ISO 3834-6:2024 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 6: Guidelines on implementing the ISO 3834 series

Welding is a special process in that it is not always possible to verify the final result by testing. The quality
of the weld is manufactured into the product, not inspected. This means that welding normally requires
continuous control or that specific procedures be followed, or both. The ISO 3834 series deals with quality
requirements in welding and has been prepared in order to identify those controls and procedures.
The ISO 3834 series is not a quality system standard intended to take the place of ISO 9001, but a useful,
additional tool for use when ISO 9001 is applied by manufacturers, in which case the meeting of its
requirements needs to be recorded in certificates or documentation. However, the ISO 3834 series can be
used independently of ISO 9001.
The ISO 3834 series is intended for the fusion welding of metallic materials, and its application is independent
of the products manufactured. However, its principles and many of its detailed requirements are also
relevant for other welding and welding-related processes.
One of the aims of the ISO 3834 series is to specify requirements in the field of welding so that contracting
parties or regulators do not have to do this themselves. A reference to a particular part of the ISO 3834
series should be sufficient to demonstrate the capabilities of the manufacturer to control welding activities
for the type of work being done. This concept also applies to committees responsible for drafting product
standards.
The ISO 3834 series does not in itself require external assessment or certification. However, assessments
by customers and certification by independent bodies are growing trends in commercial relations and the
series can serve as a basis for these purposes, as well as for the demonstration of performance by those
manufacturers implementing it.
Other International Standards covering resistance welding and thermal spraying include the ISO 14554
series and ISO 14922, respectively.