International Institute of Welding
The International Institute of Welding is an international scientific and engineering body for welding, brazing and related technologies. Its membership consists of the national welding societies from around the world. The Institute was founded in 1948 by 13 national societies. By 2011 its membership has expanded to 55 national welding societies.
Organization
The general assembly of the national societies defines the policy of the institute and elects its president and a board of directors. A permanent secretariat deals with regular day-to-day activities and maintains contact with other international bodies.The institute has established a number of technical commissions, each one covering a relatively broad subject of welding science and technology. Under some of them there exist a number of technical sub-commissions, each one involved in a more specific aspect. The IIW participates in International Organization for Standardization standardization activities in Technical Committee TC44. A total of 21 ISO standards and updates have been published under the direct responsibility of IIW.
Authorised bodies and governance
IIW operates a structured quality and governance system to ensure that education, training, qualification, and certification activities in welding engineering are harmonised across its global network. This system is based on common rules and procedures, the conformity of which is verified on a regular basis through peer assessment and oversight mechanisms established by IIW.In 2000, European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF) licensed its qualification system to the IIW. Since then, a combined EWF/IIW qualification and certification system has been implemented worldwide. Under this harmonised system, all IIW Authorised Nominated Bodies also operate as EWF ANBs within their respective scopes of authorisation.
Within this framework, authorisation activities are managed by the International Authorisation Board. The IAB is responsible for approving and supervising organisations that deliver IIW education, training, qualification, and certification services. This is operated jointly with the EWF. These organisations are formally designated as Authorised Nominated Bodies and operate within a defined scope of authorisation.
Each ANB is authorised to administer examinations, assess candidates, and issue IIW diplomas and certificates for specific qualification levels. In addition, ANBs are responsible for approving, monitoring, and supervising Approved Training Bodies that provide training courses leading to IIW qualifications. The scope of authorisation of an ANB specifies both the qualifications it is permitted to offer and the geographical territory in which it may operate. While ANBs are nominated by IIW member societies in a specific country, some ANBs are authorised to operate in more than one country or region.
Approved Training Bodies deliver the education and training required for IIW diplomas under the supervision of the relevant ANB. Specific requirements apply to ATBs with regard to trainer competence, training facilities and equipment, quality management systems, and compliance with the prescribed training syllabuses. This multi-level structure supports consistency and mutual recognition of welding engineering qualifications across different countries and industrial sectors.