aluminum spool gun

By Raymond K Date 10-18-2019 01:36

Hi my name is Raymond and I am an mti student My instructor made it an assignment to use this forum.
Today I was talking to one of my instructors about what I should certify to later in the year and he told me that aluminum spool gun welding was not a pre-qualified process. I was wondering if anyone here could clarify as to why it is not.

~ Raymond K

By 803056

Date 10-18-2019 14:11

In general, aluminum nor it's alloys are prequalified per AWS, so regardless of the process, ASME Section IX (which doesn't recognize prequalification) or the AWS structural welding code would require qualification by testing.

Al

By Raymond K Date 10-23-2019 14:40

Thank you Al I appreciate the clarification, I wasn't really planning on certifying to any aluminum anyway but its good to know that is is not prequalified per AWS

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 10-23-2019 18:23

Al is speaking of the welding procedure specification(WPS) not being prequalified.

A welder(personnel) can be qualified by welding a performance qualification test. The test will also require the welder to follow a welding procedure specification (WPS). That procedure will have to be a qualified procedure because as Al stated, AWS D1.2 doesn't have any prequalified statuses for procedures like AWS D1.1.

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 10-20-2019 11:41

A Prequalified WPS's for welding of aluminum in accordance with D1.2 cannot be written. A WPS could be prepared and testred in accordance with various codes such as D1.2, B2.1, D17.1, ASME IX and I am sure others.

The use of a "Spool Gun" has no bearing on the qualification process. Eacvh individual code has rules for qualifying the procedure. To do this, it could be costly for your school and thus the reason its not done.

For an individual to take a welding test, they must have a WPS in all cases I am aware of.