NEW WELDING CERTIFICATE AT SUPERFORM
22 December 2006
As part of our ongoing process development Superform has recently been accredited to the stringent German Welding Specification Din 6700-2 C1 and as such are the only company in the UK attain this standard.
The accreditation by SLV-Duisburg, Germany, follows on from the previous C2 rating (which is currently held by only three other companies in the UK) and covers Mig (Metal Inert Gas) weld in plate to a thickness range of 4 - 15mm on the 23.1 group of materials and 5 - 32mm on the 22.2 group of materials in the butt and fillet joint type in Flat and Horizontal positions.
Superform currently have four welders capable of welding to the C1 standard.
In addition to actual Welding skills, the standard requires that the welding facility will have on site a EWE (European Welding Engineer) and EWS (European Welding Specialist) who will oversee the operation from a welding prospective. Rather than bring in external skills, these positions were created by training existing staff on site in Worcester. Both employees spent time at The Welding Institute (TWI) in obtaining the examinations necessary to fulfill the roles required, in order for the company to meet the DIN 6700 standards criteria.
This new qualification puts Superform at the forefront of UK welding skills and technology and opens up a whole new markets for the company for both sub contract welding and a comprehensive forming and fabricate service to customers.
The C1 accreditation takes immediate effect with ongoing work on the Siemens Duewag Desiro Train Cab project, where Superform already supply a range of superformed aluminium components to Siemens (and at 2.4 x 1.2 x 0.6m size in 5mm thick 5083 aluminium alloy these parts are some of the largest Superform have ever manufactured) .
Prior to gaining the C1 award, all welding was done in Germany, with Superform supplying the formed and trimmed components.Now Superform can not only form the components but can supply a complete welded assembly to Siemens, ready for final assembly in Germany, further enhancing the benefits of using Superform as a supplier for these types of large structural aluminium components.
In addition to actual Welding skills, the standard requires that the welding facility will have on site a EWE (European Welding Engineer) and EWS (European Welding Specialist) who will oversee the operation from a welding prospective. Rather than bring in external skills, these positions were created by training existing staff on site in Worcester. Both employees spent time at The Welding Institute (TWI) in obtaining the examinations necessary to fulfill the roles required, in order for the company to meet the DIN 6700 standards criteria.
The C1 accreditation further demonstrates that progressive companies like Superform, with the support of the parent Luxfer Group, who are prepared to invest in their workforce and production facilities, and listen to what their customers need, can continue to grow and lead the way for UK based manufacturing.
