INTRODUCTION
The welder is a person who has the manipulative skill and knowledge to make a manual or semiautomatic weld. Some variations of the welder are the welding operator who has the knowledge necessary to make a weld using automatic, mechanized or robotic equipment. And the tack welder who has the manipulative skill and knowledge to make small welds to hold parts of a weldment in alignment for the welder or welding operator.
FUNCTION
Welders, welding operators and tack welders make the welds necessary to make weldments. Depending on industry and or contract documents welders, welding operators and tack welders may follow the requirements in engineering drawings (blueprints), and welding procedure specifications (WPS), to make the welds for weldments. Also depending on the industry and or contract documents welders, welding operators and tack welders may also be required to take and pass a qualification test to become certified before making any welds. Becoming certified can be compared to becoming a licensed driver. The license documents the person’s ability to operate a motor vehicle safely, not that the person will always operate the vehicle safely. The welding certification documents the person’s ability to make sound welds, not that the person will always make sound welds.
EDUCATION
Welders, welding operators and tack welders take courses to prepare them for making sound welds in the construction and manufacturing environments. The subjects may include:
- Welding processes
- Welding and fabricating ferrous metals
- Welding and fabricating nonferrous metals
- Welding electrodes and filler metals
- Welding shielding gases and mixtures
- Brazing and soldering
- Heating and cutting processes
- Welding defects and discontinuities
- Manufacturing and construction techniques and processes
- Welding fabrication, manual, mechanized, automated and robotic
- Weldment tooling, fixturing and positioning
- Welding costs, economics, estimating
- Welding health and safety
- Engineering drawing reading (blueprint reading)
- Welding symbols interpretation
- Fabrication mathematics
- Welding terminology and definitions
- Welding joint geometry and types
- Welding codes and standards
- Welding qualification and certification
- Drafting technics, standards and practices