Soteriaa buyer guide · Vendor sources checked October 2026
EN 1090 software compared: FPC systems vs welding record tools
EN 1090 software falls into two layers: full factory production control (FPC) systems that run the whole process, and welding record tools that control qualifications, procedures and traceability inside it; this guide compares both, checked October 2026. Soteriaa publishes this guide and is one of the tools compared. No product here, including Soteriaa, is presented as a substitute for an assessed FPC system.
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EN 1090 FPC software comparison
EN 1090 welding software and FPC systems, by layer
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| Product | Layer | What the vendor says it covers | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SteelAxis OS | FPC / fabricator operating system | EN 1090 audits, EXC declarations, mill certificates, NCRs, and welder qualification and FPC expiry. No WPS features. | Founding-customer pricing from €700/month + VAT |
| EZIIL | ERP | ERP with an EN 1090 traceability chain | Not published |
| WeldInspect Pro | Inspection and CE dossier | Weld inspection, traceability and CE dossier; says it does not certify projects | Not published |
| WeldTrace | Welding management | Each weld linked to its drawing, WPS, welder, materials and inspection; WPS/PQR and welder qualifications | Quote only |
| WeldCloud Notes (ESAB) | Welding records and weld traceability | WPSs from qualified PQRs, welder qualifications, weld records with traceability; ESAB claims compliance with EN 1090 among other codes | Not published; annual user licence |
| Soteriaa | Welding record tool | Welders, qualification records, WPS and WPQR records with controlled revisions, manual continuity confirmations with history, scheduled email reminders. Jobs with assembly/part and drawing; weld operations with welder, WPS revision and material/heat reference; document versions pinned to jobs; job traceability packs; export with checksums. No stock or inventory management. | £79/month or £790/year; 14-day free trial |
Sources, checked October 2026: SteelAxis OS, EZIIL, WeldInspect Pro, WeldTrace and WeldCloud Notes. These are scope observations, not an EN 1090 conformity assessment.
Define the acceptance evidence
Take one completed job to the demonstration
Ask your responsible specialist to select the evidence chain that matters to your process.
FPC is broader than a certificate folder. The Irish government’s introductory fabricator leaflet illustrates that breadth, including purchasing, equipment and fabrication controls. It is background material, not a current determination of your obligations; use the applicable standards and qualified advice for your situation.
- Start with an identified part or weld and its current drawing.
- Retrieve the material evidence, procedure and personnel records your process requires.
- Follow an inspection result and a corrected or superseded record.
- Identify anything that still has to be maintained in another system.
- Check how records leave the system, and who owns and can access them after cancellation.
EN 1090 welding software: job and document traceability
What Soteriaa records for a job
Soteriaa holds the welding-record side of a job: who welded, under which qualification and procedure revision, with which material or heat reference, and which document versions applied.
Every change to a job, weld, pack or document link records who, when and what. A material or heat reference is recorded as text against the weld; Soteriaa does not manage stock, inventory or purchasing, and it does not replace ERP. Review warnings flag mismatches such as an overdue qualification or a superseded revision; they do not decide eligibility. A pack is a traceability summary, not FPC conformity evidence on its own, and it does not confer qualification or engineering approval.
- A job records its reference, customer, assembly or part, drawing and revision, and status.
- Each weld operation records the joint or pass, welder, selected qualification, controlled WPS revision, process, date, material/heat reference and inspection state.
- An inspection result (accept, reject or repair) needs a named reviewer, an inspection date and at least one evidence link.
- Documents linked to a job keep the exact version recorded; a later library edit does not change it.
- An issued job traceability pack (PDF or Word) keeps the versions it was issued with and can be withdrawn with a recorded reason.
- Owners and admins can export the workspace or one job as CSV, JSON and the original files, with a manifest of SHA-256 checksums.
The Soteriaa boundary
Soteriaa holds welders, welder qualification records (ISO 9606-1, ASME IX or AWS D1.1, recorded as written), WPS and WPQR records, and prints WPS, WPQR and certificate records to PDF. Ranges are entered by hand from the certificate or WPQR; Soteriaa does not calculate, check or approve them by code. Continuity is confirmed manually by a supervisor, every confirmation is kept, and scheduled email reminders cover continuity and revalidation dates. Soteriaa does not manage stock or inventory, run factory production control, replace ERP or issue certification, and we make no claim that it meets EN 1090 FPC requirements. For a business buying a whole FPC system, Soteriaa is at most the welding-record component. See Soteriaa’s welding record scope and the EN 1090 welding record-control guide for that narrower use.
Sources for the record questions below
Retention: Construction Products Regulation, Article 11(2) (UK retained version). We found no authoritative source that settles whether EN 1090 FPC records may be kept only in digital form.
Publisher and product boundary
Soteriaa publishes this guide and is one of the tools compared. Vendor information was checked on each vendor’s own website in October 2026; we have not run hands-on trials, and the lists describe workflow fit, not a tested ranking. Soteriaa provides document and workflow tools, not legal assistance or compliance advice. It helps organise records, evidence and deadlines; it does not determine compliance, certify records or submit official reports on your behalf. You review the information and remain responsible for required checks and submissions.
FAQ
EN 1090 records: digital copies and retention
Can EN 1090 records be kept digitally?
We found no authoritative source that settles this for EN 1090 factory production control records. Whether digital records or scanned copies are acceptable in place of paper depends on your FPC system and on what your notified body accepts, so agree the format with them before discarding hard copies.
How long should EN 1090 records be kept?
Article 11(2) of the Construction Products Regulation (as retained in UK law) requires manufacturers to keep the technical documentation and the declaration of performance for 10 years after the product is placed on the market. That article does not explicitly cover every FPC record; the retention period for other FPC records is set by your FPC system and notified body.
Is Soteriaa EN 1090 FPC software?
No. Soteriaa is a welding record tool for welders, qualifications, WPS and WPQR records, continuity, reminders, and job records with weld operations, document versions and traceability packs. It records a material or heat reference against each weld but does not manage stock or inventory, does not run factory production control and does not certify anything, and it is not a substitute for an assessed FPC system.
Try the welding-record layer free for 14 days
Soteriaa’s welding workspace is £79/month or £790/year.