- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Arc Welding 101: Welder requalification testing - When and why?
- By Paul Cameron
- May 13, 2014
- Article
- Arc Welding
Q: If a welder is no longer welding but he wants to maintain his qualifications period of effectiveness, we require four hours of production welding time to maintain that qualification. Four hours doesn’t seem quite long enough to stay in the groove. What say you?
Jeff P.
A: As a good friend, Jeff knows me as a literalist when it comes to code-speak. His question made me do a little digging, which I enjoy and from which I always learn.
As with any skill, the ability to perform welding varies from person to person. Most welders can pick up a stinger after a 25-week layoff and pick up right where they left off. Others need time to get back in the groove, as Jeff said.
I reviewed several AWS, ASME, and API documents and found one commonality: All three agencies require requalification testing when there is reason to question the welder’s ability. Beyond that, they differ.
Deciphering the Code
API 1104 makes no mention of a six-month time frame. ASME Section IX and AWS D1.1, D1.3, D1.5, and D14.3 all have similar statements, such as “The welder’s qualification shall remain in effect indefinitely unless the welder has not engaged in the process for a period exceeding six months.” None of the codes or standards I reviewed mention a minimum number of hands-on hours to maintain qualification, nor are any suggestions made.
Imagine a production welding environment such as Crenlo’s in which a welder with two years’ experience decides to mix it up a little and take a job in the paint department. Can he still be considered a welder after six months? Possibly. How about after the next six months? Then the next? Four years later this welder has accumulated only 32 hours of welding experience, four hours at a time. With so little time under the hood, I might begin to question his ability.
As welding decision-makers, we need to pass judgment based on code requirements and code intent. The most basic course of action is to ask yourself if there is reason to question the welder’s ability. If no reasons exist, allow him to practice his craft. Otherwise, retest and evaluate his ability to make sound welds.
About the Author
Paul Cameron
Braun Intertec
4210 Highway 14 East
Rochester, MN 55904
About the Publication
subscribe now
The Welder, formerly known as Practical Welding Today, is a showcase of the real people who make the products we use and work with every day. This magazine has served the welding community in North America well for more than 20 years.
start your free subscription- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 03/26/2024
- Running Time:
- 67:51
This week on The Fabricator Podcast, Jason Becker, host of the Arc Junkies Podcast and owner of Underground...
- Trending Articles
The importance of welding procedure specification (WPS)
Urban Steel Rockstars festival will highlight welding and steel industry
Keys to adopting welding automation successfully
ESAB donates $511,000 in equipment to agricultural mechanics student contest
Keys to selecting a compact inverter power source
- Industry Events
Coil Processing Workshop & Tours
- April 2 - 3, 2024
- Corpus Christi, TX
GOLF4MFG South
- April 15, 2024
- Charlotte, NC
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,
Pipe and Tube Conference
- May 21 - 22, 2024
- Omaha, NE
World-Class Roll Forming Workshop
- June 5 - 6, 2024
- Louisville, KY