5 Questions and Answers You Must Know for the CWI Exam

And fundamental principles for the fabrication of steel structures

If you have taken or hope to take the CWI exam you probably have searched for some practice exam questions.  In practicing for the code book portion of the test you may have come across a few questions for which you could find the answer, but didn’t really understand the importance of the question or […]

5 Common Mistakes Made When Estimating Welding Costs

Read this before you bid on a welding contract

When bidding jobs several fabricators end up calculating their costs associated with welding and then double that number to be safe. In some cases, that isn’t even enough. It is important to have a clear understating of how to translate the amount of welding to be done to actual manufacturing costs. One of the biggest challenges is that rework and overwelding is […]

21 Changes to PQR Essential Variables that Require WPS Requalification

​Have you ever seen a welding procedure specification with established amperage ranging from 200 to 550 amps? Or voltage ranging from 21 to 29 volts? Or some other variable with a huge window? This is all too common, but extremely dangerous. Why? Because changes to essential variables beyond that which is reasonable will affect the […]

What is a Qualified Welding Procedure?

A qualified welding procedure is a welding procedure that has been proven to produce sound welds after undergoing extensive testing.  When using structural welding codes, these tests include both destructive and nondestructive tests. Some of these tests are: Visual examination Macroetch Break test Bend test Ultrasonic inspection Radiographic inspection Hardness test Tensile test The reason […]

Frequently Asked Questions about Prequalified Welding Procedures

The following FAQ are related to 322 Prequalified Welding Procedure Specifications for Steel Fabricators.   To learn more or to get your copy simply click here   Is this a physical book?  No. The procedures are provided as digital files (PDF) and are available for immediate download.  The user has the option to print the files […]

The Relationship between Heat Input and Weld Size

Heat input is important because it has an effect on cooling rates which in turn can significantly affect the mechanical properties of the weld and heat affected zone. It also plays a role in susceptibility to distortion.  High heat input can be beneficial in some cases and detrimental in others.  A common misconception is that […]

What is a Prequalified Welding Procedure Specification

A prequalified welding procedures specification is a welding procedure that is exempt from the qualification tests required by a code or standard. Not all codes provide the user with the advantage of using prequalified welding procedures. Some that do are:   AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel AWS D1.3 Structural Welding Code – Sheet […]

7 Tests to Qualify Welding Procedures

The qualification of welding procedures is necessary to ensure that the selected welding parameters can produce sound welds.  Qualification typically involves a combination of destructive and nondestructive testing.  When a particular code, such as AWS D1.1 or ASME Section IX is used, the code will dictate the type and numbers of tests necessary in order […]

Steps to determine if welding preheat can be eliminated?

Testing the effects of preheat in small parts and assuming it will be the same on large sections is a mistake.

As discussed in our previous article, and many times in the last 50 or so, preheat is necessary in steel welding to control the cooling rate.  More specifically, preheat is used to slow the cooling rate down in order to prevent excessive hardness in the heat affected zone (HAZ) which  can lead to cracking.   Before […]

FCAW prequalified welding procedures and their limitations

Dangers even if you follow all the requirements of AWS D1.1

The use of prequalified welding procedures has many advantages as well as many disadvantages.  One danger of using prequalified welding procedures is that AWS D1.1 allows for quite a bit of freedom in weld sizes.  If you look at Table 5.1 –Prequalified WPS Requirements of AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 Structural Welding Code (Steel) you’ll see that in […]