PWHT Technician Job Description

Perform and oversee preheating and post weld heat treatment (PWHT) of various pipe sizes & thicknesses according to instructions, documentation and engineering drawings.

Technicians begin welding pipeline welds by wrapping Flexible Ceramic Pad (FCP) and thermocouple wire around the weld area, transporting completed welds for further processing, as well as monitoring preheat charts during welding operations.

Preheating

Perform and supervise preheating and postweld heat treatment (PWHT) of various pipes and equipment according to Company, Quality and Client standards. Establish heat bands and thermocouple placement for pre-heating of pipe welds prior to welding operations, setup all leads leading to the preheat chart and monitor its usage throughout welding operations as well as providing documentation (heat treatment temperature charts) for inclusion into weld packages for quality personnel / management personnel review and approval.

Must be able to read and interpret instructions, documentation and engineering drawings. Work under pressure in an offshore environment while following both written and oral directions from supervisors. Be flexible enough and willing to travel for work as necessary.

Post Weld Heat Treating

Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) of steel structures often necessitates heating them uniformly to temperatures below their lower transformation temperature range and then quenching/cooling it at lower temperatures, in order to reshape microstructure and alleviate residual stresses that have developed during fabrication. Furthermore, PWHT drives out any hydrogen that may have entered through welding into alloy materials that has subsequently absorbed it and prevents cracking by hydrogen embrittlement.

This process is typically required of thick-section structures welded according to welding codes that specify certain welding conditions, and can reduce residual stress levels from as high as 30% of yield strength to 20-40% depending on code and conditions of welding.

A preheating and postweld heating technician (pwht technician) will coordinate and monitor preheating and postweld heating processes on a jobsite, including setting up heat bands, thermocouple placement and monitoring preheat charts during welding operations. They also provide documentation to Quality personnel as part of the weld package and help coordinate resources and equipment. They should follow written and verbal instructions from Quality personnel as well as understand engineering drawings/diagrams in order to properly coordinate resources/equipment while taking precautions against injury during their work.

Anil

Annealing is a process that softens and unstresses materials by raising them to high temperatures for an extended period, then slowly cooling them back down over time. Usually performed on hard brittle materials like steels, this procedure makes the material much more flexible, less stressed, and reduces cracking or breaking during use.

Perform and oversee preheating and PWHT of piping welds according to Company, Quality and Client standards. Prepare preheat bands and thermocouple placement around pipeline welds; set all leads for heat stress equipment and monitor preheat chart during welding operations.

Finishing

Finishing technicians are responsible for the preparation and application of paints, coatings, or stains in accordance with FDA guidelines. They must manage work orders accordingly while operating machinery like mixers and spray guns – including bagging and shrink wrapping products – as well as receiving control substances, tracking biennial inspections from DEA, maintaining clean room environments. Furthermore, finishing technicians must possess knowledge on various methods of chemical evaporation such as reactive sputtering or etching processes.

Finishing technicians must pay great attention to detail and feel at ease operating all available machinery. They work from sketches or blueprints to produce precise results while meeting deadlines through quality work execution. In addition, they are responsible for training staff on these machines as well as overseeing quality control on finished products. A finishing technician must be self-motivated with strong interpersonal skills in order to interact with customers effectively while meeting production schedules.