EN ISO 3834

What is EN ISO 3834?

EN ISO 3834 is a series of standards setting out quality requirements for welding of metallic materials. Welding is a special process - its quality cannot be fully verified by testing the finished product. That is why, instead of relying only on final inspection, the whole process is standardised: personnel, procedures, equipment, materials and supervision.

Unlike ISO 9001 (a general management system), EN ISO 3834 deals solely with welding. It is required by EN 1090 and EN 15085 as the foundation of the welding quality system.

Current version of the standard

The 2021 edition is in force (PN-EN ISO 3834-2/-3/-4:2021-09, part 1 from 2022). Certificates are issued only according to this edition - the older 2007 editions are no longer a basis for certification.

The series consists of the following parts:

• 3834-1 - criteria for selecting the appropriate level of requirements
• 3834-2 - comprehensive quality requirements
• 3834-3 - standard quality requirements
• 3834-4 - elementary quality requirements
• 3834-5 - documents required to claim conformity

Levels of requirements

• EN ISO 3834-2 - comprehensive requirements - the highest level, critical structures
• EN ISO 3834-3 - standard requirements - the most commonly implemented level
• EN ISO 3834-4 - elementary requirements - simpler products

A higher level includes the requirements of the lower one. An important difference: 3834-4 does not require formal welding supervisory personnel, whereas 3834-2 and -3 do.

How to choose the level

The level is matched to the risk and requirements of the product, and under product standards it is mapped directly:

We help you choose a level appropriate to your production - so that you meet the requirements without overpaying.

Main requirements

• Review of requirements and technical review - analysis of the documentation before welding
• Welding supervisory personnel (to ISO 14731) - IWE/IWT/IWS for levels 2 and 3
• Personnel qualifications - welders to EN ISO 9606, operators to EN ISO 14732
• Welding procedure specifications (WPS) - approved on the basis of a WPQR (to ISO 15614)
• Welding equipment - list, maintenance, calibration
• Welding consumables - handling and traceability
• Testing and inspection - before, during and after welding, including NDT

Step-by-step implementation

1. Initial (gap) audit - assessment of the current state and the gaps against the selected level
2. Choosing the level - 3834-2/-3/-4 according to the products and customer requirements
3. Documentation - procedures, WPS, inspection plans, scopes of responsibility
4. WPQR and qualifications - procedure qualification and welder/operator exams
5. Operational implementation - launching the system on the shop floor and training the team
6. Internal audit - checking readiness before the certification body visits
7. Support during the certification audit - presence and assistance during certification

EN ISO 3834 and other standards

• EN 1090 - steel/aluminium structures; 3834 is its foundation
• EN 15085 - railway vehicles; the CL level maps to a 3834 level
• EN ISO 9606 and EN ISO 14732 - personnel qualifications required by 3834
• Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) - often refers to the requirements of 3834

EN ISO 3834 and ISO 9001

ISO 9001 is the framework for managing the whole company, while EN ISO 3834 covers the quality of welding itself. They do not replace each other. The best result comes from implementing both: 9001 as the system, 3834 as a complement for the special process.

Certification and conformity

You can operate in conformity with EN ISO 3834 without a formal certificate (e.g. for PED purposes), but the certificate is issued by an accredited certification body. WELDERSTAL is not a certification body - we act as a consultant and implementer who prepares the company for certification.

How much implementation costs

We do not quote a single figure, because the cost depends on the scope. The price is affected by:

• the level of the standard (3834-2 / -3 / -4),
• the number of welding processes and methods,
• the size of the plant and the number of welders to be examined,
• the state of the current documentation,
• any outsourcing of welding supervision.

The cost of implementation (consulting) is separate from the certification body’s fee. We prepare a quote after the initial audit.

Laser welding and cobots in EN ISO 3834

Modern technologies also fit within the requirements of the standard:

• Laser welding - process qualification (WPQR), monitoring of parameters (power, speed, gas, focus), documented operator competence
• Cobots / mechanised welding - operators to EN ISO 14732, the robot program as part of the WPS, repeatability validation

If you are automating welding, see welding cobots and laser welders.

Benefits of certification

• Repeatable weld quality thanks to process control at every stage
• A condition for EN 1090 and EN 15085 - without 3834 you will not obtain structural certification
• Credibility in tenders and in the supply chain
• Fewer repairs and complaints thanks to supervision from the start of the process