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Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / AWS ATF question
- - By jwsscott777 Date 06-28-2011 18:46
I'm not sure if my question has already been asked through the archives here but I'd like to have some input on whether or not it is worth it for my lab to become an AWS ATF. Aside from the wallet size card and being in the AWS data base, is their any outstanding benefit?
Parent - By Cactusthewelder (*****) Date 06-28-2011 18:52
No, You will still be required to test on most every job you do.
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 06-28-2011 19:13 Edited 06-28-2011 22:24
Just to clarify for some of the Farm Code welders :roll:.  AWS ATF= American Welding Society Accredited Testing Facility. Labs that do the testing, not someone that takes the test's.

jrw159
Parent - - By Cactusthewelder (*****) Date 06-29-2011 10:06
Just to Clarify, Since I am  have taken the Accredited Test at WH Labs (an accredited facility) in Houston. All you get is a Picture ID that says you past a test. Once every 6 months you have to have ANYONE with the Title of Supervisor, Fill out an Affidavit stating that you have welded within the last 6 months. However, you still have to test on every job, So please explain to me what benifit it has as well as what benefit there is for a Lab to pay the cost of being accredited ? I realize he ask about being a Lab. If you read the post, he also ask what benefit there is to haveing the Cert, other than a picture ID ? the answer to that question is......... NONE
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 06-29-2011 13:00 Edited 06-29-2011 13:11
There are MANY facilities that will disagree as they make quite a good living by being AWS accredited. Also there are many companies and customers alike that want thier welders tested by an ATF so as to avoid unscrupulous activities, much like what often happens in the "patch". And that number of companies and customers is growing rapidly. So in reference to the original post,  depending on the type of facility in question, it's location and target industry/industries, it may or may not be beneficial for this lab to become AWS accredited. None of this information was given in the initial post so an answer of "NONE" is making a large assumption at best.  You say "Since I am have taken the Accredited Test". Aside from the expected poor grammer skills, I will point out again, He is the one giving the test, not the one taking it. Also I could care less how many test's you have "past", it is the one's that are "passed" that count.  Why don't you ask WH Labs in Houston if being AWS accredited benefits them.
Parent - - By jwright650 (*****) Date 06-29-2011 13:06
jrw.....why are you stirring the pot again? Let the past go brother....He's not currently taking jabs at you.
Parent - By jrw159 (*****) Date 06-29-2011 13:24 Edited 06-29-2011 22:43
I am simply clarifying the difference between the person taking the test and the one giving the test, as well as the fact that there is, for certain facilities, a great benefit in being AWS accredited. Also that inspectors are rarely, if ever, the ones that "accept cert's". A certification from an AWS accredited facility carries far more wieght than the run of the mill certification. The idea that only "factories" utilize AWS ATF's is simply false. I have been on jobs ranging from pipeline's, refinery's, bridge, structural, and several others that by requirement, utilize ATF's for welder qualification's. Also when pulling up to test, it has been my experiance that the welders with certifications from an AWS ATF go to the FRONT of the line, and that decision was not made by me, it was made by the contractor and the end customer.

So in short, the statement that being an AWS ATF has no value is, well, Bullsnot.

I will say that there are indeed ungoverned industries inhabited by "Fly by night unscrupulous gypsys" where you can buy any kind of cert you want with a bottle of booze and a trip to the strip club, but I doubt that this is the type of clientel the OP is interested in.
Parent - By Cactusthewelder (*****) Date 06-29-2011 13:11
I guess you are right. There are many Inspectors out there that inspect Light Pole fabrication and other repetitive factory positions and welders that might let an ATF cert qualify. Some of those type of companies don't care and don't want the expense of qualifing each welder for each job. However, I work in the real world of field fabrication where those types of certs are not accepted.
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 06-28-2011 19:14 Edited 06-28-2011 22:24
jwsscott777,
    What is your location and are you targeting any specific industry?

jrw159
Parent - - By jwsscott777 Date 06-28-2011 20:44
Thanks for the quick response, my location is FL and its a vocational center. At this time I am not targeting a specific industry just trying to explore more options in bringing my school some more income. Also, to answer Lawrence, yes you are right in the cost to fund this baby. I have been for some time just qualifying my students and only a handfull of so called seasoned welding professionals. I have researched a couple of labs that carry this ATF and was quite shocked to find how close they are to me. I only found them through this site which leads me to the next question. Does the AWS provide better advertisement of labs who choose to pay for this certification? I seem to be answering my own questions as I write this but it sure feels good to actually talk to people who understand what I am talking about. Thanks for the welcome to the forum.
Parent - By waccobird (****) Date 06-28-2011 21:30
jwsscott777

Recognition
Accredited Test Facilities are listed on the AWS website for those who need to certify welders and are also advertised periodically in the award-winning Welding Journal magazine.

http://www.aws.org/w/a/certification/ATF/

Good Luck

Marshall
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 06-29-2011 12:41
Based off of this information I would say it would probably not be very benificial to your facility. By the time you figure in the cost, the fact that there is already an abundance of ATF's already in place and the low number of clientel, I would not go that route.
Parent - By jwsscott777 Date 06-29-2011 12:47
My thoughts exactly. Again, thanks to all who have commented on this subject.
Parent - By Lawrence (*****) Date 06-28-2011 19:23
Welcome to the forum Scott!

Turning a weld lab into an accredited test facillity is a very large undertaking.  It will require a dedicated staff of several professional CWI's.

If your lab is part of a school and your trying to grow the stature of your program...?   Be ready to pay thousands per year just in fees to keep your facility accredited.  Most of us do not have the budget to keep ATF's just for the love of the game.

If your lab is a for profit business...  Becomming an ATF may be an reasonable option.  If there is sufficient industry need in your region for the things an ATF might do.

My advice would be to contact all of the AWS sections in your region, find out who runs the ATF's within about 200 miles of your location and see if they are profitable or subsidized.  Look into *ALL* the requirements to become and sustain operations as an AWS ATF. 

I'm not saying it's a good or a bad idea for you...  Just that it takes a special organization to make an ATF profitable.
Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / AWS ATF question

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