Welding Job Duties

• The welder has job duties before, during and after a welding job. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

  A Welder is a tradesperson who's job it is to weld metals, plastics or polymers together using specialized fillers that bond through heat and/or pressure. Welders must have good dexterity, show good attention to deal and show knowledge about the materials they are using and the best ways to weld.

Before the Welding Begins

• Before a welder begins a welding job, there are a few things he must do to ensure the job is successful. He must maintain the tools and equipment he uses for a job. This means cleaning and fixing any problems with his tools or equipment so no mistakes or delays are had. Before the job begins, a welder must also look at the blueprints for a particular job and figure out the best course of action for getting the job done. Finally, the welder must ensure the work site is ready for a job to begin and safe to start working.

Welding

• The actual welding duties of a welder's job include a number of different steps. The welder must first lay out and cut or form the materials she will be using. She must then fit those materials together and prepare them for welding, and then, of course, weld those materials. There are six different types of welding processes: shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, metal core arc welding, submerged arc welding and plasma arc welding. A welder will use a different welding process or a combination of each for a particular job.

After the Welding

• Once the welding has been completed, the welder must inspect the quality of his work. The welder will usually inspect the work upon immediate completion and then again before he leaves the work site. The welder will be looking for welds that were missed, the quality of the weld and of the materials used and the functionality of the weld. Once the welder is satisfied with the job, he will contact the person responsible for the job site and tell him the job is complete. If any additional welding must be done to fix any problems, the welder will tell the person responsible for the job site.