Welding - Is welding always a special process per ISO9001:2000 Clause 7.5.2

[AndyN]

And my contention is: anytime someone makes generalized, all-encompassing, dogmatic statements, such as ALL WELDING PROCESSES NEED TO BE VALIDATED, they are bound to be wrong.

I think you are mixing the skill to be a welder and validating the welder. In my previous example, if the artist who builds such scrap-metal scupltures was forced to validate his welding process, it would be a crass example of non-value added bureaucracy that many auditors and consultants would demand, because they can not think out of their boxes and heard once that ALL WELDING PROCESSES NEED TO BE VALIDATED.

Remember, common sense still applies.

Sidney - I might take offense at your comments about being dogmatic, or the implication my ideas are not based on common sense........

My assertion comes from the need for production facilities who manufacture products in a consistent manner, in compliance to ISO 9001, not stuff built from scrap by artists!

Oh, and I'm not wrong, I'm merely adopting a different position!

 

[Desara01]

When I think about special processes, I tend to ask, do I have to break it/destroy it to find out if it's ok? So think about areas where you may do destructive testing. Here are some examples I have run into in previous lives: welds, flammability, UV, tensile and elongation, shrinkage, finish levels, there are many more but it is really so dependent upon the product that it's hard to make an all inclusive list. Hope this is somewhat helpful. Cheers

 

[Sidney Vianna]

My assertion comes from the need for production facilities who manufacture products in a consistent manner, in compliance to ISO 9001, not stuff built from scrap by artists!

I can give you examples of industrial products which include welding processes in it's realization cycle, and such welding processes do not require to be validated.

NOT ALL WELDING PROCESSES NEED TO BE VALIDATED, according to ISO 9001, 7.5.2.
There you have it, my "dogmatic" statement of the day.

Thousands of people flock to The Cove, looking for answers. I think it is important they realize that one must assess each situation, based on it's own envelope conditions, and just because many welding processes require validation, it does not mean that ALL do.

 

[Jim Wynne]

I can give you examples of industrial products which include welding processes in it's realization cycle, and such welding processes do not require to be validated.

NOT ALL WELDING PROCESSES NEED TO BE VALIDATED, according to ISO 9001, 7.5.2.
There you have it, my "dogmatic" statement of the day.

Thousands of people flock to The Cove, looking for answers. I think it is important they realize that one must assess each situation, based on it's own envelope conditions, and just because many welding processes require validation, it does not mean that ALL do.

I'm tending to agree with Sid here. It all depends on specifications. If there are no explicit performance specifications and there is no reference to standards where weld integrity requirements are specified, there isn't necessarily anything to validate. If you have a drawing that shows a seam weld, or a fillet weld or a spot weld without further specifications, if the thing is welded the requirements have been met.

This does not mean that common sense doesn't dictate a "voluntary" level of scrutiny in such cases, but again, if there's no explicit requirement, there's nothing to validate.