$500?!?!  For a NEW "start from scratch" procedure?  That isn't possible.   I just paid $3100 for 3/4" thick CrMo test plates already cut to size (12 pieces). That was not a bargain but I could not have bought and prepped coupons in-house as fast as this guy delivered. 

Due consideration must be given to the requirements of the applicable welding standard.

Some allow you to utilize prequalified WPS, such is the case if you are working to AWS D1.1 or D1.6 for example, provided all the conditions of prequalification are met.

Other standards allow you to utilize SWPSs sold by the AWS, such is the case with specific SWPSs permitted by ASME Section IX.

The cost of qualifying a WPS is nothing compared to going to court and explaining why you didn't qualify your WPSs to verify they produce acceptable results.

As for the costs you are quoting, $7500 per procedure; some of these gentlemen maybe correct, i.e., you are paying way too much and they may be willing to do it for a lot less money. They recognize their experience is limited and their knowledge is even more limited, so they are willing to sell their services for $10.00/hr. A real bargain to anyone that doesn't fully appreciate what is involved in qualifying a welding procedure.

However, I'm sure your time is worth much more than $10.00/hr and I'm sure the cost of your welder's time and lost production time plus burden is much more than most people realize. The cost of ordering the proper materials with supporting CMTRs, electrode with the proper certifications (especially for military work), preparing the coupons, welding, performing the requisite NDT, cutting, machining samples, and performing the required destructive tests can easily cost more than the numbers you quoted. Now let's consider the actual cost of writing a good WPS.

There are numerous "lessons to be learned" by qualifying welding procedures in-house. Simply purchasing WPSs from AWS or other sources is a lost opportunity for the welders and management to gain an appreciation of how important proper cleaning and technique are in achieving the desired results.

Best regards - Al

Hi jon20013,
Need some advice on the use of these SWPS purchased from AWS. As part of the submission to the client, do we just submit a copy of the SWPS purchased or do we rewrite and quote the SWPS?

just curious--why did you need 12 pcs of chrome moly  for a procedure qualification?

Hello Hogan;

I guess you work for free. Not many of us are willing to work for no pay considering there is no one willing to pay my mortgage, medical insurance, buy my food, save for retirement, etc.

If I remember correctly, you said you are working with a welding supplier and do CWI work on the side. There's a major difference in doing it as a part time job and doing it as a means of earning a living.

I would place you in the same category as welding instructors that do CWI work as a side line business using the equipment, materials, etc. provided by their employer, usually the state or school district. Don't misconstrue what I'm saying, there's nothing wrong with doing what you are doing, but it doesn't reflect the true cost of doing business.

I noticed you didn't say anything about witnessing the actual welding of the coupon. How could you if you only charge $500 unless you work for free. God bless you if you are working for free, because I have a couple of jobs to send you on. I assume you are willing to cover your own airfare and you'll rent the car on your own nickel.

If you do not witness the actual welding of the test coupon How do you know what the test conditions were if you were not there? Are you "pencil whipping" the information such as test position, voltage, amperage, travel speed, the welder's name, etc.? Surely you don't believe the client is actually watching and recording that information. If they were, they wouldn't need you to complete the paperwork. So, are you "certifying" the information is correct when you sign the welding documents?

There have been several posts relating to CWIs that basically say, "Send me your test plates and I'll do the rest." In my humble opinion it is easy to slide down the slippery slope and enter the realm of fraudulent behavior if the CWI is attesting to information that they have no way of knowing is true.

I had to come back to this post and edit it or at least add to it. I don't fault anyone for starting their career as a part time CWI, but please don't sell yourselves cheap. You have the training and the credentials that set you above the rest. This reply is not intended to demean anyone only to admonish you to make sure you maintain a high ethical standard, don't sign for work you didn't witness, i.e., if you performed only the bend tests, then that is what you should limit your attestation to, and don't sell yourself or your services cheap, because people value you by what you charge. If you give your services away, your customers will not value your abilities or the services you offer. Think about it, when you go to a store to buy a quality tool, do you look for the cheapest price or do you pay the higher price to purchase the tool with a higher perceived value? Most of us adhere to the adage, "You get what you pay for." That also serves as a good basis for determining what you charge your customers for your services. As a CWI you are a professional. You are not selling labor by the hour. You are offering a service, but much more than that, you are offering them your intellect.

I haven't charged "by the hour" for many years. I charge by the day or by the half day if I'm working in my office doing research or writing reports. Most of my services have a set fee based on the approximate time it takes me to perform the work. For instance, when you test a welder, do you consider the time it takes to order the material, prepare the materials, drive to your customer's facility? The set up time? The time it takes the welder to actually weld the test coupon? The time it takes to cut the sample, prepare it and bend it or radiograph it? And never underestimate the time required to properly complete the test report. It is beyond me how some people say they can do it for $150.00 per plate unless they place no value on their time, training, or capital investment in equipment. 

I always ask the welder how much he charges his clients for a days work when he squawks about my prices. I ask them why should I charge them any less than they earn in a day? After all, most welders will spend most of the day preparing and welding two one inch plates for a standard all position welder qualification. Then I have to cut and bend the samples and complete the paperwork. All totalled, most welder qualifications will eat nearly a day and a half of my time. My time is worth a hell of a lot more than $150.00 or even $300.00 for the day and a half their test takes.

I will not complete and sign any paperwork that I haven't actually witnessed. To sign a welder qualification test record and attest to the information listed is nothing short of fraud if you didn't witness the welding being performed. I will provide a bend test report if I only perform the bend tests provided by a client, but I will not complete the welder performance test report and provide a "certifying signature" because I have no way of knowing who welded the coupon, what position it was welded in, or that they followed a WPS. Human nature, business, and the word honesty are hardly ever found together in the world of business. Even the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that business does not have to be honest or forthcoming in their statements or advertising. So, why should I put my name and reputation on the line by signing a test report that I have no way of knowing is true?

Sorry for the rant fellas. 

Best regards - Al