SAW Essential Variable for Welder / Welding Operator

[cyoungs]

I currently have our welders qualification records for SAW listing the personel as Welding Operators. My issue is variable #(7) to mulitple electrodes. Under Welders, multiple electrodes is not an essential variable but under Operators b/c it is. Our welders do not manually minipulate the electrode by hand held but yet they push the buttons to guide the laser tracker beam to follow the groove. We'd like to qualify our SAW welders for dual eletrode under non essential varibles but I feel our welders fall under welding operators. Does anyone have any thoughts on this issue. Thanks, Chuck

 

[gtaw]

The definition of welder and welding operator is your tripping point. Refer to either AWS A3.0 or AWS for a definition of both.

Essentially a welder uses either a manual or semiautomatic welding process. These include SMAW, GTAW, GMAW, and FCAW. You can also include hand-held SAW as a semi-automatic process.

The welding operator uses either mechanized or automatic welding systems.

The qualification variables are different for the welder and the welding operator. The variables also differ by the welding standard that is applicable.

Best regards - Al