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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.
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 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]
Over the years, EWF has played an important role in the welding, joining and related technologies community. It prepares and disseminates information on vocational, educational, training and research and technological development. It also manages collaborative projects about these issues and takes part in them.
Developing a mutually accepted International System for Training Qualification and Certification of both welding personnel and companies using welding, has made EWF a pioneer organization responding to one of the most demanding markets needs, the need for qualified personnel. The EWF system was the first system embracing all the European countries for the qualification of personnel for a wide range of levels in welding, related technologies and inspection.
The EWF training, qualification and certification system serves the worldwide welding industry. On the European level, it can be used by the EWF members, while at the international level, it can be used by the IIW-IAB members.
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 (Authorised 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.
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 for accomplishing the objectives of the association. [3]
The General Assembly is responsible for electing its president and a Board of Directors.
| Name | Years | Organisation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bent Koch | 1992 | FORCE Technology | Denmark |
| Jean Quéré | 1993-1995 | IS - Institut de Soudure | France |
| J. van den Brug | 1996-1998 | NIL - NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR LASTECHNIEK | The Netherlands |
| Giulio Costa | 1999-2001 | IIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA | Italy |
| Jan Pilarczyk | 2002-2004 | IS - Instytut Spawalnictwa | Poland |
| German Hernandez | 2005-2007 | CESOL – Asociación Española de Soldadura y Tecnologías de Unión | Spain |
| Tim Jessop | 2008-2010 | TWI - The Welding Institute | United Kingdom |
| Dorin Dehelean | 2011-2013 | ASR - Asociația Română de Sudură | Romania |
| Henk Bodt | 2014-2016 | NIL - NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR LASTECHNIEK | The Netherlands |
| Chris Eady | 2017-2019 | TWI - The Welding Institute | United Kingdom |
| Name | EWF Position | Position in EWF Member Organisation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Eady | President | Chief Executive of the TWI Certification Ltd and associate director for professional affairs at TWII | United Kingdom |
| Michal Kubica | Vice-President | Deputy Manager at Instytut Spawalnictwa | Poland |
| Luísa Coutinho | Executive Director | Professor at University of Lisbon | Portugal |
| Rute Ferraz | Chief Executive | Director of Training Division at Instituto de Soldadura e Qualidade | Portugal |
| Jorge Huete | Treasurer | General Manager at CESOL | Spain |
| Stefano Morra | Director | Technical Manager at Istituto Italiano della Saldatura IIS | Italy |
| Martin Lehman | Director | Head of Training and Certification in DVS e.V. and CEO of DVS ZERT GmbH | Germany |
| Vaclav Minarik | Director | Director 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] ]
| Name | Position | Professional Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Luísa Coutinho | Executive Director | Professor 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 Ferraz | Chief Executive | Manages 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 Assunção | Deputy Director | Deputy 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 for covering 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]
| Technical Committees | Description | Convenor | Organisation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Committee | The 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 Morra | IIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA | Italy |
| Training and Qualification | Develops, 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 Costa | IIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA | Italy |
| Certification | Develops 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 Morra | IIS - ISTITUTO ITALIANO DELLA SALDATURA | Italy |
| EWF System Rules | Ensures 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 Fernandes | ISQ - INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE | Portugal |
| European Union Tools | European 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 |
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 must be incorporated during the manufacturing/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 Harmonised International Qualification System:
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]
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]
Three certification schemes for personnel have been developed: [10]
• Welding Coordination Certification exists since 1998 and 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 exists 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 necessary for a welder approval.
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]
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.
Project focus on modernisation of teaching methods, harmonisation of qualifications, support for learning, implementation and benchmark to other teaching areas and cover 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.
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.
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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.
A national qualifications framework (NQF) is a formal system describing qualifications. 47 countries participating in the Bologna Process are committed to producing a national qualifications framework. Other countries not part of this process also have national qualifications frameworks.
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.
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.
The Admiral Makarov National University of Shipbuilding in Mykolaiv is a higher education institution which trains specialists for the shipbuilding and allied industries of Ukraine. The university is named after Russian admiral Stepan Makarov, who was born in the city.
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 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 Operative Professional is a public law higher professional qualification in the German education system and forms the second career level of the IHK professional qualification track, it is meant to be an alternative to an academic bachelor. This advanced training prepares the trainee for accountability of middle management and so the Operative Professional has extended know how and responsibility.
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.
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:
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