2008 - Fusion Line 25
Speciality Welds Limited Newsletter

Well summer is on its way, although here in the UK you can be forgiven for not noticing. Our apologies for not bringing you our newsletter at the start of 2008, but we hope you enjoy this current edition.

We start with our most exciting news that Speciality Welds is now an approved test centre for EAL and our underwater welding course is now fully accredited through EAL/SEMTA Awards. The WeldCraft-Pro^® already has an excellent track record, with training established since 1990.

However, we can now, for the first time offer diver training schools a fully accredited ‘selfteach’ programme, through our accreditation under EAL (part of SEMTA) - Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies; the leading awarding-body for engineering qualifications. This accreditation provides independent quality assured, audited recognition. Thus, making this course the only externally awarded underwater wet welding programme to issue internationally recognised qualifications, anywhere in the world. The Commercial Diving Academy, based in Jacksonville have been running this training, under the self-teach method for over 2 years now and have just had their biannual site audit which they passed with flying colours; congratulations.

Following a request from Briggs Marine Construction, to advise them on the possibility of wet welding some high CEV steels. We are pleased to advise that by using procedures developed by our resident welding engineer David Keats we have shown it has been possible to weld this material, using our Hammerhead Cr-Ni-Mo (stainless) electrodes. WPS and welder qualifications were conducted at Atlas Marine’s facilities in Edinburgh to ISO 15618-1. As far as we are aware this marks a first step in successfully welding such materials. Following on from these trails, welds were performed on a jetty at BUTEC and we can confirm crack free welds have been achieved, with acceptable metallurgy being produced.

Briggs Marine also asked us to assist with the development of a welding procedure to weld a number of 2.5M diameter, 50.0mm thick piles, using the FCAW process.

Welding was performed by Rowan Welding & Underwater Contractors using a manual root and a mechanised Gullco KAT system, for the fill and cap, using Elga DWA-50 wire. This was selected after a number of trails using other well known manufacturer’s wires, but Elga came out top for quality and handleability. Welders also had to undertake functional knowledge tests in accordance with ISO 1418 as well as ISO 287. The WPS was approved to ISO 15614-1. Petrofac, based in the Middle East requested we attend Hamond d’Hont’s facilities in France to witness sub-arc welding of heat exchanges for the Salah gas compression project, to confirm welding procedures were followed and advise on weld quality. The welding process used sub-arc, with a twin-head system welding the main seams.

Norfolk Marine, based in Ireland purchased a Hammerhead wet spot welding system last year to undertake work in Belfast Harbour. This makes eight welding systems sold now and with the exception of some early teething PBC problems the systems have proved a reliable and effective alternative to conventional wet welding.

F.J. Marine undertakes welding procedure approval and welder qualification testing for an underwater repair project based in Spain, for Repsol YPF through Land & Marine. Testing was conducted on 4 divers for welding a pipeline end manifold (PLEM) on an SBM in 45-48M of water, just offshore from Tarragona, using our Barracuda Gold 3.2mm electrodes. The WPS and divers were all qualified to ISO 15618-1 under our UKAS/SAFed accreditation via Zurich.

Dive Technologies request welding procedure approvals and welder qualification tests for the various ship repair and maintenance work they undertake in Portland Harbour. A WPS was developed and welder testing carried out to ISO 15614-1 and 287-1 on high strength steel, using basic low hydrogen electrodes with welding being carried out in the overhead position. Holstan, who specialise in pressure pipework systems for the heating industry asked us to advise on weld testing and inspection requirements for work connected to the gas industry, in particular specification CTC Eng-012 standards. Leask Marine orders Barracuda Gold underwater welding electrodes for a project they are undertaking for Orkney Island Council, welding 1400 anodes in Kirkwall. We are pleased to learn the project, which is approximately halfway through and is on budget, on time and meets all quality standards.

Planet Platforms has again asked us to approve new employees. Toby Pemberton, Director says’ “We are always happy to use Speciality Welds; they provide an excellent service and fully accommodate all our requirements, whilst ensuring production is not badly affected. Planet Platforms recently moved to new 20,000 sqft premises in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The civil engineering company OShea’s asked us to recommendsuitable plant for a project in London, which would allow two welders to work simultaneously. We supplied the Panther 500 twin welding operator generator. They needed to weld sheet piles, which due to the basement location, water was seeping through the clutches. We developed a WPS which allowed these to be welded, even with seeping water, using Lastek’s 005 rutile-stoving electrodes that are especially designed for harsh environments just like this. Tuskar Rock Marine requested we re-approve their dive team to class II welding standards for a welding project they had welding anodes in the deepwater berth at Ringaskiddy, Cork. This work involved welding over 1800 anodes and anode bracelets for the Port of Cork.
All divers passed; congratulations to all.

The Professional Diving Academy is to run the first EAL approved WeldCraft-Pro underwater welding course, in June this year. Courses are held at their facilities in Dunoon, Scotland. The National Polytechnic College of Science (formally College of Oceaneering) order more copies of ‘A Welder’s Mate’ which is now an integral part of their training materials. This book has proved particularly popular with training schools, but also many individual copies have been sold via our website. If you would like to buy a copy, which is a must for any diver/engineers bookshelf please visit our website at www.specialwelds.com you can pay via PayPal; only £19.99 + P&P.

Morrisons Plc vehicle maintenance unit (VMU) ask us to re-approve their maintenance engineers for MIG welding and also conduct a new training course for their fork-truck repair crews in the safe use and handling of oxy-acetylene welding. This course covers inspection procedures, daily checks as well as setting up and using oxy-acetylene equipment. The engineering Group BDC ask us to re-approve their workforce for another year, covering their MMA and MIG/MAG welding procedures. As accredited Zurich surveyors we can approve and prolong welding qualifications for all welding processes on all materials. We hold approvals and accreditations in a number of specific areas relating to welding and as providers of welding inspection and consultancy services, quality is something we hold dear. In addition to the welding specific approvals, we are pleased to announce we have started the process of accreditation to ISO 9000. CQS are assisting us in this endeavour and we hope to report a successful audit in the next newsletter.

We would also like to offer a big thank you to all our other regular clients, including; Tecnosoud, Northern Divers, ABCO, Ocean Kinetics, Dept of National Defence, RBG, Terro-Systems, Coral, Norwegian Commercial Diving School, Aggregate Industries, Sukot and Pihl AS. Finally, we would also like to welcome two new customers to the Speciality Welds fold, Klif and Zaklad Uslug and look forward to working with them and all our new and existing customers throughout the coming year. Remember, if you have a welding problem, training, certification and/or qualification issue Speciality Welds can offer you a cost effective, timely professional solution. We also supply a wide range of welding plant and equipment. We are here to help, make sure we are on your radar scope. We offer all our services either in-house, national or on an international basis.

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