Question
Recently one of our business units had an ISO 9001: 2008 audit and during the audit they received a couple NCRs on welding as a special process.
One of the NCRs was “Some welders are not qualified prior to welding on product.”
As a matter of fact, our company has developed its own qualification program based on the our needs consisting of the following steps:
– The minimum requirement of least 2 years or more experience as a welder before starting the job.
– In class training for weld specifications, blue print reading, equipment, weld supplies, visual acceptance/ rejection criteria and equipment TPM program conducted by our QE.
– Hands on exam – the result of this test is reviewed by a QE and weld supervisor without performing any bend test, pull test or other types of DT.
– Annual recertification program based on a written exam and weld coupons visual inspection results.
The CB auditor is asking us to send the coupons out to a certified lab for bend testing or having all the welders certified by AWS. Is that required per ISO 9001? As a side note, every time we design and develop a new model we conduct all types of crash tests, FEA and durability testing in design validation phase.
Answers
From George Hummel:
I would not accept the auditor’s comments. He/she is consulting.
From Charles Cianfrani:
No. It appears that the CB auditor is adding requirements. The organization has a process, and if it is effectively implemented that should be satisfactory evidence of conformity.
For more on this topic, please visit ASQ’s website.
If the customer requirement is to follow ASME Section IX or such codes for welder Qualification for a specific project/job for which bend test is a requirement, then it is a NCR. We needs to look at the context before deciding NCR or not.