Certified Welding Supervisor

Certified Welding Supervisor Program
Program Forms and Document Downloads
CWS Exam Program
CWS Renewal Program

Technical Documents
QC13: 2006, Specification for the Certification of Welding Supervisors
B5.9: 2006, Specification for the Qualification of Welding Supervisors


Is your organization interested in finding ways to increase welding productivity while improving and maintaining acceptable weld quality? Welding Supervisors can make a valuable contribution to the four most important metrics in welding operations: quality, cost, productivity and safety. Yet, the position of welding supervisor is often an overlooked resource.

Often the underlying cause of a supervisor's inability to improve productivity can be traced to inadequate knowledge and the minimal amount of time that a supervisor actually spends with welders. The AWS Certified Welding Supervisor program was created to rectify these conditions by offering welding supervisors and their companies the opportunity to put the welding supervisor in a support position for the welders, making them the most productive and best they can be. This innovative program identifies a body of knowledge all welding supervisors should know and understand in order to increase productivity and improve weld quality.

And, you don't have to be a welding supervisor to benefit from attending the five-day seminar. The curriculum has been designed to benefit others in your company, such as those involved in management, engineering, design, and purchasing.

The standard that governs AWS certification of Welding Supervisors is AWS QC13:2006, Specification for the Certification of Welding Supervisors. A copy of this specification may be viewed and downloaded free from this link click here. The standard that covers the qualification requirements is AWS B5.9:2006, Specification for the Qualification of Welding Supervisors. Also available is the AWS Study Guide for Certification of Certified Welding Supervisors. The latter two documents may be purchased at the AWS Publications website at http://www.awspubs.com/. Order Now!

The following documents are available for the CWS Program:

  • Certified Welding Supervisor Exam Application
  • Certified Welding Supervisor Brochure (includes information from this web site, as well as a registration form for the seminar.)
  • Certified Welding Supervisor Registration Form
  • Access these certification documents...Go

Did you know...
AWS, along with the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP), released a final report on the advantages of training welding supervisors and its effect on production costs efficiency. The research was supported through a trial project at a shipyard in Alabama. The results of the trial program are clear:

  • Projected costs per welder were reduced by $17,000 annually. Labor hours on successive modular construction sequences were actually reduced by 1,000 hours per module.
  • The potential savings of the program totaled $2 million annually.
  • On a multiple-ship order, the typical improvement in efficiency averaged 200-300 hours when a module is repeated. After the Welding Supervisor training, the first repeated module was done with 600 fewer labor hours; the second showed 1,000 fewer labor hours.
  • Operational goals for achievement and their estimated savings:
  • Reduce weld metal volume ­ Estimated Potential Savings: $3,319 per welder
  • Reduce arc time per weldment ­ Estimated Potential Savings: $4,280 per welder
  • Reduce rework and scrap ­ Estimated Potential Savings: $3,244
  • Reduce work effort and motion and delay time ­ Estimated Potential Savings: $6,200
*National Shipbuilding Research Program

Reality Check!
Take 500 linear feet of 3/16 inch fillet weld that your company has to weld.

Welder A delivers a 3/16-inch fillet weld at the WPS-specified 250 amps. Welder A uses 35 lbs. of filler metal, gets the job done in eight hours and the total cost for this weld, labor included, is $380.

Welder B welds at only 225 amps and oversizes the weld by 1/16 inch. He deposits 27 lbs. more filler metal and takes 13 extra hours to make the weld. The direct cost for 500 feet of weld with Welder B is $988.

Welder C welds at only 180 amps and oversizes the weld by 1/8 inch. He deposits 63 pounds more filler metal than Welder A and takes more than 70 extra hours to make the weld. The direct cost for Welder C to make the same weld is almost $3600.

There are lots of reasons why this is a real world situation. Which welder do you have working for you?

The AWS Certified Welding Supervisor will be trained to recognize these problems and work with welders to gain the maximum productivity out of this and other aspects of the welding fabrication process. Read on to learn how you can deliver more profits to your bottom line with this exciting AWS program.

Did you know... | About the Seminar | Body of Knowledge | Program Fees | Seminar/Exam Schedule | Seminar FAQs | Exam Qualification FAQs | Applying for Certification FAQs | Taking the Exam FAQs | Cancellations & Refunds | Reference Materials | Testimonials

Download brochure in PDF
For more information 
call 800-443-9353, ext. 273.



Reasons you'll also want your company to take advantage of the AWS Certified Welding Fabricator program:

Just as the Certified Welding Supervisor program was created in response to industry demand, the AWS has also established a certification for welding fabricators based on industry demand. This certification requires a company to comply with welding-related functions and verifies through a third-party assessment verifies that the welding fabricator has the required personnel, organization, experience, procedures, knowledge, equipment, capability, and commitment

Bundled together, these two programs can provide an excellent productivity and quality enhancement package. For more information on the Certified Welding Fabricator Program call 800-443-9353, ext. 475.

Final Report - Welding Supervisor Training and Certification
(NSRP Study)
AWS, along with the National  Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP), conducted a study on the advantages of training welding supervisors and its effect on porduction costs and efficiency. The research was supported through a trial project at Bender Shipbuilding and Repair Company in Mobile, Alabama. The results of the trial program are clear. Projected costs per welder were reduced by $17,000 annually. Labor hours on successive modular construction sequences were actually reduced by 1,000 hours per module. The formal results have been presented to the NSRP SP-7 Welding Panel and are available now in pdf format. Download  the projects final report Welding Supervisor Training and Certification.