Case Study

Certification brings 90,000 Euros of value to Croatian shipyard

The Shipyard Trogir, Croatian company, is composed of two main parts; shipbuilding and repair.

Accredited certification of the company’s welders and welding operation has helped the shipyard  HBT d.o.o to complete the the most demanding projects and shipbuilding activities. Accreditation of the certification body is in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024 and the certification of welders and welding operators is carried out in compliance with the standards ISO 9606-1, ISO 9606-2, ISO 9606-3 and ISO 14732.

Welding is a significant technology in the shipbuilding operation and involves a large number of welders for different welding processes and with diverse levels of automation. In the shipbuilding industry, there is a clear requirement that the qualification and certification of personnel for welding shall be carried out in compliance with specific rules and standard. Welding in shipbuilding can only be performed by certified welders and welding operators. Continuous advancements of ship construction and the application of new materials requires permanent updating of welders certification too.  For that reason, the presence of a third party certified certification body for the certification of welders within the shipyard is a logical development in the organization of the modern shipyards. Significant fluctuation of numbers of employed welders,  supports the reason for establishing the certification centre for welder.

During the building period between November 2016 and May 2018, more than 250 welders participated in production and they all passed certification through the Certification Centre. According to the company, the estimated financial impact is approximately  90,000.00 €, as well other positive benefits that are more difficult to measure. For example, they are able to keep track of the certification of welders and the competence of the welder, which significantly affects the building time of the ship and results in a reduction of number of repairs and delays in finishing of the vessel.