Welder qualification Certification

Courtesy: Welder qualification Certification

The lobby of the headquarters features a bronze sculpture created by sculptor Gregory Johnson and donated to the American Welding Society by President Rice and his wife Cherry.

The publication currently known as the Welding Journal was born in October 1919 with a different name. The Journal of the American Welding Society was its original title – and it had just one issue under this name. In the first publication, American Welding Society President Comfort A. Adams wrote, “The American Bureau of Welding is the authoritative body to establish the facts. To make the most use of the facts, however, requires another sort of machinery and the organization that does this is the American Welding Society. Its function is not to supply the knowledge but to spread it and assist in putting it to practical uses. It is the Society, for instance, which publishes this Journal, which will push matters of importance to welding and which will open out new fields for its use. It holds regular meetings to discuss matters relating to welding, to act upon the recommendation of the Bureau and to initiate further activities. This division of the work, while it has created some confusion on account of the similarity of the names, is a logical one, and will be found effective in operating as was clearly indicated by the experience with the old Welding Committee.”

Operating costs were too high for the Journal, and it was not until 1922 that the publication was reborn under its current name thanks to advertising earnings.

The society explained the advertising move in their first issue of the newly named Welding Journal. “Advertising is also included in this issue, as it was impossible to continue monthly publication without increased revenue. The dues from members of which the National Organization retains half (the other half being returned to local sections) is barely sufficient to pay the ordinary expenses of the Society. Moreover, several members of the Board of Directors feel that these advertisements are of interest to our members and add to the value of the Journal.”

Since the move to advertising, the Welding Journal has been published continually and continues to be an resource for issues and advancements concerning all types of materials joining, metal fabrication, and construction. It is offered as a benefit to members of the Society, and includes information of the latest products, trends, technology, and events; including articles covering everything from testing and inspection, maintenance and repair, design, training, personal safety, and brazing and soldering.

The Welding Journal has earned more than 60 editorial and design awards, including multiple Charlie Awards from the Florida Magazine Association (FMA), and Tabbie Awards from the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI).

The Society now also publishes the Welding Journal en Español – a free quarterly publication containing tailored articles written by and for Mexican and Latin American professionals. The Welding Journal en Español has a circulation of 10,000 printed copies and 40,000 digital copies. Along with this publication, the Welding Journal em Português is a magazine distributed in Brazil to coincide with the Brazil Welding Show that takes place every two years in São Paulo, Brazil.

The American Welding Society offers a number of certification programs that recognize and document expertise and knowledge in specific welding-related disciplines, including:

• Certified Welding Inspector
• Senior Certified Welding Inspector
• Certified Welding Educator
• Certified Radiographic Interpreter
• Certified Welding Supervisor
• Certified Welding Sales Representative
• Certified Welding Engineer
• Certified Welder
• Certified Robotic Arc Welding

Since the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program was introduced in 1976, AWS has certified over 100,000 welding inspectors alone, plus thousands more working professionals across the other certification categories. Certification is accomplished through testing and evaluation of corresponding procedures. The Radiographic Interpretation Certification, for example, includes a detailed general knowledge exam, a test of specific information from the AWS code book on radiographic quality and interpretation, and a practical exam testing the individual’s ability to read radiographic films. Most AWS certifications are typically renewed after a period of three years, and are required to satisfy re-certification requirements every nine years.

Accredited Test Facilities

The American Welding Society also certifies the Accredited Test Facilities (ATF) which play an integral part in the operation of their Certification program. The ATF program establishes minimum requirements for test facilities, their personnel and equipment to qualify for accreditation to test and qualify welders. This program is open to all qualified test facilities that may be a part of an independent laboratory, manufacturing plant, educational institution, or other entity. American Welding Society ATFs are listed on the official AWS website and advertised in the American Welding Society’s Welding Journal magazine.

The ATF program requires that a facility implements a quality assurance program that meets the requirements established in the AWS QC4-89, Standard for the Accreditation of Testing Facilities. The requirements include that the facility has a Quality Manual that controls the activities related to the testing of welders in the facility according to AWS QC7, Standard for AWS Certified Welders. The facility must also have a CWI on staff or contracted to perform the welder qualification tests.

The American Welding Society explains the benefits of the ATF program on their website by writing “Entrusting welder certification to ATF specialists makes good business sense for contractors and fabricators. Companies are increasingly realizing the shortcomings of self-qualification and switching to AWS Accredited Test Facilities to test and qualify their welders. ATFs help them to save money, improve productivity, and reduce liability by entrusting their welder certification to the experts.