Welding engineer

Welding engineers research and develop optimal effective welding techniques and design the corresponding, equally efficient equipment to aid in the welding process. They also conduct quality control and evaluate inspection procedures for welding activities. Welding engineers have advanced knowledge and critical understanding of welding technology application. They are able to manage high complex technical and professional activities or projects related to welding applications, while also taking responsibility for the decision making process.

The following job titles also refer to welding engineer:

construction welder engineer
engineering welding fabricator supervisor
sheet metal welding engineer
electric spot welding inspector
soldering engineer
welding engineering expert
welding engineer supervisor
welding, soldering, and brazing engineer
production line welding engineer
welding technology engineering consultant
engineering welding co-ordinator
brazing engineer
welding engineers
welding engineering adviser
welding engineering specialist
resistance welding engineer
ultrasonic metal welder inspector
tack welding engineer
welding engineering consultant
butt welding inspector
sheet-metal welding inspector
welding technology engineer
welding technology engineering expert
stitch welding inspector
welder-fabricator engineer
metal joining process engineer
robotic welding inspector
welding technology engineering adviser
welding technology engineering specialist
electric arc welding inspector

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as welding engineer. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Welding engineer is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to welding engineer.

surface engineer
test engineer
flight test engineer
gas production engineer
production engineer

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of welding engineer. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of welding engineer with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of welding engineer.

Production processes: Materials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.
Engineering principles: The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.
Design drawings: Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.
Welding techniques: The different methods of welding together pieces of metal using various equipment, such as oxygen-acetylene welding, gas metal arc welding and tungsten inert gas welding.
Technical drawings: Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Types of metal: Qualities, specifications, applications and reactions to different fabricating processes of various types of metal, such as steel, aluminium, brass, copper and others.
Industrial engineering: The field of engineering concerned with the development, improvement, and implementation of complex processes and systems of knowledge, people, equipment, etc.

These skills are necessary for the role of welding engineer.

Operate oxy-fuel welding torch: Operate a cutting torch fueled by oxyacetylene gas safely to perform welding processes on a workpiece.
Apply arc welding techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of arc welding, such as shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, submerged arc welding and flux-cored arc welding.
Operate welding equipment: Use welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel; wear protective eyewear during the working process.
Perform welding inspection: Inspect and assure the quality of welded metals using diverse testing techniques.
Spot metal imperfections: Observe and identify various kinds of imperfections in metal workpieces or finished products. Recognise the best fitted manner of fixing the problem, which could be caused by corrosion, rust, fractures, leaks, and other signs of wear.
Adjust engineering designs: Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Perform scientific research: Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
Use technical drawing software: Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.
Research welding techniques: Use a wide network to inform yourself of the various existing techniques used for welding metal pieces, their qualities and applications.
Consult technical resources: Read and interpret such technical resources such as digital or paper drawings and adjustment data in order to properly set up a machine or working tool, or to assemble mechanical equipment.
Ensure fulfilment of legal requirements: Ensure that all legal requirements are met.
Apply technical communication skills: Explain technical details to non-technical customers, stakeholders, or any other interested parties in a clear and concise manner.
Develop new welding techniques: Design and optimise new techniques for welding together metal pieces; devise a solution to a welding problem after having performed research into the matter. Take into account the properties of the welding materials and the equipment.
Define technical requirements: Specify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied according to customer requirements.
Prepare production prototypes: Prepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.
Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical.
Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment, such as a soldering gun, a soldering torch or a gas-powered iron, to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.
Select filler metal: Select optimal metal used for metal joining purposes, such as zinc, lead or copper metals, specifically for welding, soldering or brazing practices.
Approve engineering design: Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Draw design sketches: Create rough pictures to assist in creating and communicating design concepts.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of welding engineer. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Mathematics: Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.
Ferrous metal processing: Various processing methods on iron and iron-containing alloys such as steel, stainless steel and pig iron.
Cad software: The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of welding engineer. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Operate brazing equipment: Use equipment designed for brazing processes in order to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.
Inspect quality of products: Use various techniques to ensure the product quality is respecting the quality standards and specifications. Oversee defects, packaging and sendbacks of products to different production departments.
Record test data: Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
Apply brazing techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of brazing, such as torch brazing, braze welding and dip brazing.
Perform test run: Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations.
Perform demanding weldments: Perform difficult welding processes by applying specialised welding techniques in order to join pieces of metal together in particularly challenging cases.
Identify hazards in the workplace: Perform safety audits and inspections on workplaces and workplace equipment. Ensure that they meet safety regulations and identify hazards and risks.
Perform metal active gas welding: Weld metal, mostly steel, workpieces together using active gas mixtures such as concotions of argon, carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Ensure quality of final product: Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.
Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
Coordinate engineering teams: Plan, coordinate and supervise engineering activities together with engineers and engineering technicians. Ensure clear and effective channels of communication across all departments. Make sure the team is aware of the standards and objectives of the research and development.
Analyse test data: Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.
Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity.
Ensure correct gas pressure: Ensure the necessary, usually constant, pressure of gas which is part of a machine or tool, such as torching equipment, used to process metal workpieces during metal fabrication processes.
Supervise staff: Oversee the selection, training, performance and motivation of staff.
Liaise with quality assurance: Work closely with the relevant quality assurance or grading party involved.
Perform tungsten inert gas welding: Weld metal workpieces together by tungsten intert gas (TIG) welding. This arc welding process welds metal workpieces using the heat generated between an arc of electricity struck between a non-consumable tungsten metal electrode. Use an argon or helium inert gas to shield the weld from athmospheric contamination.
Ensure equipment maintenance: Ensure that the equipment required for operations is regularly checked for faults, that routine maintenance tasks are performed, and that repairs are scheduled and performed in the case of damage or flaws.
Maintain safe engineering watches: Observe principles in keeping an engineering watch. Take over, accept and hand over a watch. Perform routine duties undertaken during a watch. Maintain the machinery space logs and the significance of the readings taken. Observe safety and emergency procedures. Observe safety precautions during a watch and take immediate actions in the event of fire or accident, with particular reference to oil systems.
Perform metal inert gas welding: Weld metal workpieces together using inert gasses or gas mixtures such as argon and helium. This technique is usually used for welding aluminium and other non-ferrous metals.
Follow company standards: Lead and manage according to the organisation’s code of conduct.

2144 – Mechanical engineers

 

 

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References

1. Welding engineer – ESCO