Draft:Welding engineering

engineering profession From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Welding Engineering is a complex field that requires proficiency in a broad range of engineering disciplines. Students who pursue a degree in Welding Engineering engage in a curriculum that is more diverse than other engineering disciplines (Figure 1.1). They take advanced courses in welding metallurgy and materials science that cover materials ranging from steels and stainless steels, to nonferrous alloys such as nickel, aluminum, and titanium, as well as polymers.


Air Force welder MIG welding

Welding process courses emphasize theory, principles, and fundamental concepts pertaining to the multitude of important industrial welding processes. While many associate welding with arc welding processes, a Welding Engineer may be responsible for many other processes. Therefore, in addition to arc welding, the Welding Engineering curriculum includes coverage of processes such as Laser and Electron Beam Welding, solid‐state welding processes such as Friction Welding and Explosion Welding, and resistance welding processes including Spot and Projection Welding.

Students are trained in many important electrical concepts associated with welding such as process control and transformer theory and operation. Welding design courses cover the principles of important subjects such as heat flow, residual stress, fatigue and fracture, and weld design for various loading conditions.

Analysis through numerical modeling is included in many of the courses. Nondestructive testing techniques including x‐ray, ultrasonics, eddy current, magnetic particle, and dye penetrant are emphasized as well.

The diverse Welding Engineering curriculum prepares its graduates for a wide range of possible career paths and industrial fields. Working environments include automation and high speed production, fabrication, manufacturing, and research.

Welding Engineering graduates are typically in high demand, and choose jobs from a variety of industry sectors including nuclear, petrochemical, automotive, medical, shipbuilding, aerospace, power generation, and heavy equipment sectors.[1]

In professional practice, welding engineering is closely associated with the function of welding coordination. Welding coordination comprises tasks and responsibilities related to the planning, execution, supervision, and documentation of welding activities, which are assigned by the manufacturer and performed in accordance with applicable standards. These responsibilities are formally described in ISO 14731, which establishes a framework for defining the competence levels required for personnel responsible for welding operations.[2]

The internationally harmonised systems for education, training, qualification, and certificationhave been established to aid the welding engineering profession across numerous countries and various branches of industry. These systems provide a framework of general principles and specifications for the formulation of learning outcomes for welding processes and equipment, the behaviour of materials during welding, the construction and design of welded structures, and the management and quality management of fabrication.[3]

A central role in the development and management of international welding engineering qualifications is played by the International Institute of Welding (IIW). IIW establishes harmonised rules for the qualification and certification of welding personnel, including welding engineers, through its international framework, enabling worldwide recognition of these qualifications.

Within Europe, welding engineering education and qualification are aligned with the system developed by the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF). European and International qualifications are considered equivalent under harmonised guidelines, allowing the same educational structure and competence requirements to be applied across national borders and supporting mutual recognition within Europe and internationally.[4]

History

Welding engineering was recognized as a separate field in the engineering profession in the 20th century due to the intricate nature of welded fabrications and the increasing dependence of the industry on welding as a major production technique. As the industry started to utilize welding in place of traditional artisanal methods, the demand for industrial production engineers who specialized in welding, as well as the behavior of materials, design, and control of production processes, became apparent.

The United States was one of the first countries to start formal academic training in welding engineering, as university education in welding engineering was offered both before and immediately after World War II. In 1938, The Ohio State University became the first university to implement a fully developed educational curriculum in welding engineering, and its first students graduated in 1948. This was a major achievement that solidified the recognition of welding engineering as a professional and academic discipline.[5]

With the end of the World War II, the world started collaborating more in the field of welding science and engineering, which was the start of the International Institute of Welding (IIW). The first conference as the founder of IIW was organized by the Belgian Institute of Welding and took place on 11 June 1948, which marked the start of a global framework for welding research, education, and standardization.[6]

In Europe, the need to harmonise education and professional qualifications resulted in the establishment of the European Council for Cooperation in Welding (ECCW) in 1974. This initiative laid the foundation for a coordinated European approach to welding engineering education and professional recognition.[6]

The role of welding engineering in international standardisation was strengthened in the mid-1980s when IIW was officially approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to develop international standards in the field of welding and related processes, reinforcing welding engineering as a mature engineering discipline with a formal role in global standardisation activities.[6]

A major milestone in the harmonisation of international and European welding engineering qualifications was achieved in 1997, when IIW and EWF signed an agreement establishing the equivalence of International and European Welding Engineer, Technologist, Specialist, and Practitioner diplomas.[7] Under this agreement, IIW delegated the management of international welding qualification and certification systems to the International Authorisation Board (IAB).[2]

Distinction from welding and related fields

Welding engineering is distinct from welding as a manufacturing process and from welding technology as a technical specialisation. While welding refers to the physical joining of materials through thermal, mechanical, or chemical means, welding engineering encompasses the systematic application of engineering principles to the planning, design, control, and verification of welding activities.

Welding engineers are responsible for defining welding-related technical requirements, selecting and qualifying processes and materials, developing and validating welding procedures, and ensuring compliance with applicable standards and regulations. These responsibilities extend beyond the execution of welding operations and require engineering-level decision-making, particularly in safety-critical and regulated industries.

In contrast to welding practitioners and technicians, welding engineers operate at a level of responsibility aligned with formal engineering roles, often acting as welding coordination personnel as defined in ISO 14731. This distinction is reflected in international education, qualification, and certification frameworks, which explicitly recognise welding engineering as an engineering discipline with defined competence levels and professional responsibilities.

Academic discipline and university education

Welding engineering is recognised as a formal academic discipline within engineering education. The university programs for welding engineering teach the application of engineering science to the welding and joining fields, including behaviour of materials, structural integrity, manufacturing systems, and quality assurance.

Aside from degree programs, education in welding engineering takes place also via postgraduate studies and professional qualifications that are designed to be complementary to an academic engineering degree. These pathways offer education that is industrially oriented and allows for the exercise of professional engineering in the area of practice of welding.

Regulation and standardisation

elding engineering is associated with the global harmonization of legal and regulatory frameworks for welded constructions. ISO 14731 outlines the roles and various levels of responsibility of welding coordinators and is applicable to several product and engineering standards for pressure vessels, structural steel, railways, and for the quality control of welded joints.

For this reason, the professional qualification in welding engineering is often a requirement of law or contract. This is also the case for the professional qualifications and educational level developed by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and the European Welding Federation (EWF) to ensure the uniform application of the engineering control of welding.

Education

Education in welding engineering is based on internationally harmonised guidelines that define minimum requirements for training, learning outcomes, and assessment of personnel responsible for welding coordination. These requirements are developed within the IIW framework through IAB, in cooperation with national Authorised Nominated Bodies (ANBs).[2]

The educational framework is defined in IAB Guideline 252, which specifies the minimum requirements for education, training, examination, and qualification of welding coordination personnel. Section I of the guideline covers education and training requirements, including objectives, scope, learning outcomes, and minimum teaching hours, while Section II defines the rules for examination and qualification. The guideline is periodically revised by IAB Group A to reflect developments in welding technology and the state of the art.[2]

Educational structure

Welding engineering education is organised in a modular structure covering theoretical and practical components. For the International Welding Engineer (IWE) qualification, the standard route requires a minimum total workload of 448 teaching hours, consisting of theoretical education and fundamental practical skills.

In addition to theoretical education, a minimum of 60 hours is devoted to fundamental practical skills aimed at familiarising candidates with welding processes, typical defects, and process control. Successful completion of the educational programmeensures that graduates can apply welding technology at a level consistent with the awarded qualification.[2]

Welding Engineering Curriculum[2]

More information MODULES, Minimum Teaching Hours ...
MODULES Minimum Teaching Hours
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Total
Module 1: Welding processes and equipment 47 0 49 96
Module 2: Materials and their behaviour during welding 29 0 69 98
Module 3: Construction and design 14 0 48 62
Module 4: Fabrication and applications engineering 0 0 130 130
Practical Training 0 60 0 60
TOTAL 90 60 296 446
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Competence Units of Module 1

More information Module 1: Welding processes and equipment, Contact Hours ...
Module 1: Welding processes and equipment Contact Hours Total
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Competence Unit 1

Introduction to Welding Technology and Arc Power

General introduction to welding technology 3 12
Electrotechnics, a review 2
The arc 3
Power sources for arc welding 4
12 0 0
Competence Unit 2

Welding and Cutting Conventional Processes

Oxy‐gas Welding and related processes 2 57
Introduction to gas shielded arc welding 2
TIG Welding 5
MIG/MAG 8
Flux Cored Arc Welding 2
MMA Welding 6
Submerged‐Arc Welding 6
Cutting, Drilling and other edge preparation processes 4
Fully mechanised processes and robotics 8
Brazing and soldering 4
Welding laboratory 10
35 0 22
Competence Unit 3

Advanced Welding Processes

Resistance Welding (Spot welding, seam welding, projection welding, flash and upset welding, percussion welding) 6 27
Laser; Electron Beam; Plasma (welding and cutting except for plasma only welding) 8
Other Welding Processes (for example explosion welding, ultrasonic welding, friction welding, diffusion welding, stud welding, magnetically impaled arc welding, etc.) 6
Surfacing and Spraying 2
Joining processes for plastics 4
oining processes for ceramics and composites 1
0 0 27
Module Total 47 0 49 96
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Competence Units of Module 2

More information Module 2, Contact Hours ...
Module 2 Contact Hours Total
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Competence Unit 4

Introduction to Metallic Materials

Structure and properties of metals 4 16
Phase Diagrams and Alloys 4
Manufacture and classification of steels 4
Behaviour of structural steels in fusion welding 4
16 0
Competence Unit 5

Steels and Their Weldability

Iron – carbon alloys 5 57
Structural (unalloyed) steels 4
High strength steels 10
Creep and creep resistant steels 4
Steels for cryogenic applications 4
Stainless and heat resistant steel 12
Cracking phenomena in welded joints 8
Heat treatment of base materials and welded joints 4
Joining dissimilar materials 4
Cast irons and steels 2
9 0 48
Competence Unit 6

Wear, Corrosion, Fractures and Application of Structural and High Strength Steels

Fractures and different kinds of fractures 4 12
Application of structural and high strength steels 2
Introduction to corrosion 4
Introduction to wear and protective layers 2
4 0 8
Competence Unit 7

Other Materials Then Steel

Copper and copper alloys 2 13
Nickel and nickel alloys 2
Aluminium and aluminium alloys 6
Titanium and other metals and alloys 3
0 0 13
Module Total 29 0 69 98
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Competence Units of Module 3

More information Module 3, Contact Hours ...
Module 3 Contact Hours Total
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Competence Unit 8

Design for Welding & Brazing

Basic theory of structural systems 4 62
Fundamentals of the strength of materials 6
Joint design for Welding and Brazing 4
Basics of weld design 6
Behaviour of welded structures under different types of loading 4
Design of welded structures with predominantly static loading 8
Behaviour of welded structures under cyclic loading 8
Design of cyclic loaded welded structures 8
Design of welded pressure equipment 6
Design of aluminium alloys structures 4
Introduction to fracture mechanics 4
14 0 48
Module Total 14 0 48 62
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Competence Units of Module 4

More information Module 4, Contact Hours ...
Module 4 Contact Hours Total
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Competence Unit 9

General features for Quality Management

Residual Stresses and Distortion 6 30
Plant facilities, welding jigs and fixtures 4
Health and Safety 4
Measurement, Control and Recording in Welding 4
Economics and Productivity 8
Repair Welding 2
Reinforcing-steel welded joints 2
0 0 30
Competence Unit 10

Quality Assurance / Quality Control on welded Joints

Introduction to quality assurance in welded fabrication 8 24
Quality control during manufacture 16
0 0 24
Competence Unit 11

Tests used for the Quality Control of weld Joints

Destructive testing of materials and welded joints 14 36
Imperfections and Acceptance Criteria 4
Non-Destructive Testing 18
0 0 36
Competence Unit 12

Case Studies

(4.12) Case Studies 40 40
0 0 40
Module Total 0 0 130 130
Curriculum Total 90 60 296 446
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Practical Training

More information Fundamental Practical Skills, Contact Hours ...
Fundamental Practical Skills Contact Hours Total
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Oxygas welding and cutting 6 60
MMA 8
TIG 8
MIG/MAG + Flux Cored Arc Welding 16
Demonstration of following processes: 22
Gouging, Brazing, Plasma welding, Plasma cutting, Submerged-arc welding, Resistance welding, Friction welding, Electron beam welding, Laser welding, Other processes
Total Practical Skills 0 60 0 60
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Learning outcomes and competence levels

Education of welding engineering is directly linked to the competence levels defined in EN ISO 14731. For the International Welding Engineer qualification, candidates are expected to acquire advanced knowledge and critical understanding of welding technology and its industrial application.

Graduates are expected to demonstrate the ability to manage complex and unpredictable welding activities, solve high-level technical problems, and take responsibility for decision-making and professional development within welding-related projects.[2]

Professional role and responsibilities

Welding engineers perform professional engineering roles related to the design, coordination, and control of welding activities within manufacturing and construction environments. Typical responsibilities include technical review of welded constructions, development and qualification of welding procedures, selection and control of materials and consumables, and definition of inspection and testing requirements.

In many industries, welding engineers act as welding coordination personnel and are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable standards, contractual requirements, and regulatory frameworks. Due to the safety-critical nature of welded structures in sectors such as pressure equipment, energy, transportation, and infrastructure, welding engineers are commonly required to demonstrate formal qualifications and documented competence.

Relation to welding coordination tasks

The competences acquired through welding engineering education enable qualified welding engineers to perform essential welding coordination tasks defined in ISO 14731. These include reviewing welding construction contract requirements, supervising subcontracting activities, managing welding personnel, specifying equipment and calibration requirements, developing manufacturing plans, qualifying welding procedures, preparing working instructions, managing inspection and testing plans, supervising heat treatments, defining corrective actions, and controlling identification, traceability, and quality records related to welded constructions.[2]

References

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