European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting

Last updated
EWF - the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting EWF-NEW-LOGO.jpg
EWF - the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting

The European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) is an organization dedicated to education, training, qualification and certification in the field of welding and related technologies.

Contents

History

In 1992, welding course providers of several EU countries wanted to harmonise their education, training, qualification and certification procedures. Thus, they set up the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF). The objective was that the same qualifications could be awarded in any country by using a single syllabus for each level of the training course and a harmonized system for examinations. EWF developed a comprehensive and harmonized system for training, qualification and certification of welding personnel and managed its application ever since. It took a leading role in the innovation of learning methodologies. It is also responsible for the certification system of companies that use welding, focusing on quality, environment, health, and safety. [1]

The challenges addressed by EWF are two-fold: Respond to the industry's professional profile requirements and provide courses that leverage current technological trends and their impact on evolving lifestyles and information acquisition patterns.

Currently (2018), EWF has members from 28 European countries and two observer members from outside Europe, represented by their national welding societies: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, as well as Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. [2]

EWF/IIW network

The federation licensed its qualification system to IIW (International Institute of Welding) in 2000, and since then, a combined EWF/IIW System has been offered in 46 countries worldwide, totaling 44 ANBs (Authorized National Bodies) and 683 ATBs (Authorized Training Bodies).

The network also includes 55,000 companies worldwide.

A certification system has been developed to guarantee manufacturer compliance with EN ISO 3834 and environmental and health safety schemes and its implementation is harmonized within EWF members.

Organization

The EWF has a General Assembly, a Board of Directors, a Secretariat and a Technical Committee with five working groups.

The EWF is governed by the General Assembly, which is representative of the member organizations. The General Assembly, composed of the members of the association, has full powers to accomplish the objectives of the association. [3]

The General Assembly is responsible for electing its president and a Board of Directors.

EWF - Presidents List since 1992 until present
NameYearsOrganisationCountry
Bent Koch1992FORCE Technology Denmark
Jean Quéré1993-1995 IS - Institut de Soudure France
J. van den Brug1996-1998NIL - NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR LASTECHNIEK The Netherlands
Giulio Costa1999-2001IIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA Italy
Jan Pilarczyk2002-2004IS - Instytut Spawalnictwa Poland
German Hernandez2005-2007CESOL – Asociación Española de Soldadura y Tecnologías de Unión Spain
Tim Jessop2008-2010 TWI - The Welding Institute United Kingdom
Dorin Dehelean2011-2013ASR - Asociația Română de Sudură Romania
Henk Bodt2014-2016NIL - NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR LASTECHNIEK The Netherlands
Chris Eady2017-2019 TWI - The Welding Institute United Kingdom
EWF: Board of Directors 2018. [4]
NameEWF PositionPosition in EWF Member OrganisationCountry
Chris EadyPresidentChief Executive of the TWI Certification Ltd and associate director for professional affairs at TWII United Kingdom
Michal KubicaVice-PresidentDeputy Manager at Instytut Spawalnictwa Poland
Luísa CoutinhoExecutive DirectorProfessor at University of Lisbon Portugal
Rute FerrazChief ExecutiveDirector of Training Division at Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade Portugal
Jorge HueteTreasurerGeneral Manager at CESOL Spain
Stefano MorraDirectorTechnical Manager at Istituto Italiano della Saldatura IIS Italy
Martin LehmanDirectorHead of Training and Certification in DVS e.V. and CEO of DVS ZERT GmbH Germany
Vaclav MinarikDirectorDirector at Czech Welding Society ANB Czech Republic

The Secretariat is elected for a period of 5 years by the General Assembly from among the proposals made by the full members, in accordance with the criteria established by the General Assembly. [ [5] ]

EWF - Executive Management Team
NamePositionProfessional Summary
Luísa CoutinhoExecutive DirectorProfessor of Mechanical Engineering, at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Portugal, as well as Executive Director of the European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting since 1992.

Prof. Luísa Coutinho coordinated and participated in more than 100 national and international projects ranging from research to transfer of technology and training since 1986 and has published more than 200 papers, in national and international journals and conference proceedings, and books. Her work has been recognised internationally in different forums through two honorary doctorships and ten international awards.

Rute FerrazChief ExecutiveManages the International System for Qualification and certification of Personnel and Companies, since 2002 and is EWF Lead Assessor.

Mrs Ferraz has an international professional career of over 25 years in Quality Management in Italy, Brasil and Argentina and at present also is Director of the Training Department at ISQ – Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade.

Eurico AssunçãoDeputy DirectorDeputy Director of EWF as well as an invited lecturer at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, in Laser Processing. Mr Eurico Assunção holds a degree as Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Welding Engineering, from the Cranfield University and a European and International Welding Engineer Diploma. Is responsible for the Collaboration Projects of EWF and has coordinated more than 20 large projects involving organisations from all EU. Also manages the Joining Platform, as a sub-platform within the EU Platform “Manufuture”.

The EWF Technical Committee is set up by the General Assembly to cover a technical area related to training, qualification and certification in the welding and joining fields, implying a continuous activity, without any time limit, and consists of the Chairman, the representatives of the members and Working Groups. [6]

EWF - Technical Committees
Technical CommitteesDescriptionConvenorOrganisationCountry
Technical CommitteeThe EWF Technical Committee is set up by the General Assembly for covering several areas of competence: Standardisation, Certification, Training and Qualification in the welding, joining and cutting fields and EWF System Rules. Each area of competence consists of several working groups implying a continuous activity, without any time limit. It consists of the Chairman of Technical Committee, a convenor per area of competence and the representatives of the members and working groups.Stefano MorraIIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA Italy
Training and QualificationDevelops, maintains and updates the EWF system for qualification of personnel to keep it consistent with the European rules and industry needs, assure consistency of the overall EWF system and keep liaisons with the personnel certification schemes.Luca CostaIIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA Italy
CertificationDevelops the strategy for the EWF System for certification of Personnel and Companies in line with the European Standards, directives and industry needs; assures consistency of the EWF Certification Schemes with EU legislation.Stefano MorraIIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA Italy
EWF System RulesEnsures the update of EWF rules and requirements for Personnel Qualification and Certification (PCS) according to the EWF developments; Develops the EWF Operational Systems documents depicting the EWF organisational structure and terms of reference for each body.Italo FernandesISQ - INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE Portugal
European Union ToolsEuropean projects, collaboration between the European organisations, EU rules and instruments. Assists EWF members in developing project proposals and facilitate the dissemination of upcoming European project calls.Luisa Coutinho INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TECNICO Portugal

Key activities

Education, training and qualification of personnel

The EWF qualification system has several types of professional training covering welding, bonding and related techniques. This harmonized system of education and training has been adopted by IIW as an international qualification system since 2000. Its relevance has been recognized both by ISO and CEN, which have EWF as a liaison member. These different technologies, like particular processes, require that the quality of the product be incorporated during the and maintenance, and cannot be ensured only by final testing. That entails personnel with particular high level of knowledge, skills and competencies, which can be obtained through the EWF qualification system.

There are three pillars which support the EWF Harmonized International Qualification System:

  1. Technical Committee: Harmonized qualification guidelines, rules and procedures are developed and approved by all members
  2. The National Member: is responsible for the supervision and implementation of the system through the Authorized Nominated Body (ANB)
  3. The Approved Training Centers: Approved Training Bodies (ATBs) implement the qualification guidelines

In 2012, in its annual report about international qualifications, the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP), has considered the EWF qualification system as the best-case example, recognising the ground-breaking work done by EWF on creating a qualification framework which has been globally adopted. [7]

EWF training guidelines

The EWF training guidelines cover all professional levels in welding technology and related areas, such as thermal spraying, adhesive bonding, plastics welding and underwater welding, leading to recognised qualifications in 30 European countries and also at international level. They can be listed as follows: [8] [9]

  1. European/International Welding Engineer
  2. European/International Welding Technologist
  3. European/International Welding Specialist
  4. European/International Welding Practitioner
  5. European/International Welding Inspection Personnel
  6. European/International Welder
  7. European Arc Welder for Railway Tracks
  8. European Thermal Spraying Specialist
  9. European Thermal Sprayer
  10. European Thermal Spraying Practitioner
  11. European Adhesive Bonder
  12. European Adhesive Specialist
  13. European Adhesive Engineer
  14. European Welding Specialist for Resistance Welding
  15. European Welding Practitioner for Resistance Welding
  16. European MMA Diver Welder
  17. European Aluminothermic Welder
  18. European Laser Processing Personnel
  19. Special Course for Robot Welding at the Specialist Level
  20. Special Course for Welding Reinforcing Bars at the Specialist level
  21. Special Course on Weld Imperfections for Non-Destructive Testing Personnel
  22. Special Course on Personnel with responsibility for Macroscopic and Microscopic Metallographic Examination of Structural Materials and their Joints Prepared/Produced by Welding and Allied Techniques
  23. Special Course on Personnel with Responsibility for Heat Treatment of Welded Joints
  24. Special Course on Risk Management in Welding Fabrication

Certification of welding personnel

Three certification schemes for personnel have been developed: [10]

Welding Coordination Certification has existed since 1998, was adopted by IIW in 2007 and is currently recognised worldwide, allowing Welding Coordinators to be certified according to the requirement of ISO 14731. [11]

Plastic Welders Certification has existed since 2004, providing training and certification according to EN 13067. [12]

Welders Operators and Brazers Certification exist since 2010. The goal of this scheme is to harmonise the welder's certification process, which is necessary for welder approval.

Certification of companies

EWF has created an integrated Manufacturers Certification Scheme, which complies with ISO 3834 on welding quality requirements, which is in place since 1998, ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001 on environment and also health and safety, which are in place since 2000. [13] The scheme has been adopted by IIW, only for the quality field. [14]

Projects

A good part of EWF's activities have been related to its participation in European cooperation projects, in particular under the European Commission's programmes such as Lifelong Learning 2007-2013, 7th Framework Programme, Erasmus+ and H2020.

The project focuses on modernisation of teaching methods, harmonisation of qualifications, support for learning, implementation and benchmarking to other teaching areas. It covers a variety of areas like additive manufacturing, health and safety, microbonding, laser processing and adhesives that go beyond welding and joining but target manufacturing as a whole.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nondestructive testing</span> Evaluating the properties of a material, component, or system without causing damage

Nondestructive testing (NDT) is any of a wide group of analysis techniques used in science and technology industry to evaluate the properties of a material, component or system without causing damage. The terms nondestructive examination (NDE), nondestructive inspection (NDI), and nondestructive evaluation (NDE) are also commonly used to describe this technology. Because NDT does not permanently alter the article being inspected, it is a highly valuable technique that can save both money and time in product evaluation, troubleshooting, and research. The six most frequently used NDT methods are eddy-current, magnetic-particle, liquid penetrant, radiographic, ultrasonic, and visual testing. NDT is commonly used in forensic engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, systems engineering, aeronautical engineering, medicine, and art. Innovations in the field of nondestructive testing have had a profound impact on medical imaging, including on echocardiography, medical ultrasonography, and digital radiography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional diving</span> Underwater diving where divers are paid for their work

Professional diving is underwater diving where the divers are paid for their work. Occupational diving has a similar meaning and applications. The procedures are often regulated by legislation and codes of practice as it is an inherently hazardous occupation and the diver works as a member of a team. Due to the dangerous nature of some professional diving operations, specialized equipment such as an on-site hyperbaric chamber and diver-to-surface communication system is often required by law, and the mode of diving for some applications may be regulated.

Scuba Schools International (SSI) is a for-profit organization that teaches the skills involved in scuba diving and freediving, and supports dive businesses and resorts. SSI has over 2,500 authorized dealers, 35 regional centers, and offices all over the world.

Welder certification, is a process which examines and documents a welder's capability to create welds of acceptable quality following a well defined welding procedure.

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) is an agency of the European Union. The Agency was established in 1975. Cedefop is headquartered and located in Thessaloniki Region, Greece, and has a Brussels office. Cedefop is the acronym of its French title, Centre Européen pour le veloppement de la Formation Professionnelle (C.E.DE.FO.P.). Cedefop supports the development of European vocational education and training (VET) policies and contributes to their implementation.

IATF 16949:2016 is a technical specification aimed at the development of a quality management system which provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the automotive industry supply chain and assembly process. It is based on the ISO 9001 standard and the first edition was published in June 1999 as ISO/TS 16949:1999. IATF 16949:2016 replaced ISO/TS 16949 in October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Welding Society</span> American non-profit organization

The American Welding Society (AWS) was founded in 1919 as a non-profit organization to advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes, including brazing, soldering and thermal spraying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welding Procedure Specification</span> Welding document

A Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) is a formal document describing welding procedures. It is an internal document used by welding companies to instruct welders on how to achieve quality production welds that meet all relevant code requirements. Each company typically develops their own WPS for each material alloy and for each welding type used. Specific codes and/or engineering societies are often the driving force behind the development of a company's WPS. A WPS is supported by a Procedure Qualification Record, a formal record of a test weld performed and rigorously tested to ensure that the procedure will produce a good weld. Individual welders are certified with a qualification test documented in a Welder Qualification Test Record (WQTR) that shows they have the understanding and demonstrated ability to work within the specified WPS.

ISO/IEC 17024: Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons is an ISO/IEC standard which specifies criteria for the operation of a personnel certification body. The standard includes requirements for the development and maintenance of the certification scheme for persons upon which the certification is based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Welding Bureau</span>

The Canadian Welding Bureau is a certification and registration organization for companies involved in the welding of steel structures. Welders in Canada are required to be retested every two years by the Canadian Welding Bureau. The CWB Group was formed in 1947 to administer the then, new W47.1 welding standard for structural steel. The CWB has today expanded its scope well beyond the original structural steel roots and is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada as a Certification Body for the administration of CSA Standards including W47.1, W47.2, W55.3, W186, W178.1 and W48 to industries across Canada and internationally for:

The Robotics Certification Standards Alliance (RCSA) is a global company that has been actively providing robotics curricula, training, online testing systems and certification since 1998.

The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing or BINDT is a professional body for engineers and other technical professionals involved in non-destructive testing and condition monitoring in the United Kingdom. The institute was founded in 1976, by amalgamation of the Society of Non-Destructive Examination (SONDE) and the NDT Society of Great Britain (NDTS), which were both founded in 1954.

The International Institute of Welding (IIW) is an international scientific and engineering body for welding, brazing and related technologies. Its membership consists of the national welding societies from around the world. The Institute was founded in 1948 by 13 national societies. By 2011 its membership has expanded to 55 national welding societies.

The Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) is an international commercial and occupational diver certification scheme. It has mutual recognition arrangements with other equivalent national schemes. ADAS qualifications have international recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diver training</span> Processes to develop the skills and knowledge to dive safely underwater

Diver training is the set of processes through which a person learns the necessary and desirable skills to safely dive underwater within the scope of the diver training standard relevant to the specific training programme. Most diver training follows procedures and schedules laid down in the associated training standard, in a formal training programme, and includes relevant foundational knowledge of the underlying theory, including some basic physics, physiology and environmental information, practical skills training in the selection and safe use of the associated equipment in the specified underwater environment, and assessment of the required skills and knowledge deemed necessary by the certification agency to allow the newly certified diver to dive within the specified range of conditions at an acceptable level of risk. Recognition of prior learning is allowed in some training standards.

The European Organization for Quality (EOQ) is an autonomous, non-profit making association under Belgian law, having its legal office in Brussels. EOQ is the European interdisciplinary organization striving for effective improvement in the sphere of quality management as the coordinating body and catalyst of its National Representative Organizations (NR's). EOQ's Network comprises National Representative, Associated, Affiliated members’ and partners’ organizations from 40 countries, reaching up to 70,000 members and 500,000 companies linked to its members.

Johnny K. Larsson is a Swedish engineer and Technical Specialist, Body-in-White Joining Technologies, at Volvo Car Corporation, where he focuses on joining technologies for passenger car body structures.

Harmonization is the process of minimizing redundant or conflicting standards which may have evolved independently. The name is also an analogy to the process to harmonizing discordant music.

Recreational scuba certification levels are the levels of skill represented by recreational scuba certification. Each certification level is associated with a specific training standard published by the certification agency, and a training programme associated with the standard., though in some cases recognition of prior learning can apply. These levels of skill can be categorised in several ways:

References

  1. European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting. "EWF Corporate Profile 2018" (PDF). www.ewf.be.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. www.ewf.be/members.aspx
  3. http://ewf.be/organisation1.aspx: General Assembly
  4. http://ewf.be/organisation2.aspx Archived 2008-10-05 at the Wayback Machine : Board of Directors
  5. http://ewf.be/organisation4.aspx Archived 2008-10-05 at the Wayback Machine : Secretariat
  6. http://ewf.be/organisation5.aspx Archived 2008-10-05 at the Wayback Machine : Working Groups
  7. Lettmayr, Christian F. (2012). International Qualifications. Luxembourg: CEDEFOP, Publications Office of the European Union. pp. 8, 56–67. ISBN   978-92-896-1117-6.
  8. "Untitled Page". Archived from the original on 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  9. "Untitled Page". Archived from the original on 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  10. "EWF Certifications". www.ewf.be.
  11. ISO 14731.
  12. EN 13067.
  13. "EWF/IIW Manufacturers Certification System for metalworking companies". www.ewf.be.
  14. "IIW-IAB Manufacturers Certification System for metalworking companies". www.ewf.be.