Structural Fabricator QC in at Red Dot LLC

Position Summary

The Structural Fabricator QC is responsible for inspecting structural steel fabrication throughout the fit-up and welding processes to ensure completed members conform to shop drawings, applicable welding procedures, customer requirements, and company quality standards.

This position performs in-process and final inspections of fabricated structural steel, verifies dimensional accuracy and component placement, visually inspects weld quality, identifies nonconforming work, and works directly with fitters and welders to correct deficiencies before material proceeds to the next stage of production.

The Structural Fabricator QC must maintain a strong working knowledge of structural steel fabrication processes, shop drawings, welding requirements, and applicable AWS and company quality standards.

Essential Functions

• Read and interpret structural steel shop drawings to verify proper fabrication of beams, columns, braces, and other structural assemblies.
• Inspect fit-up of structural steel members to ensure components are properly located, oriented, aligned, and dimensioned according to shop drawings.
• Use tape measures, squares, and other measuring and alignment tools to verify fabrication accuracy.
• Verify overall dimensions, hole locations, plate locations, connection material, clip locations, stiffeners, and other fabricated components against applicable shop drawings.
• Perform quality-control inspections throughout the fabrication process to identify errors before members advance to subsequent production operations.
• Inspect welds to ensure they meet applicable AWS requirements, customer specifications, project requirements, and company standards.
• Verify weld size, length, location, appearance, and other applicable requirements against shop drawings, weld maps, and welding procedures.
• Maintain knowledge and understanding of applicable Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and weld maps.
• Verify that required welding procedures are being followed during fabrication.
• Identify fabrication and welding defects or discrepancies and communicate required corrections to fitters, welders, production leads, and supervision.
• Reinspect corrected work to verify deficiencies have been properly resolved before releasing the member to the next production operation.
• Provide guidance and assistance to fitters and welders regarding fabrication and quality requirements.
• Maintain knowledge of shop operations and fabrication processes to effectively inspect work at various stages of production.
• Ensure fabricated work meets applicable AWS, IAS, customer, and company quality requirements.
• Verify beams and fabricated assemblies are properly cleaned following welding and before entering the paint/coating operation.
• Ensure weld spatter, slag, temporary attachments, and other fabrication-related conditions requiring correction are addressed prior to release.
• Coordinate with Production personnel to resolve quality issues while minimizing disruption to manufacturing flow.
• Operate cranes and lifting devices as required to safely position or access material for inspection.
• Follow all company policies, procedures, safety requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Support safety, quality, and productivity improvement efforts within the fabrication shop.
• Perform special assignments and other duties as required.

Quality Control Responsibilities

The Structural Fabricator QC serves as an independent verification point within the fabrication process. The position is responsible for determining whether fabricated structural steel meets the requirements necessary to proceed to the next manufacturing operation.

The QC inspection should include, as applicable:

• Member dimensions and overall length
• Proper material and component placement
• Plate, clip, stiffener, and connection locations
• Hole locations and orientation
• Fit-up and alignment
• Weld location
• Weld size and length
• Weld appearance and workmanship
• Conformance to WPS requirements
• Conformance to shop drawings
• Required cleaning and finishing
• Correction of identified deficiencies

The original Fitter Lead & QC description specifically requires the ability to read shop prints and fabricate accordingly, understand IAS and AWS standards, and provide guidance to fitters and welders. 50-0099 Fitter Lead & QC The Welder Lead & QC position additionally requires knowledge of inspection procedures, WPSs and weld maps, and the ability to inspect small details and applicable codes. 50-0037 Welder Lead and QC 50-0037 Welder Lead and QC

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong ability to read and interpret structural steel shop drawings.
• Knowledge of structural steel fitting and welding processes.
• Knowledge and understanding of AWS requirements applicable to structural steel fabrication.
• Knowledge of Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and weld maps.
• Ability to perform visual inspection of structural welds.
• Ability to identify common welding and fabrication defects.
• Ability to use tape measures, squares, and other dimensional inspection tools accurately.
• Ability to verify fabricated assemblies against shop drawings.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to recognize small dimensional or workmanship discrepancies.
• Ability to communicate quality deficiencies clearly and professionally to fitters, welders, leads, and supervisors.
• Ability to provide guidance and assistance to fabrication personnel when corrections are required.
• Ability to make sound quality decisions while working in an active production environment.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with production personnel and management.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.
• Ability to safely operate cranes and lifting devices as required.
• Working knowledge of overall shop processes and the relationship between fitting, welding, QC, and downstream operations.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Structural steel fabrication experience strongly preferred.
• Experience reading structural steel shop drawings required.
• Fitting and/or structural welding experience preferred.
• Previous structural steel quality-control or inspection experience preferred.
• Knowledge of AWS welding requirements required for weld inspection responsibilities.
• Applicable AWS welding qualification or previous welding experience preferred.
• Successful visual acuity examination where required for welding inspection responsibilities.

The original welding QC position specifically identifies successful AWS weld and visual-acuity examinations and welding experience, while the fitter QC description requires shop-drawing experience and knowledge of the company's inspection requirements. 50-0037 Welder Lead and QC 50-0099 Fitter Lead & QC

Tools and Equipment

• Tape measure
• Squares
• Welding gauges and applicable inspection tools
• Shop drawings
• Weld maps
• Welding Procedure Specifications
• Cranes and lifting equipment
• Welding equipment
• Grinders
• Cutting torches
• Magnetic drills and other fabrication equipment as required

Performance Expectations

The Structural Fabricator QC is expected to maintain a high standard of fabrication quality while supporting efficient production flow. The objective is to identify and correct fabrication errors as early in the process as possible rather than allowing defects to move downstream.

Successful performance requires the ability to balance four priorities: drawing compliance, weld quality, production flow, and clear communication with the fabrication team.

The Structural Fabricator QC is expected to take ownership of the inspection process and should not release a fabricated member to the next production operation until required fit-up, welding, workmanship, and applicable quality requirements have been satisfied.