Hi Tori. Welcome to the AWS Forum. AWS D1.2 aluminum structural welding code is a great place to start. Your employer may also choose to design their own in house testing program.
Thanks, CLH1978!
Welcome to the forum Trod!
Your ambition and willingness is exceptional; lets put that out front.
AWS D1.2 code for structural aluminum may be thin, but it's not simple by any stretch of the imagination.
Certifying welders can only be done AFTER procedure qualification testing has been accomplished. This is a high level task and most CWI's don't have experience doing it.
It's not impossible to do what you want, but in the long run I think you would be better served by hiring a consultant to develop the PQR's and mentor you while the testing is accomplished.
At the end of that, you will be certified because you are the welder that accomplished the actual procedure qualification and you will have gained important knowledge that goes way beyond what you learned in school.
It is an investment in your company and in you that will give a gigantic return on investment for your boss. (ROI) With a turnaround that will be considerably faster than if you try to do this by yourself by trial and error.
Thank you, Lawrence! I went to my first AWS meeting last night, and am actually meeting with a gentleman today to go over exactly what we are looking for, he's a weld engineer. We did have a consultant come in about a month ago, and he mentioned having someone in-house become a weld inspector, but that they need 5 years experience before they can take the class for it. So in about 4 years, I'll be ready, ha! In the mean time, I'll keep practicing! Thanks for the advice!
-Tori
The individual does not have to have five years of experience to attend the class. They need five years of related experience before they take the CWI examination.
Al
The AWS code is a good place to start. I have not looked at AWS D1.2 for several years now, so I am not sure if there are any pre-qualified welding procedures in that particular text. If not, there is a good bit of information posted online by many of the equipment and materials vendors that should get you started. The code should have tables and perhaps even forms for recording the parameters and test results.
A push-pull wire feeder might offer you better wire feeding capability (with fewer snarls) than a strictly push fed GMAW system. Smooth wire feeding also depends on the torch quality and if smooth liners are used.
I won't attempt to endorse any one equipment vendor over another - there are already plenty of reviews posted by welders - some vendors even offer Smart Phone apps for calculating starting point parameter settings - which may or may not satisfy your particular application requirements.
GMAW fillets should be easier to qualify than butt or groove joints, and GMAW is most likely easier to qualify than the GTAW process.
Depending on how clean the aluminum is, grinding or not to bright metal might be a factor to consider - with production time vs. quality factors taken into account, and properly documented if necessary.
The AWS also sells some pre-qualified welding procedures, but I have not checked into what they offer for aluminum relative to AWSD1.2.
If you need a CWI in a pinch to get started, then you might check into hiring a CWI contractor through one of the jobshop or temp firms, of a local materials and inspection testing company. Some CWIs also post their information on LinkedIn.
Some more information that I neglected to provide:
Some AWS welding chapters, and some tech schools maintain libraries of codes and specifications - it really depends on the region and how the finances are distributed.
I have not seen much (as far as welding codes go) in traditional public libraries though - most likely due to the sometimes high cost, and perhaps the need to keep up with new revision issues.
Then too, the budgets are frequently distributed in accordance with user demands. The squeaky wheel gets oiled as the saying goes.
Tori (T_rod),
WELCOME TO THE AWS WELDING FORUM!!
A couple of points from what has been offered thus far:
If your company has a QC dept then they can send someone to the Seminar without signing up to take the test, especially if they are not qualified to do so.
If your company does not have a QC dept, they need one. And train someone to do the WPS writing, Welder Qualifications/Certifications, PQR's and any other part of the process that needs to be done including actual weld inspections.
The QC personnel do not HAVE to be CWI's, they can train in house inspectors and even send them for outside training to establish their QC program.
At this stage in the development of a program, they could use outside instructors/consultants to work with whoever they choose for inspectors.
As noted by Al, you do not need 5 years experience to attend the seminar, just to sit for the exams. And, if you have a two year degree, or any degree associated with welding, you can take 2 years off of that and only need 3 years before taking the exam.
Hope this is of some help.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
Many AWS members forget a major benefit is available to them. Each AWS Section receives a complete library of AWS standards. Members should be able to borrow a standard if it is needed. That isn't to say they can keep as their own, they can borrow it, review it and return it to the section's library.
I am not aware of any prequalified WPSs per AWS D1.2. I just received a copy of the latest edition, but I haven't reviewed it yet. Maybe I can add it to my "to do list"when I return home after this current trip.
I live by the following words of wisdom from a good friend; "Aluminum, almost a metal."
One can use the search feature and wade through the oodles of information on welding aluminum available on the Forum.
Best regards - Al
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