science

Welder certification

Welder certification is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Welder certification rather than just read about it. In short: Welder certification, also known as welder qualification, is a process which examines and documents a welder's capability to create welds of acceptable quality following a well defined welding procedure. Method Welder certification is based on specially designed tests to determine a welder's skill and ability to deposit sound weld metal.

Key takeaways

Welder certification belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Welder certification to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Welder certification from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Method Welder certification is based on specially designed tests to determine a welder's skill and ability to deposit sound weld metal. The main part of the welder's test consists of welding one or more test coupons which are then examined using non-destructive and destructive methods. The extent of certification is described by a number of variables, which include the specific welding process, type of deposited metal, thickness, joint design, position, backing, and others. Most often, the test is conducted in accordance with a particular code. Depending on product requirements the test can be administered under the auspices of a national or international organization, such as the American Welding Society (AWS), or American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), but manufacturers may specify their own standards and requirements as well. Most certifications expire after a certain time limit, and have different requirements for renewal or extension of the certification. In the USA, welder qualification is performed according to AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX and API 1104 standards, which are also used in some other countries. Some States have their own Welder Qualifications that supersede AWS Qualifications, but most defer to AWS, ASME or API. In Canada, welder qualification is carried out according to CSA Standards and ASME. The ASME code is typically used for pressure vessel and pressure piping applications, and CSA Standards are used for structural, general manufacturing and non-pressure applications. There are 3 major CSA Standards to which welders may be qualified: CSA W47.1 for steels (including stainless steels), CSA W47.2 for aluminum, and CSA W186 for reinforcing bars. Under these CSA standards, welder qualification testing is carried out every 2 years by the Canadian Welding Bureau to ensure ongoing competence. In Europe, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has adopted the ISO standards on welder qualification (ISO 9606), to replace the old European EN 287 series. Operators of automated welding systems are certified according to EN 1418. In Europe welders are often certified by third party Personnel Certification Bodies, like The Welding Institute (TWI/CSWIP). Welders involved in the manufacture of equipment that falls within the scope of the Pressure Equipment Directive must be approved by a competent third party which may be either a notified body or a third-party organization recognized by a Member State. Once a welder passes a test (or a series of tests), their employer or third party involved will certify their ability to pass the test, and the limitations or extent they are qualified to weld, as a written document (welder qualification test record, or WQTR). Normally this document is valid for a limited period (usually for two years), after which the welder must be retested. However some Qualifications are only valid for a single project, while others are unlimited as long as welders do not go beyond a specified length of time without performing that specific type of welding (this period is typically 6 months). Welders must maintain a log to demonstrate they have maintained their Qualifications.

Welding inspector certification In addition to welders and welding machine operators, there are also schemes to independently certify welding inspectors and related specialities. The duties of the welding inspector are described in ISO 14731; however the requirement for inspector certification are not standardized, so there are differences in requirement between the various schemes. Some notable schemes established by personnel certification bodies are those of the American Welding Society, of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (PCN), of The Welding Institute (CSWIP) and of the Canadian Welding Bureau (CSA W178.2). The American Welding Society offers the following programs:

Certified Associate Welding Inspector Certified Welding Inspector Senior Certified Welding Inspector Certified Radiographic Interpreter The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing offers three levels of certification:

PCN Level 1 PCN Level 2 Weld Inspection PCN Level 3 Weld Inspection with radiographic interpretation The Welding Institute (TWI) in the United Kingdom offers the following certification scheme:

CSWIP 3.0 (Level 1): Visual Welding Inspector CSWIP 3.1 (Level 2): Welding Inspector CSWIP 3.2 (Level 3): Senior Welding Inspector; with or without radiographic interpretation (3.2.1 or 3.2.2 respectively) The Canadian Welding Bureau offers the following programs:

Level 1 Certified Welding Inspector Level 2 Certified Welding Inspector Level 3 Certified Welding Inspector The BINDT/PCN and TWI/CSWIP schemes are accredited by UKAS under ISO/IEC 17024. There are many other general schemes, as well as sector specific schemes. In 2008, the American Petroleum Institute introduced the API 577 Advanced Welding Inspection and Metallurgy programme of certification. Certification is issued following the successful completion of a multiple choice exam which is based on the recommended practice document API 577. Certification identifies the candidate as a 'Welding Inspection and Metallurgy Professional', as opposed to a certified welding inspector under other programmes.

See also Welding Welding Procedure Specification List of welding codes

References

External links and further reading Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) home page Archived 2018-03-22 at the Wayback Machine American Welding Society (AWS) home page Davis, A. (July 2003). "Welder Qualification Standards - Philosophy and Feedback" (PDF). AWS Welding Journal (PDF): 14–16. Retrieved 2013-12-15. Welding Inspection Handbook (3rd ed.). Miami, FL: American Welding Society. 2000. ISBN 0-87171-560-0. Canadian Welding Association (CWA) home page TWI Certification Ltd (UK) CSWIP scheme "EWF Guide to deal with the transition from EN 287-1 to EN ISO 9606-1 as efficiently as possible (EWF-654-13)" (PDF) (PDF). European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting (EWF). 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-15. [1]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Welder certification

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Welder certification claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Welder certification before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Welder certification ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Welder certification

In research: Welder certification appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Welder certification in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Welder certification is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Welding, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Welder certification outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Welder certification in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Welder certification means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Welder certification out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Welder certification in simple terms?

Welder certification, also known as welder qualification, is a process which examines and documents a welder's capability to create welds of acceptable quality following a well defined welding procedure. Method Welder certification is based on specially designed tests to determine a welder's skill…

Why does Welder certification matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Welder certification?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Welder certification.