What is ISO 3834 in welding?

ISO 3834 is an international standard that defines quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials. It covers the full welding lifecycle, including contract review, welding procedure qualification (WPQR/WPS), welder qualification, production planning, inspection, testing and documentation. Unlike a product standard, ISO 3834 focuses on making sure the welding process is controlled, repeatable and traceable.

Why does ISO 3834 matter for custom steel fabricators?

For structural steel, boilers, pressure vessels and other safety-critical fabrications, customers often expect ISO 3834 certification as proof that welding is under strict control. It turns "we weld well" into a documented, auditable system that bigger clients and inspectors can trust. For a typical EZIIL-type shop, ISO 3834 is a way to stand out from low-cost competitors, win higher-value work and reduce the risk of welding-related failures and rework.

Is ISO 3834 a product standard like EN 1090?

No. ISO 3834 is not a product standard and it does not specify the performance of a finished structure. It is a process and quality framework specifically for fusion welding. Product standards such as EN 1090 define requirements for structural components and CE marking, while ISO 3834 dives into how welding is planned, executed, inspected and documented so that those products are consistently welded to the required quality level.

What levels or parts does ISO 3834 include?

ISO 3834 comes in three levels of stringency so companies can match the requirements to the risk and complexity of their products: comprehensive quality requirements, standard quality requirements and elementary quality requirements. All three cover the same core themes (procedures, qualifications, inspection, testing and documentation), but with different depth. A custom steel fabricator can choose the level that fits their typical projects and customer expectations.

How does ISO 3834 relate to ISO 9001?

ISO 3834 fits neatly under an ISO 9001 quality management system as a detailed standard for welding as a "special process". ISO 9001 defines the overall quality framework, while ISO 3834 provides specific requirements for welding planning, competency, qualification, inspection and records. For many fabricators, combining ISO 9001 and ISO 3834 gives a strong, recognisable quality signal to demanding customers.

What does ISO 3834 require in day-to-day welding work?

In day-to-day work, ISO 3834 requires you to review welding requirements at contract stage, qualify welding procedures (WPS/WPQR), ensure welders are qualified, plan production with the right WPS and consumables, perform and record inspections and tests, and maintain traceable documentation. The key is that all of this happens in a controlled, repeatable way, not ad hoc. Using EZIIL, these steps can be integrated into how jobs are created, operations assigned and inspection results recorded, instead of relying on separate paper forms.

What is a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) in ISO 3834?

A Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) is the person (or people) appointed to oversee welding quality in line with ISO 3834. Their responsibilities typically include approving WPS and WPQR, checking welder qualifications, ensuring the right procedures and consumables are used, reviewing non-conformances and making sure records are complete. EZIIL helps RWCs by giving them one view of all welding-related data: which WPS is linked to which operation, which welder worked on which joint and where inspection results are stored.

How can EZIIL support ISO 3834 implementation in a small or mid-sized shop?

EZIIL can act as the operational backbone for ISO 3834 in a 10–100 person shop. You can attach WPS and WPQR documents to projects or operations, link welders and their qualifications to specific tasks, and record inspection and test results alongside the job. Time reporting and operation tracking create a digital weld history that is easy to review and export for audits. Instead of separate welding quality paperwork, ISO 3834 requirements are mapped directly into how you plan and execute work in EZIIL.

How do we manage WPS, WPQR and welder qualifications with EZIIL?

In EZIIL, you can upload and store WPS and WPQR documents, link them to specific operations or project templates and make sure planners select the correct procedure when creating jobs. Welders can be set up with their qualifications and validity dates, which are then linked to the operations they perform. Inspection results can be attached to the same job and assembly. This way, when a customer or auditor asks, you can show the full chain: which WPS was used, who welded, what was inspected and when.

How does ISO 3834 help reduce welding defects and rework?

ISO 3834 reduces welding defects by forcing you to plan, qualify and control welding instead of relying purely on individual experience. Clear WPS, qualified welders, defined inspection points and proper documentation lower the risk of wrong joints, wrong consumables or missed checks. When combined with a system like EZIIL, non-conformances and their causes can be tracked by project and operation, so the shop can see patterns, fix root causes and prevent the same welding issues from repeating.

How can we prepare for an ISO 3834 audit using EZIIL?

For an ISO 3834 audit, you need to show how welding requirements are reviewed, how procedures and welders are qualified, and how welding is controlled and documented in real projects. With EZIIL, you can pull up sample jobs that clearly show the welding story: contract requirements, linked WPS/WPQR, assigned welders, time logs, inspection results and any non-conformance records. Because everything is stored in one system per project or assembly, preparing evidence for the auditor becomes a matter of selecting the right examples, not hunting information across folders and spreadsheets.

Is ISO 3834 mandatory for all steel fabricators?

ISO 3834 is not legally mandatory for all steel fabricators, but many sectors, clients and product standards expect it or something similar as evidence of welding control. For example, structural steel under EN 1090, pressure equipment or critical machinery often comes with contract requirements that reference ISO 3834. Even when it is not formally required, aligning your welding processes with ISO 3834 and using EZIIL to support them can help you win work with more demanding customers and reduce quality risk.

ISO 3834

What is ISO 3834 in steel fabrication?

ISO 3834 is an international standard that defines quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials. It covers the full welding lifecycle: contract review, procedure qualification, welder qualification, production planning, inspection, testing and documentation.

ISO 3834 comes in three levels of stringency so companies can match the level to the risk and complexity of their products.

Unlike EN 1090, ISO 3834 is not a product standard. It’s a process and quality framework specifically for welding.

Why ISO 3834 matters for custom steel fabricators

For structural steel, boilers, pressure vessels and many safety-critical fabrications, clients often expect ISO 3834 certification as evidence that welding is controlled in a consistent, repeatable way. It also plugs neatly into ISO 9001, providing extra detail on welding as a “special process.”

ISO 3834 is a practical way to turn “we weld well” into something that can be audited, improved and trusted by bigger customers.

Best practices for ISO 3834

Appoint a Responsible Welding Coordinator (RWC) with clear responsibilities for procedures, qualifications and oversight.
Map ISO 3834 requirements directly into how you create jobs, assign WPSs, schedule inspections and approve products, instead of separate paper forms.
Use EZIIL to attach WPS/WPQR documents, link welders and their qualifications to operations, and store inspection results alongside the job so you can show a full welding history in one view.