A few more questions for you CWI's

Date 04-14-2008 23:58

Under the new endorsement program, there are several open book examinations offered and you can take them as needed.

AWS currently offers open book examinations for API 1104, AWS D1.1, AWS D1.5, and there is one for railroad rolling stock, but I can't remember the number assigned to the welding standard.

There are several additional welding standards in the process of being approved for the open book examination.

Some of the other gentlemen here can give you better information on the finer points of the Authorized Inspector qualification requirements.

The CWeng has to pass the standard fundamentals examination required for any of the P.E. categories and then he has to pass the CWeng examination. The CWeng examination is similar to or the same as the PE examination given by the State of Ohio for welding engineering.

Best regards - Al

By hogan

Date 04-15-2008 14:50

in addition to what Al has said, On the ASME side the certs to get are the API 653, 510 and 570. Typically these will pay more than a CWI. The test is much harder and the majority of the work is in the south. Then the NBIC is the cert you will need to work for the insurance company.

By Goose-em (**)

Date 04-17-2008 22:38

A couple of answers for you.

When you take the CWI exam you can choose which code you will use during the test, API - 1104 or D1.1. This is only for the code portion of the test the other two exams remain the same. I guess what I am saying is when you take one exam you are really qualifying to be a CWI and therefore you should have the neccesary knowledge to use both API and D1.1. In my professional life as a weld engineer and a CWI I use both codes as well as ASME. AS/NZS, BS, DIN, ISO, etc.

What type of civil engineer is your son? He will need more than engineering skills to pass the CWeng, he should know the requirments of the test prior to taking it. I have not taken the CWeng and have yet to be asked to do so. I have never applied for a position that has asked for it nor do I think taking this test will make someone into a weld engineer. In every case my experience was the deciding factor. Having the CWI was more important than the CWeng. Also, these two things are both different. A person who takes the CWeng is not a CWI and vice versa. I would suggest the CWI and if that becomes something he is interested in then I would suggest the CWeng.

As for ASME I don't have to deal with the insurance side of things, my company does so I can't help you there.

By Joseph P. Kane (****)

Date 04-18-2008 00:17

Tom

Your son would be better off taking the State of Ohio Professional Engineering Exam in Welding Engineering. It is administered by the AWS for the State of Ohio. The AWS CWeng is actually almost a full EIT fundamentals exam coupled with a glorified welding technician exam. The fundamentals exam is tough. I feel that it is the equivalent of the State of Ohio Fundamentals Examination (EIT).

I would think that a PE would be more acceptable than the AWS CWeng. The CWI is also an option, but how does your Son get the required experience?

Joe Kane

By Heli-Arc (*)

Date 04-18-2008 01:47

Hi Joe,

As for the experience he has welded since he was about 16 after school, weekends and through the summer, up until he graduated college. He already has his Pennsylvania FE. After some opionions he has decided against the CWeng but he said he may go for the CWI. He said thanks for your opinion and and wants the PE, but after starting to work he has a hard time finding the time to study.

Thanks,
Tom

By edfritsch (*)

Date 04-22-2008 14:29

Tom,

Based upon my own experience, I would recommend that your son continue on a path to become a licensed professional engineer in civil engineering. If he wants credentials in welding, I would recommend that he get certification as a CWI rather than a CWEng. To do that he will, of course, have to have the qualifying experience set forth in paragraph 5.5 of AWS B5.1 - Specification for the Qualification of Welding Inspectors. The necessary experiance is not trivial, but he should be able to collect that experience if he seeks it out while working as a civil engineer for a few years.

The P.E. license establishes a person as an "engineer" in the eyes of the law. That is important if your son should ever want to open his own engineering company in the future or if he would want a senior position with a consulting engineering firm. There is a path to the P.E. via the Ohio principles and practice exam in welding engineering, but I don't recommend it if you can more easily get a P.E. license in some other discipline. If you want to take the P.E. exam in welding engineering, the Ohio board will put a few obstacles in your path if you don't have Welding Engineering degree from the Ohio State University. You can overcome those obstacles, but at the end of the day you may wonder why you bothered to jump through all their hoops. The Ohio P.E. license does not specify in which field of engineering the license holder is qualified to practice.

The AWS CWEng credential may have value someday, but at present it is rare (there are only about 30 CWEngs worldwide) and not widely in demand. I got my CWEng after passing Ohio's welding engineering exam. The welding industry understands the CWI credential (there about 20,00 active CWIs worldwide). I got my CWI credential after recognizing that very few people in the welding industry knew what the CWEng was.

Hope this helps explain your sons options,

Ed Fritsch, P.E., CWEng., CWI