CERTIFICATE IN WELDING ENGINEERING (CWE)

CERTIFICATE IN WELDING ENGINEERING (CWE) - SELF STUDY TRAINING COURSE

Master welding engineering principles and earn your industry-ready certificate 

COURSE OVERVIEW

This is a comprehensive course which is unrivalled in the market & which is suitable for candidates at all levels, including those new to welding, as no specific qualification entry requirements are needed. Anyone with passion and curiosity can access this world-class welding engineering education—regardless of academic background. 

The course is divided into 9 MODULES as follows:

1. The Fundamentals of Welding & Welding Processes 

2. Arc Welding Processes

3. Welding Inspection, including Visual Welding Inspection & Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Inspection Techniques: Radiography (RT); Ultrasonic Testing (UT); Magnetic Particle Testing (MT); Dye Penetrant Testing (PT) & Eddy Current Testing (ET)

4. Requirements of a Welding Quality Management to ISO 3834; Welding Coordination to BS EN ISO 14731; Non-Conformance Reporting, Corrective Actions & Continuous Improvement; Weld Quality Requirements for a Range of Welded Products.

5. The Development & Writing of Qualified Welding Procedure Specifications

6. Welding of Steel & Cast Iron 

7. Welding of Stainless Steel

8. Welding of Non-Ferrous Metals (Ni alloys; Al alloys; Ti alloys; Mg alloys; Zr alloys; Co alloys & Cu Alloys)

9. Dissimilar Metals Joining by Welding & Brazing

Core knowledge gained

• Fundamentals of welding: welding metallurgy, joint design, heat input & temperature control during welding.

• Parent Metals: product standards & grades or a wide range of ferrous & non-ferrous metals & alloys.

• Welding processes: principles, capabilities and limitations of common fusion and thermal joining methods.

• Metallurgy for joining: fusion and solidification behaviour, heat‑affected zones, dilution, how microstructure and composition affect joint performance.

• Inspection theory: visual inspection fundamentals and the role and principles of common NDT methods.

• Materials and defects: causes and classification of weld discontinuities and defect formation.

• Welding quality systems: procedure and welder qualification concepts, traceability and standards that govern welding practice.

Practical skills gained

• Visual weld inspection competence: systematic assessment, defect recognition and clear reporting.

• NDT awareness and integration: selecting appropriate NDT techniques & interpreting indications.

• Welding procedure development & writing: interpreting and applying WPS, WPQR and welder approval criteria in production and maintenance.

• Steel preheat temperature determination: to BS EN 1011-2

• Root‑cause analysis and corrective action: diagnosing weld failures and specifying practical process, material or inspection changes to prevent recurrence.

• Specification and documentation: producing auditable inspection records, material checks and quality evidence.

Standards, assessment and certification

• Standards alignment: practical application of national and industry welding standards to acceptance criteria, qualification and inspection planning.

• Credential: successful completion leads to the Certificate in Welding Engineering (CWE), demonstrating industry‑relevant competence and CPD credit.

Outcomes and who benefits

• Workplace impact: improved first‑pass acceptance, reduced rework, stronger traceability and better defensible decisions in welding production and inspection.

• Intended learners: engineers, welding supervisors, inspectors, quality managers, metallurgists and technical staff seeking a market‑leading, practical qualification in welding engineering.

A complete list of topics covered on the course is shown further down the page under the heading: 'COURSE CONTENT.'

The course is offered for completion by flexible self study, so candidates can start and progress through the training at anytime, anywhere & at their own pace. No need to wait for course dates for classroom-based or online training courses and no need to pay travelling expenses & to spend time away paying for hotels & other living expenses. Total estimated self study time required to complete the course is 70 hours. 

Candidates also receive a comprehensive, full-colour Training Handbook that serves as both a course guide and a valuable reference tool after completion of the course.

The welding engineering knowledge & skills gained on the course are applicable to a wide range of welding industry sectors, including:

🔺 STEEL & ALUMINIUM STRUCTURES

🔺 CONCRETE REINFORCING STEELS

🔺 PRESSURE VESSELS 

🔺 PIPELINES

🔺 RAILWAY VEHICLES

🔺 AEROSPACE

🔺 AUTOMOTIVE

🔺 OIL & GAS

🔺CHEMICAL

🔺POWER GENERATION, INCLUDING NUCLEAR 

🔺RAILS

🔺GENERAL ENGINEERING

🔺DEFENCE

BENEFITS OF CHOOSING OUR TRAINING

Our training offers an excellent choice for the following reasons:

1. Comprehensive Curriculum: This is a comprehensive Welding Engineering. A complete list of topics covered on the course is shown further down the page under the heading: 'COURSE CONTENT.'

2. Distance Learning: The course is offered as a distance learning, self-study training course, making it accessible to candidates regardless of their location.

3. Flexible Learning: Candidates can start and progress through the training at anytime, anywhere & at their own pace. No need to wait for course dates for classroom-based or online training courses and no need to pay travelling expenses & to spend time away paying for hotels & other living expenses.

4. Full-Colour Training Handbook: Participants receive a comprehensive, full-colour Training Handbook that serves as both a course guide and a valuable reference tool after completion.

5. Accredited Certifications: Our courses have accreditation from highly experienced, professionally qualified Chartered Engineers, Metallurgists, Materials Engineers & welding experts, with decades of industry experience. The value of our certifications has also been recognised by top organisations & professional bodies. The prominent academic & professional profile of our Course Tutor is shown below under the heading 'Course Tutor: Philip Bralsford CEng MIMMM MWeldI MMet MBA.'

6. Proven Success: Our training has empowered professionals from high-profile organisations & professional bodies including Arcelor Mittal, Bourne Steel, J & D Pierce Contracts Ltd, UKRI - Science & Technologies Facilities Council, TAQA Bratani, Mueller Europe, Moog Aircraft Group, WQiC, RWE Generation UK PLC, TEi Ltd, The Institute of Cast Metal Engineers, Sulzer and The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC.) 

7. Industry-Relevant: Developed by industry experts ensures that the content is both academically rigorous and practically relevant. 

8. No Prior Knowledge Required: The course is suitable for candidates at all levels, including those new to Welding, as no specific qualification entry requirements are needed. Anyone with passion and curiosity can access this world-class welding education—regardless of academic background. 

9. Excellent Feedback: The course has received excellent feedback from candidates who have completed it, highlighting its effectiveness in developing knowledge, skills, and understanding. For some of their comments, see below under the HEADING: 'CANDIDATE FEEDBACK ON OUR TRAINING.'

10. Career Advancement: The training is designed to enhance your career prospects by increasing your technical knowledge, skills, and understanding. 

11. Supportive Environment: Benefit from the support and guidance from professionally qualified & experienced Course Tutors who are industry experts with decades of experience.

SELF STUDY TRAINING COURSE

Our self study training course provides a cost-effective & flexible route for candidates to start & progress through the training at anytime, anywhere & at their own pace.

Total estimated self study time required to complete the course is 70 hours. 

The start date  for the training would follow receipt of payment of the course fees. 

All course materials would be posted & e-mailed to the candidate, including a comprehensive, full-colour training handbook which is posted & which serves as an excellent reference document following completion of the training. There are also links to instructional videos to explain some of the concepts presented in the course.

To complete the course, the candidate works through the Training Handbook. During their progression through the course, the candidate also has the option to request a tutorial session with the course tutor of up to 2 hours duration. The aim of the session, which would be arranged online or by phone, would be to review any issues the candidate may have on their understanding of the course material.

CERTIFICATION

Candidates are assessed on the training by CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENTS and those who achieve the required standard will be awarded our 'CERTIFICATE IN WELDING ENGINEERING (CWE)' & CPD 70 HOURS.

SELF STUDY COURSE BOOKING FORM

Course Fees: £1750 per person, inclusive of a comprehensive, full colour Training Handbook & all Assessment & Certification fees.

Please click on the LINK to download and complete the SELF STUDY booking form if you would like to make a booking, or Contact Us if you require any further information. 

CANDIDATE FEEDBACK ON OUR TRAINING

As shown below, we have received some EXCELLENT FEEDBACK from the candidates who have completed the course:

'Really enjoyed the course. The material was great & Phil was always available when 'I couldn't see the woods for the trees.'

'I would like to say thanks for a wonderful & informative course. The 2 books were superb & will become a staple of my guidance notes along with all the relevant standards.'

'Really enjoying the course & the content is excellent.'

'Excellent course, CWE certificate recognised and assisted on where I am today (Saudi Aramco.)'

'Great course notes & the fact that I could carry out the units at my own pace fitting it in around work & social time.'

'I`d like to say a big thank you for putting together a course that not only has excellent reference books to work from but also enabled me to study when I had time. I`m sure the books will be put to good use in the future.'

'I have enjoyed the course very much and have found the course manuals to be brilliant.'

‘I felt the course material was invaluable. I came away with a complete understanding simply because it was written by somebody who clearly understood their subject area. I look forward to studying again with Philip Bralsford.’

'Well constructed course notes covering inspection, NDE, welding processes and a special thank you for easy to read welding of various materials, especially non-ferrous metals which can be very complex.'

'The expertise & background of the instructor is amazing and brings ultimate excellence for the level of shared information.'

'It was brilliant to have some discussions with the other attendees last week in the welding / materials area.'

'Great content and very knowledgeable presenter.'

'Well-structured and well-designed course.'

'Sincere thanks for award of certificates. It was a pleasure to attend the training course which certainly widened our horizons and gave us loads of insight into the subject of Welding Engineering. Sincerely appreciated.'

'I thoroughly enjoyed the training.'

'I found the course to be really informative and worthwhile over the last few months after leaving a mainly composites / polymers based job role. It’s been a great way of refreshing my memory whilst learning about the complexities of welding various materials so thanks for this.'

'The course notes were excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed the course.'

COURSE CONTENT

• Definition of a Metal and Alloy

• Useful Properties of Metals & Alloys

• Definition of Welding

• Fundamental Metallurgy

• Welding Terms and Definitions

• Overview of Fusion & Solid State Welding Processes:

  • Arc Welding Processes:

    • Manual Metallic Arc (MMA)-’Stick Welding’

    • Metal Inert Gas (MIG) & Metal Active Gas (MAG)

    • Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG)

    • Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

    • Metal Cored Arc Welding (MCAW)

    • Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)

    • Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)

  • Thermit Welding

  • Gas Welding

  • Spot Welding

  • Flash Butt Welding

  • Resistance Butt Welding

  • Seam Welding

  • Induction Welding

  • Electron Beam Welding

  • Laser Beam Welding

  • Hybrid Laser Arc Welding

  • Friction Welding

  • Explosive Welding

  • Diffusion Welding / Diffusion Bonding

  • Forge Welding

  • Ultrasonic Welding

• Welding Codes & Standards

• Types of Welded Joints & Welds

• Thermal Cutting Processes

• Welding Positions

• Welding Symbols

• Materials Certification to BS EN 10204

• Calibration of Welding Equipment

• Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) Development Process

• How to Write a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)

• Welder & Welding Operator Qualifications

• Preheat & Interpass Temperature: Measurement & Control

• Types of Welding Imperfections & How to Avoid Them

• Visual Welding Inspection - Requirements 

• Principles of the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Techniques for the Inspection of Welds:

  • Radiographic Testing (RT)

  • Ultrasonic Testing (UT)

  • Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI or MT)

  • Dye Penetrant Testing (PT)

  • Eddy Current Testing (ET)

• Weld Repairs

• Weld Quality Requirements for a Range of Welded Products:

• • Steel & aluminium structures in the UK & EU for UKCA & CE Marking to BS EN 1090-2 (steel structures ) & BS EN 1090-3 (Aluminium structures.)

  • Welded Carbon steel bars for concrete reinforcement to ISO 17660 Parts 1 & 2.

  • Steel & aluminium for railway vehicles and components to BS EN 15085.

  • Pressure vessel steel to BS EN 13445.

  • Metallic piping to BS EN 13480.

  • Electron Beam & Laser Beam welded products

• Welding Quality Management Systems:

  • ISO 3834

  • BS EN ISO 14731 'Welding Coordination: Tasks & Responsibilities'

  • Non-Conformance Reporting & Corrective Actions

• Mechanical Testing of Welds: Destructive Testing & Proof Testing

• Welding Stresses, Distortion & Residual Stress in Welded Joints

• Heat Treatment of Welded Joints (Post Weld Heat Treatment - PWHT)

• Welding of Steel:

• • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Steel 

  • Weldability of Steel Based on Carbon Equivalent Value (CEV)

  • Alternative Weldability Formula: PCM Value

  • The Chemical Elements in Steel

  • Structural Steel: Product Standards & Grade Designations

  • Pressure Vessel Steels: Product Standards & Grade Designations

  • Reinforcing Carbon Steel 'Rebar' Product Standards, Grades & Process Routes

  • Pipeline Steels Product Standards, Grades & Process Routes

  • Low Alloy & Alloy Steel:

    • Low Alloy Steels for Sour Service

    • Fine Grained & High Nickel Steels for Cryogenic Applications

    • CrMo & CrMoV Steels for Elevated Temperature Use

  • Manganese Steel

  • Types of Weld Cracking:

    • Solidification Cracking 

    • Lamellar Tearing   

    • Reheat Cracking 

    • Hydrogen Induced Cracking 

  • BS EN 1011-2: Method for Steel Preheat Temperature Determination

• Welding of Cast Iron:

  • Metallurgy of Cast Iron

  • Grey Cast Iron

  • Ductile Cast Iron

  • White Cast Iron

  • Malleable Cast iron

  • Weldability

  • Special Welding Techniques

• Welding of Stainless Steel:

  • Classes of Stainless Steel 

  • General Fabrication Issues 

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Austenitic Stainless Steels 

  • Weldability of Austenitic Stainless Steel 

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Ferritic Stainless Steels  

  • Weldability of Ferritic Stainless Steel  

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Martensitic Stainless Steels  

  • Weldability of Martensitic Stainless Steel 

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steels  

  • Weldability of Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel 

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics of Duplex Stainless Steels 

  • Weldability of Duplex Stainless Steel 

• Welding of Aluminium Alloys:

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics

  • Temper Designation 

  • Purchasing Standards

  • Weldability 

  • Imperfections in Welds 

• Welding of Nickel Alloys:

  • Metallurgical Characteristics 

  • General Fabrication Issues 

  • Weldability 

  • Types of Welding Imperfections 

• Welding of Titanium Alloys :

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics 

  • Weldability 

  • Imperfections in Welds

• Welding of Magnesium Alloys:

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics 

  • Weldability 

• Welding of Zirconium Alloys:

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics 

  • Weldability 

• Welding of Cobalt Alloys:

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics 

  • Weldability 

• Welding of Copper Alloys:

  • Metallurgy & Characteristics 

  • Weldability 

  • Types of Welding Imperfections

• Dissimilar Metal Joining by Welding & Brazing

Course Tutor: Philip Bralsford CEng MIMMM MWeldI MMet MBA

Philip is a highly accomplished metallurgist & materials engineer, welding & quality management specialist, with decades of experience in the field. With an excellent academic background, including a Master of Metallurgy in Advanced Metallurgy from the University of Sheffield, his career has been marked by significant contributions to leading engineering firms such as British Steel, Sheffield Forgemasters and Corus, where he has played a pivotal role in research, product development, quality control and the implementation of innovative solutions.

Philip's proficiency in welding, metallurgy, materials engineering and quality management, when coupled with his project management skills and leadership abilities, has earned him a reputation as a dedicated and results-driven professional. His commitment to excellence is further evidenced by his certifications and memberships in professional organisations including Chartered Engineer (CEng), The Institute of Materials (MIMMM) & The Welding Institute (MWeldI.)

Philip has also designed and implemented comprehensive training programs for engineers and technicians, focusing on metallurgical techniques, materials engineering, welding, corrosion and quality control procedures. He has also authored detailed training manuals and documentation, ensuring that team members have access to valuable resources and best practices for their work.

Philip provides training for a number of high-profile clients, including: Arcelor Mittal, The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), UKRI-Science & Technology Facilities Council, The Institute of Cast Metals Engineers (ICME), TAQA Bratani, Building Research Establishment (BRE), Moog Aircraft Group, J & D Pierce Contracts Ltd, Bourne Group Ltd, Mueller Europe, TEi Ltd, Ultra Maritime, William Cook Cast Products, WQiC, Voestalpine Bohler Welding & RWE Generation UK PLC.

Philip has received excellent feedback from the clients & candidates who have undertaken his training. For some of their comments see below:

'Our Engineers have found the course and its subject material very informative and helpful as two engineers relatively new to welding. They have also found the material very well presented and easy to follow.'

'It's been done in a way that's understandable for people who already have some knowledge and for those who don't, It's learnable and understandable.'

'I think there is very little or almost nothing to improve, as the course is very well designed, built and the Tutor is very experienced.'

'Thank you Philip for your time. I've enjoyed the course a lot and after meeting with you, I've learnt even more about the role of an RWC. Thank you again for your feedback on where we need to be and I will continue to make a great effort to learn more.'

‘I felt the course material was invaluable. I came away with a complete understanding simply because it was written by somebody who clearly understood their subject area. I look forward to studying again with Philip.’

Purchase the Training Handbook

You can also purchase separately the full-colour, Training Handbook for this course.

Please Contact Us if you would like to order a copy.

Purchase the Digital Course Materials

We also offer for purchase the digital course materials that would enable training providers provide their own training in 'Certificate in Welding Engineering.'

When purchasing the digital course materials, you would receive all course materials in digital form, including a comprehensive Microsoft 365 POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, as well as all Assessments for the course. 

The PowerPoint presentation also facilitates a TRAINING HANDBOOK for the course to be printed.

All digital files are also editable to enable you to apply your own branding to the course materials. 

Please Contact Us for a quotation if you are interested in purchasing the digital course materials, or if you require any further information on the training.