Quality management, QA/QC and documentation
This domain tests the quality system around welding: ISO 3834, coordination, qualification records, document control and deviation handling.
Core rules
- ISO 3834-2 (full), -3 (standard), -4 (elementary) set requirements by product type; ISO 9001 certification alone does not demonstrate welding competence.
- ISO 14731 defines welding coordination tasks and the competence of the responsible welding coordinator.
- Document chain: WPQR (ISO 15614-1) → WPS (ISO 15609-1) → welder qualification (ISO 9606-1) → work order and records. Each link must cover the actual joint, thickness, position and process.
- ISO 9606-1 certificates are valid two years with six-monthly employer confirmation; after expiry, requalification is required.
- Control NCRs, calibration records, consumable certificates and traceability; retention is commonly five years or as contracted.
Worked example
An audit finds a butt weld made in position PF by welder 27, qualified only in PA. The WPS is valid and the NDT passed. It is still a nonconformity, because position ranges are not transferable. Actions: review all that welder's PF work, requalify, and ask why the inspection plan's pre-weld hold point did not catch the mismatch.
Traps
Treating ISO 9001 as equivalent to ISO 3834; assuming a WPQR covers unlimited thickness or any position; missing the six-month confirmation; leaving superseded WPS revisions on the shop floor.