10. Production planning, procedures and work instructions¶
IDM plans and controls welding through its ISO 9001 system, considering manufacturing sequence, individual processes, reference WPSs, allocation of qualified personnel, weld sequence, inspection and testing (including independent bodies), batch/component identification and any production testing. On receipt of an order a job card is created carrying the customer order number, IDM job number and drawing number(s); where required, a Quality/Inspection and Test Plan (ITP) is generated before job cards are issued to the workshop.
WPS and WPQR¶
Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) are prepared to satisfy the work and are qualified before production use. A list of available WPSs is maintained for reference at enquiry/quotation; only those qualified and authorised are signed, dated and issued, and the relevant WPS is specified on the route card and filed at the welding workstation. Welding Procedure Qualification Records (WPQR) are qualified to the relevant product/contract standard (e.g. EN ISO 15614-1, ASME IX, AWS D1.1), witnessed by a recognised third-party body, with mechanical testing at a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
For certain railway and nuclear products, contract-specific Work Instructions are provided as approved documents by the client, either generic to the product or specific as required.