To be ahead of the rest, company takes up full standard level certification for extrusion, butt fusion and electrofusion of polyethylene pipes and fabrications

International engineering solutions provider for the aquaculture industry, Poseidon Ocean Systems, based in Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, has recently upskilled their workforce to standard level CSWIP certification for polyethylene pipes and fabrications for high quality marine engineering and aquaculture systems.

Tony Kraus from TWI's Polymer section delivered a five-day combined course covering extrusion, butt-fusion and electrofusion welding of polyethylene pipes and fabrications, which had been designed for the specific needs of the candidates and tailored around their existing skills and experience. The course involved a mixture of classroom and practical sessions and covered an introduction to common thermoplastics, welding equipment, avoidance of joint defects, health and safety, welding parameters, joint preparation, process control and inspection, and testing. All training carried out is aligned to BS EN13067, 'Plastics welding personnel, qualification testing of welders, thermoplastics welded assemblies.'

During the training session, Tony shared his extensive knowledge of plastic welding, fabrication and design to ensure the success of the candidates. His experience in plastic welding was evident in his well thought out teaching methods, which greatly benefited the Poseidon representatives. After the course, Tony endeavoured to provide assistance on different welding and manufacturing techniques for Poseidon’s unique applications.

Successful completion of the certification programme will allow Poseidon to prove their competency for the manufacture of high quality marine engineering and aquaculture systems, and the certification could lead to and open new markets for them, where certification is a requirement.

Three engineers took the exams for extrusion, butt-fusion and electrofusion, achieving an overall pass rate of 95% for the theory and 100% in the practical examination.

Poseidon confirmed that, 'TWI went above and beyond to ensure that we are successful with plastic welding. We greatly appreciated the experience and are now applying the training to various projects.'

The end of a fantastic course in a wonderful location, Campbell River, BC, Canada.

For further information about Plastics Welder Training, contact Scott Andrews or call +44 (0)1223 899000