Jim’s Cover Pass: Taking the steps toward certification

Q: I own a construction business and would like to have some of my employees certified using self-shielded flux-cored arc welding (FCAW-S) on structural plates and beams with a wall thickness of less than ½ inch. What steps must we take to get them certified?

A: There are two ways to have your welders qualified/certified to weld with any process, and both involve a few steps. Before the welder can be certified for a particular process, you will need to determine what the welding procedure specification (WPS) needs to be.

The first way is to have your structural engineer or certified welding inspector (CWI) help you determine all the variables required for the process, along with the type of work that you intend to do. After the WPS is determined and written, the procedure will require testing and qualification by the inspector or a qualified lab. This will result in a procedure qualification record (PQR) that verifies that when a competent welder follows the WPS correctly, the weldment will meet the minimum strength and load requirements.

Only after the WPS and the PQR have been verified and recorded can you begin to qualify or certify your employees. The CWI will have each person produce a weldment while following all the variables covered in the WPS. After they pass the destructive break, bend, or tensile tests, they will be issued a welder performance qualification record that the inspector will stamp to certify that the work was completed to the satisfaction of the employer’s specifications.

The second way is somewhat easier. The American Welding Society has created prequalified standard welding procedures for certain processes and applications. The standard welding procedure specification (SWPS) for your application, based on what you described, will most likely be B2.1-1-027:2011, SWPS for Self-Shielded Flux Cored Arc Welding of Carbon Steel (M-1 or P-1, Groups 1 and 2), 1/8 through ½ inch Thick, E71T-11, As-Welded Condition, Primarily Plate and Structural Applications -SL. However, this should be verified with your engineer and/or welding inspector.

If an available SWPS fits your application, then all you need to do next is have your welders tested and qualified by your inspector.

Good luck and keep making those steel buildings strong and safe with your newly qualified welders!