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Welders and Related Machine Operators   (NOC: 7265)

Welders operate welding equipment to weld ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This unit group also includes machine operators who operate previously set up production welding, brazing and soldering equipment. They are employed by companies that manufacture structural steel and platework, boilers, heavy machinery, aircraft and ships and other metal products, and by welding contractors and welding shops, or they may be self-employed.

Alternate titles for this trade may include: aviation welding technician, brazing machine operator, brazing machine setter, electric arc welder, journeyman/woman welder, laser welding operator, pressure vessel welder, production welder, soldering machine operator, spot welder, welder, welder apprentice, welder-fitter

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The following are some of the employment requirements for this trade:

    • Welders
    • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
    • Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over three years of work experience in the trade and some college or industry courses in welding is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
    • Trade certification is compulsory in Alberta and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.
    • Interprovincial trade certification (Red Seal) is also available to qualified welders.
      Welding, brazing and soldering machine operators
    • Some secondary school education is required.
    • Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided.
    • Experience as a machine operator helper may be required.
    • Experience with robotics may be required.

Pattern of Interests   |   Skill Requirements


Pattern of Interests

The code determined by the results of your answers to the Interest Inventory questionnaire. Each possibility has a 3 letter variation that assesses the degree and range of your interests along Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social criteria variables.

Innovative

Innovative interest in repairing and fabricating metal parts

Methodical

Methodical interest in comparing machine settings to job specifications

Objective

Objective interest in operating previously set-up welding machines such as spot, butt and seam resistance, and gas-and arc-welding machines

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Skill Requirements

Below are Essential Skill categories and how they correspond to this occupation. This section will help you identify occupations where you have a good chance of succeeding. It can also help you see which Skills you may need to improve. Click on the Summary Analysis link above to view a complete analysis of how your Skills measure up to this occupation. This feature is only available for those Users that are logged in and have completed the self assessment component.

The most important Essential Skills for this trade are:

  • Numeracy
  • Problem Solving


1. 

Reading Text

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-3
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • Read notes left by supervisors giving work orders for the day. (1)
  • Read welding schedules, plans or operation sheets. these provide weld specifications and procedures, such as machine settings, assembly steps and iso standards. (2) , (daily)
  • Read company or union memos and notices concerning meetings, policy/procedure changes, social events and other news. (2) , (frequently)
  • May read orientation manuals when training new workers. (3)
  • Read training manuals when acquiring and renewing tickets or safety certifications such as workplace hazardous materials information system (whmis). (3)
 

2. 

Document Use

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-3
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • May read check lists when doing safety audits. (1)
  • May complete work cards identifying for each job their employee number, machine number and the time taken at each stage of the process. (1)
  • Read labels on welding rods explaining their composition, or labels on gas bottles indicating their contents and safe handling procedures. (2)
  • Read work orders showing the quantities and codes for the types of welds to be produced. (2)
  • Read welding specification charts to look up weld types by code and the specifications for each. (2)
  • May refer to canadian standards association (csa) standards books to locate colour codes and identification numbers for pipes. (2)
  • Complete daily downtime reports recording when the line was started and stopped and the reasons for stoppages. (2)
  • Complete daily weld reports by entering codes for jobs, types of welds and time spent on jobs. (2)
  • May read oscilloscope displays of sonogram readings to detect imperfections in pipes. (3)
  • May read assembly drawings to find the pieces needed and to know how the pieces should be assembled and the types of metal to use. (3) , (daily)
  • May read control panel gauges and computer monitor displays that show operating data such as weld temperatures, typical pipe measurements used in the past, power entering the welding machine and inside and outside diameters. (3)
 

3. 

Writing

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-2
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • Write comments in a log book about operational problems and situations to monitor. (1) , (daily)
  • May write e-mail messages to supervisors and maintenance staff about meetings and production issues. (1)
  • Complete downtime reports entering the times of stoppages and the causes. (2) , (daily)
 

4. 

Numeracy

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-3
  Note: This is an important skill
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • Measure the setting distances on the welding machine to fit specifications for the particular weld being done. (measurement and calculation math), (1)
  • May calculate the number of coils of steel of a certain length that will be required to complete an order. (measurement and calculation math), (2)
  • Measure pipe diameter to the nearest thousandth of an inch and make adjustments based on feedback about the outside and inside diameters as the pipe comes out of the machine. (measurement and calculation math), (3) , (daily)
  • Calibrate the micrometer against standard pieces of metal. (measurement and calculation math), (3)
  • Make welding adjustments based on results from hardness tests and recommended specifications. (data analysis math), (1)
  • Monitor temperature, pressure and other gauges to make sure the weld conforms to specifications; combine data from the gauges with visual and tactile judgment to prevent problems. (data analysis math), (1)
  • May estimate the centre of a length of pipe in order to place a secure hoist. (numerical estimation), (1)
  • Estimate the time needed to do a weld or set of welds and decide if the work can be done during the rest of the shift. (numerical estimation), (2)
 

5. 

Oral Communication

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-2
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • May communicate with helpers to arrange for them to hold pieces in the correct position for welding. (1)
  • May ask pipefitters to position pre-weld spacings in a way that makes the welder's job easier. (1)
  • Communicate with the overhead crane operator to co-ordinate the movement of heavy pieces weighing several tons, or to direct a forklift operator who is moving pieces into position for welding. (1)
  • Exchange information with co-workers about work assignments and welding specifications and techniques. for example, they inform the machinist about the size and shape of metal pieces required. (2)
  • Receive verbal instructions from the foreman about production priorities and specifications and discuss production numbers and problems with the foreman. (2)
  • May talk with clients, when working on location, to clarify specifications, confirm any changes and ensure that the work environment is safe. (2)
  • May comment on safe operating procedures at safety meetings. (2)
 

6. 

Problem Solving

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-3
  Note: This is an important skill
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • May have a loss of hydraulic pressure at the mill resulting in improperly formed pipe. they must stop the operation and cut the pipe from the tooling. (1)
  • May find that the line is not running properly after a shut-down. they make numerous adjustments until the line is producing good pipe. (2)
  • May find a hole is undersized due to excessive brazing. if the normal procedure of inserting a ceramic tube to keep the hole the correct size is not working, the operator calls upon the planner to rework the production plan. (2)
  • May encounter adverse environmental conditions when working on location. they may have to assess and make changes to the environment to ensure safe working conditions, for example, preventing gas leaks or wind problems. (2)
  • May encounter defective pipes. they identify the type of defect and check relevant factors, such as whether the machine has run out of flux, if machine settings need to be adjusted, if a tool is broken and needs to be changed, and if the quality of the steel is creating the problem. solving the problem often takes experimentation and making incremental adjustments while the pipe is moving by at high speed. (3)
 

7. 

Decision Making

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-3
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • May decide when set-up requirements have been met and the line can be started. (1)
  • Constantly decide how to adjust welding machine settings to produce the desired weld. (2)
  • Make decisions about pipe quality. after completing a set-up, they run the mill for a time, test sample pipe and decide when the product is acceptable. (2)
  • May decide whether to stop the mill because the equipment is unsafe or in order to make repairs. they balance the consequences of lost production during downtime against those of causing injury or producing low-grade pipe that cannot be sold. (3)
 

8. 

Job Task Planning

 Desired Skill Level Range: 2
  Welders and related machine operators generally follow work orders and verbal instructions from the foreman to know what production is required. They set up, organize and clean their own areas and prepare tools and rollers for changeover to new jobs. They sometimes prioritize jobs to maximize efficiency, taking into consideration the availability of cranes, the time it takes to prepare a new set-up, and the length of time remaining to complete a job before the end of the shift. They participate in planning for shutdowns.
 

9. 

Finding Information

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1-2
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • Ask the foreman about specific welds, what can go wrong and how to prevent breaking or failing. (1)
  • Get day-to-day information about production schedules and problems from co-workers. (1)
  • Consult procedure manuals, operation sheets and production schedules to identify work procedures and pieces to be assembled. (2)
 

10. 

Computer Use

 Desired Skill Level Range: 1
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • May monitor computer displays of order lists and pipe run quantities and dates in order to make operating decisions. (1)
 

11. 

Critical Thinking

 Desired Skill Level Range: N/A
  Critical Thinking information was not collected for this profile.
 

12. 

Use of Memory

 Desired Skill Level Range: N/A
  Welders and Related Machine Operators:
  • Remember what job is coming up next and how they will reset the machine.
  • Remember temperature ranges for the pipe being welded.
  • Remember how to recognize and prevent unsafe situations.
 

13. 

Working with Others

 Desired Skill Level Range: N/A
  Welders and related machine operators work independently, at their own stations. They co-ordinate their tasks with co-workers, e.g., the pipefitters who set pipe openings to make sure these are spaced in a way that facilitates welding, or the machinists who make the metal pieces to be assembled. They sometimes work with a helper to jointly set up a job and to get feedback from the helper as a weld is being done. They also work as part of the team on the mill line, sometimes working at other positions as needed to keep the mill running.
 

14. 

Continuous Learning

 Desired Skill Level Range: N/A
  Welders and related machine operators mostly learn through on-the-job training and experience. They sometimes take courses for recertification of welding tickets or for health and safety training.
 

15. 

Other Information

 Desired Skill Level Range: N/A
  Physical Aspects
  • Welders and related machine operators sit or stand to control and watch the welding process. they climb on pipe to attach and adjust choker chains, crawl inside pressure vessels, sit astride the welding head as it operates and reach overhead to operate the welding machine.
Attitudes
  • The welders and related machine operators interviewed felt that welders and related machine operators should be willing to learn, interested in welding, concerned about quality and precision and be production-minded.
Future trends affecting essential skills
  • In the near future, plants will have joysticks for operating the welding machines, reducing the time and physical strength needed to set the machines, but requiring the learning of the finer hand movements needed for operating the joysticks. operators may have to learn new information and technology involved in producing more complex vessels for export markets and in meeting changing safety and quality requirements. this may entail the use of more textual reading and document use skills.
 

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