Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) Technician Jobs

Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) is essential to ensure successful welding results by preventing cracking, distortion and residual stress build-up after welding. PWHT must be performed on projects including pipes, vessels and storage tanks to mitigate the possibility of cracking, distortion and residual stresses accumulating post weld.

Perform daily duties to promote a safe working environment and fulfill any requests for materials required by PWHT.

Qualifications

PWHT (post weld heat treatment) is an integral step of welding process to alleviate residual stresses, improve material properties, and enhance quality of welded components. PWHT may also help meet industry standards and codes by reducing cracking or brittle fracture issues in weldments, making the welding more reliable in general. It should always be undertaken after each weld as it helps relieve residual stresses that have built up throughout welding operation and ensure compliance. PWHT should always take place post weld.

PWHT technicians should possess an in-depth knowledge of both physics and mathematics. They should be able to control heating and cooling rates of materials and equipment as well as read and interpret instructions, documentation, engineering drawings and work orders; working alongside other technicians and engineers effectively is also required.

As well as possessing PWHT skills, candidates for this field position must also possess a valid driver’s license with an unblemished driving abstract and pass both criminal background checks and drug tests. As this job involves travel, candidates should be willing to deploy to offshore projects and shutdowns and learn pressure testing as part of this job’s requirements; in addition, they must follow written and oral directions from management.

Job Duties

Pwht Technicians perform preheating and post weld heat treatment (PWHT) of various pipes and equipment according to Company, Quality, and Client standards. They prepare, monitor, and operate PWHT equipment as required; must read and interpret instructions, documentation, engineering drawings; as well as complete clean-up/housekeeping activities while adhering to all safety/work rules.

Responsible for setting all leads to heat stress equipment, preparing heat bands and thermocouple placement for preheating of pipe welds, monitoring preheat charts during welding operations and adjusting equipment as necessary; they must provide documentation (heat treatment temperature charts) for inclusion into weld packages by Quality personnel and management.

An essential requirement of their work involves familiarity with electrical resistance heating, hardness testing of materials and weld joints and offshore deployment. Furthermore, they should have experience identifying problems with PWHT equipment as well as cost saving measures suggested to the manager by this equipment and offering solutions themselves for managing long-term projects away from home.

Requirements

PWHT technicians must be capable of understanding and following instructions, documentation and engineering drawings as well as plan work accordingly and select suitable tools. In addition to being able to visualize objects three dimensionally from plans and drawings they also must make decisions based on measurable criteria before typically reporting to a supervisor or manager.

Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) may be required in certain welding materials and applications to improve microstructure, reduce residual stresses and brittle fracture. PWHT requirements depend on wall thickness and service requirements and should always be treated as mandatory requirements by welding codes.

Job duties involve preheating piping welds and preweld PWHT of pipe with various diameters and thicknesses, placing thermocouples for accurate zone control during preheat and postweld PWHT processes, creating Preheat Temperature Charts to be used by Quality personnel during inspection, monitoring welding operations as needed and making necessary adjustments as required.

Candidates interested in this opportunity must possess formal PWHT technical certification and four to five years of field experience, along with being willing and able to work away from home for the company. Furthermore, they must hold both valid CSTS and H2S Alive certificates.

Salary

PWHT technicians can expect a lucrative wage after receiving adequate training. Their salaries are comparable with other entry-level healthcare careers such as medical assistants, nursing assistants and phlebotomists; additionally their income may increase with additional certifications or years of experience.

To attract qualified pwht technicians to your company, create an eye-catching job listing that clearly details qualifications and responsibilities for this role. Optimize it for search engines like Google and promote it across relevant platforms like job boards and social media channels. Once work permits and visas have been granted, guide pwht technicians through their relocation process by finding accommodations, organizing transportation arrangements and familiarizing themselves with their new surroundings.