Best Qualification Test

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 01-20-2016 14:53

Congrats on earning your CWI Lucas !

Tell us a bit more about your production requirements; Process/s, positions, codes you need to comply with.

You will get your answers :)

By Lucas Date 01-20-2016 15:08

We specialize in wear materials and heavy plate fabrication. But we also do a variety of things for the iron mining industry. We are currently doing duct work out of 3/8 plate. So my thought is the CWI is kind of meaningless unless you were a welder or until you have a few years experience. So that is why I am asking questions. All I did was take the course and the exam and the course is designed to pass the exam... Anyway, I am looking for a test that will cover our shop guys up to 1 inch or inch and a half in flat horizontal and vertical, not much overhead.

Range of work
cat walks and platforms with beams with flanges and webs around a 1/2 inch
duct work and chutes with shell thicknesses around a 1/2 inch
putting heavy wear plates into chutes
cones and tanks with shell thicknesses around a 1/2 inch

This is a small description of what we do.

Thanks,

By TimGary (****)

Date 01-20-2016 17:25

Do you have a particular Code or Specification that governs your welding, like AWS D1.1, or a company spec?

Tim

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 01-20-2016 21:40

Lucas,

You mentioned you are doing vertical and not much overhead,

But we still don't know which process... FCAW? SMAW ?

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-21-2016 02:04

I was wondering the same thing.

Lucas, you do know that just because it has been more than six months since anyone signed their papers doesn't mean their certs have lapsed? If they are at the same place of employment and have struck an arc every once in a while then they are good to go. They don't have to have the paper signed every six months if continuous employment and usage can be attested to. And definitely don't have to run new plates to prove qualification unless they have truly not been welding for over six months.

And, unless they were qualified/certified through an ATF they don't have AWS certs. They are qualified to AWS standards/codes such as D1.1 or D14.3 or .... etc but not BY AWS. Even through an ATF AWS only holds the records and verifies the correct process it does not actually 'CERTIFY'.

So, what code does your company work to? What process are they using? What electrodes are they using? How long of a gap between when they welded last?

Vertical will cover you for F, H, and V which will cover most of what most companies do.

Don't try to make more of the qualification procedure than it is meant to be.

He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent

By Lucas Date 01-26-2016 19:31

I am new to all of this. They have been welding consistently but paperwork hasn't been done for it. We usually are required to weld to D1.1. Most of our welding is GMAW and some flux core. ATF? So if we give them a test and it passes visual and the other required bend tests this welder is "certified" term used loosely. So is the proper terminology that they are qualified for processes and positions to D1.1 and not really "certified"?

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 01-26-2016 20:28

"So if we give them a test and it passes visual and the other required bend tests this welder is "certified" term used loosely."

Yes, provided the variable ranges for which they are qualified meet fall within the ranges to be welded on in production.

Understand that if you are fabricating items in accordance with D1.1, there is more to it than just performing welder qualification testing.

Attachment: WelderCertificationGA2_17_15.pptx - Here is something that may help...or cause more confusion. (919k)

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-26-2016 22:34

ATF= Accredited Testing Facility. A program set up by AWS to form a national registry of qualified welders with certs that SUPPOSEDLY go with them whereas those done in house or by other CWI's and/or testing labs are only good as long as they work for that particular employer though the engineer may accept them if they choose to do so.

But, apart from getting one in the door with papers that SAY you have passed a welding test any employer is still wise to give their own test to make sure the welder can do what they want and how they want.

So, just because the paperwork was not kept up to date does not mean their 'certs have lapsed'. Just go back and either make a grid system on the back of the certs and catch them up to date or have management issue an official document that all the welders named on the document have been continuously employed and welding to the processes previously qualified to. Then keep them up to date from that time.

Now, if you have reason to doubt someone's ability then by all means re-test them. Or, if you just want to start clean and management is good with the time and money spent to retest all welders to document their abilities then by all means do so.

But it is not something that appears to require needing to be done.

Somewhere on the forum is a thread titled 'Qualified vs Certified' or close to it. Basically, Qualified is what you are when you pass the test. Certified is what you are when you get the piece of paper that states all was done per the code and is made official and legal with the company representatives signature at the bottom. The CWI or lab may sign as a witness to the test and bends but the company rep signs the bottom stating all is well and thus accepts all responsibility for the welders performance based upon his successful completion of the weld test.

He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent