I have a student that is wanting to get certified on pipe with the tig. We are located in the Jackson Purchase area of Kentucky. We are wondering what diameter and thickness of pipe most companies in our area are using to certify their welders. Can anyone suggest a good procedure for us to use.
Thanks, Louis
Louis,
There could be many factors that would determine what test you could take (Diameter, Thickness, and Position, ETC). One of the first questions to be answered would be what code you will be tested to. By you referring to pipe I am assuming it will be ASME Section IX. Here is a little info for you for testing limitations on groove pipe welds:
1) 1" to 2 7/8" OD Test Coupons qualifies for welding 1" to unlimited diameters
2) 2 7/8" OD and over Test Coupons qualifies for welding 2 7/8" to unlimited diameters
3) Thickness up to including 3/8" qualifies twice the thickness of deposited weld metal
4) Thickness over 3/8" qualifies twice the thickness of deposited weld metal
5) 1G position qualifies flat
6) 2G position qualifies flat and horizontal
7) 5G position qualifies flat, vertical and overhead
8) 6G position qualifies all
9) 2G and 5G qualifies all
This is just a reference for you. There are many other factors not listed here and I do not have time to write them all down. In order to tell you the minimum test you could take to be qualified I would have to have some more info. I hope this helps (IF I HAVE POSTED ANY INCORRECT INFO HERE SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME)
I have the ASME Section IX code book and yes you are right that is what we want to work with. What thickness and diameter pipe would be a good choice. These are just papers from the school that might help get him the opportunity to take a test for a company in our area. Also if we use steel do we have to purge the pipe and if we do, what is an inexpensive way to set it up?
To TIG the root of a Carbon Steel pipe purginging gas is not needed.
When you get to Low Alloy you'll probably want to work with a Nitrogen purge.
A common pipe test from my experience has been a GTAW/SMAW 2" SCh 80 with a tig root and E7018 fill and cap or tig all the way out.
Also a 6" sch 80 with a E6010 root/hot pass and E-7018 all the way out.
Some companies also give a seperate GTAW SS schedule 10 pipe in various diamaters. As far as the code goes, this gains you nothing if you've done the 2" schedulae 80 GTAW but it does show your ability to walk the cup and weld on thinner stainless and make a good looking weld.
This is based on ASME Sec IX testing
Have a nice day
Gerald Austin
http://www.weldinginspectionsvcs.com
I would like to offer my opinion here as an employer. Make certain your student is capable of welding all of the aforementioned procedures, and then have him test one of the difficult ones. The reason it doesn't matter which one he tests to is that the employer is almost certainly going to test him to whatever he requires, even if it is the same one he already has. Employers almost never accept someone elses certs. unless it is a job where certs. are not needed and the welders pre-existing certs. are used solely as a means to screen prospective employees. Which is also the reason he does have to go ahead and take at least one test before applying for a job. Just my opinion and I do understand that it may well be different for other employers. Good luck.
Respectfully,
Mike Sherman
Shermans Welding
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