Setting up an AWS D17.1 Aerospace Welding Program

Date 05-17-2012 20:38

Hi, I asked similar things on another section of this form but I think I need to post here to get more information.

I need a little help with some AWS specs and I am hoping someone there can give me some insight.

We are a small aerospace machine shop and we want to have a welding program per AWS D17.1 for our customers. I am trying to get this all set up but I have a few questions. We do manual GTAW mostly on aluminum but we also do some stainless steel.

I have been reading though AWS D17.1/D17.1M:2010 and AWS B2.1/B2.1M:2009 along with a few others and just need a little help in understanding what I need to do.

The first thing I need to know what steps to take. It looks to me like I need to do the following to stat things off:
1. PQR: Develop PQR’s for each type of welding procedure we want to perform, conduct test welds per the PQR and sent them to a qualified metallurgical lab for accepted.

2. WPS: Write a WPS for each production welding job we want to run based on the qualified PQR.

3. Welders: Have welders do test weld to a WPS and have the test specimens. Send the completed specimens to a qualified metallurgical lab for acceptance. I have already setup a program to have our welders vision tested per the requirements of AWS D17.1.

Please let me know if I have this right or if I am way off base. Also who can inspect our welds? Do we need a AWS certified inspector per AWS D17.1 section 7.1 or can one of our mechanical inspectors who has passed the vision test do weld inspections?

I am in the process of writing our welding procedure manual and I want to make sure I get everything right. Our goal is to become NACAP certified at some point in the future.

I am open to any advice or suggestions on setting up a welding program. Does anyone know of a good guide book to go along with AWS D17.1, Welding Program for Dummy’s?

Thank you for any help you can provide,
James

By 803056

Date 05-18-2012 03:15

You might try accessing past issues of Inspection Trends where you can read several articles that pertain to the subjects you are interested in. Start with the winter edition of 2010 and read the issues up to about the fall of 2011. There is a series of articles on how to organize a system for qualifying the WPSs and the welders.

I know the author of the articles. He and I are on pretty good terms.

Al

By jameslaz (*)

Date 05-18-2012 17:47

Al, what a great resource for information. Thank you so much for letting me know about that. I have printed our several articles to read.

Thank you,
James

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 05-18-2012 18:00

I think you see him everyday of your life don't you? I'll bet you even gave him a lot of the info he used to write those articles. And didn't even get upset when he wrote a series of articles based upon all that great information. What a guy.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By 803056

Date 05-18-2012 18:16 Edited 05-18-2012 18:21

The guy is a bum. He rarely to shaves regularly, bathes once a week whether he needs it or not, leaves the toilet seat up, runs around bare foot, takes candy from youngsters, and has been seen streaking at public gatherings, but I've learned to put up with his antics. :grin:

The fella went to a funeral for one of his departed buddies a while back. The minister asked the congregation if anyone had a good word to say about the departed. This guy, Al, stands up and says, "His brother was worse!" and then sat down.

Al

By js55

Date 05-21-2012 16:07

Has anybody ever seen Al and james together at the same time?

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 05-21-2012 16:10

YEP!! Sounds like the guy I know. :lol:

Have a Great Day, Brent

By Metarinka (****)

Date 05-24-2012 01:59

hey I used to be a welding engineer in an aerospace shop to D17.1 The requirements for setting up a program are going to be very similar overall to any other code standard such as the API or D1.1. Of course details and requirements for the welds may change but a 17.1 shop doesn't operate to a significantly different quality program.

I will say a big thing will be having very good record keeping and retention systems. That means in 5 years from now, someone can list a component ID and you can show the WPS, PQR, weld cert and NDT for that weld component. Most Aerospace places pick up an ISO cert or similar quality system certification as that builds the groundwork for control of information and shop documents. In regards to weld inspectors, there are requirements for weld inspection in 17.1. It's been a few years but I don't think you are locked down to having to have a CWI, most aerospace welds are going to require a volumetric NDT test, be it UT or X-ray. We had very lax visual requirements, but everything was 100% x-ray'd so we were able to get around the CWI req, I think if visual is used to certify final quality and weld size, then a CWI becomes a req, but don't quote me on that.

Overall I would say you really need someone in the shop who has experience running a quality program. Be it a QA lead, QA engineer, or production manager or welding engineer type. Also it sounds like you may need to train your welders and manufacturing leads in terms of what it means to be an aerospace GTAW shop. What is "good enough" for steels generally doesn't cut it for aerospace as the safety factors are much lower. If you don't have anyone in-house who has this experience it may be worth it to find someone who does. I don't know of any formal training for D17.1 or the higher quality standards it entails but I bet there would be a seminar somewhere.