded structures are subject, as a rule, to European guidelines and international standards. For example, the European Construction Products Directive (305/2011 EU) demands, via DIN EN 1090-1, that construction products with a CE label can only be brought to market by companies that have been inspected and certified by a notified body such as TÜV NORD. The standards are not the same for every company here: depending on the type of structure to be welded, the extent of potential damage, the material used and other criteria, four execution classes (EXC 1 to EXC 4) are used. In the welding of railway vehicles and their components to DIN EN 15085, the standard divides manufacturers and the parts they weld into three tiers, CL1 to CL3, depending on the safety function of the welded part. The quality requirements for the manufacturers and maintainers of defence products are subdivided by DIN 2303 into quality classes Q1 – Q4. This in turn depends on the component classes BK1 to BK4. Manufacturer qualification in fields governed by the Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68 EU), for example, taking account of AD 2000 leaflet HP0 or the standard series DIN EN 13445 and DIN EN 13480 also demonstrates that your products have left your factory in a quality-assured state. The basis for this and other product standards is DIN EN ISO 3834. In this “high-level norm”, the quality requirements for the fusion welding of metallic materials are described. TÜV NORD has all the necessary accreditation to carry out manufacturer qualification in the above fields. The TÜV NORD certificate enjoys worldwide recognition and will help you gain new customers.