By K. Erickson and A. Moore The Answer Is The Society is not responsible for any statements made or opinion expressed herein. Data and information developed by the authors are for specific informational purposes only and are not intended for use without independent, substantiating investigation on the part of potential users. Q: Can an AWS Certified Welding Inspector or Senior Certified Welding Inspector qualify and certify welders in accordance with ASME requirements? A: (from A. Moore) The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is comprised of a number of sections. Each section addresses a specific aspect of pressure vessel construction. No section is selfsustaining. The construction codes, i.e., Section I, Section VIII, B31.3, etc., reference other sections when they apply. For instance, Section V is applicable when referenced by Section VIII regarding NDE or Section IX for the qualification of welders. Let us start with the premise the welder is required to be qualified and certified in accordance with ASME Section IX, Qualification Standard for Welding and Brazing Procedures, Welders, Brazers, and Welding and Brazing Operators. Fact: ASME Section IX contains no provisions regarding the qualifications required to administer and evaluate welder qualifications. Opinion: One does not have to be an AWS CWI or SCWI to qualify and certify welders in accordance with ASME Section IX. Fact: ASME Section IX assigns the responsibility for qualifying and certifying the welders and welding operators to the contractor or manufacturer. In short, the entity that performs the welding is responsible for qualifying and certifying the welders and welding operators they employ. The requirements for qualifying welders and welder operators are listed in Article III of Section IX. Paragraph QW-300.2 states, “These paragraphs require that each manufacturer or contractor shall be responsible for conducting tests to qualify the performance of welders and welding operators in accordance with qualified Welding Procedure Specifications, which his organization employs in the construction of weldments built in accordance with the Code.” The same paragraph ends with the 30 Inspection Trends / July 2013 following sentence, “This responsibility cannot be delegated.” Regarding the welding of the test coupons, paragraph QW-300.2 part (b) further states, “The welder or welding operators used to produce such weldments shall be tested under the full supervision and control of the manufacturer, contractor, assembler, or installer during the production of these test weldments.” Opinion: My understanding of the requirements listed above means that the contractor must be present when the welder or welding operator is welding the test coupon. That responsibility cannot be delegated to an individual who is not an employee. That being the case, the contractor cannot send the welder (an employee) to a third party who is charged with the responsibility to administer and witness the welding of the coupons. Assuming my understanding is correct, the implication is that a contractor or manufacturer cannot delegate the responsibility for qualifying and certifying welders to a third-party testing agency such as a testing laboratory or school that offers testing services. Furthermore, under the auspices of Section IX, the contractor or manufacturer cannot use welder and welding operator certifications issued by a third-party testing agency in lieu of testing the welders in-house. Back to the original question, can an AWS CWI or SCWI qualify and certify welders and welding operators in accordance with ASME Section IX? My response is “yes” if the CWI is an employee of the contractor or manufacturer who is qualifying the welder or welding operator. If the AWS CWI or SCWI is not an employee of the contractor or the manufacturer, my response is the AWS CWI or AWS SCWI cannot qualify and certify the contractor’s or manufacturer’s welders or welding operators. Can the AWS CWI or SCWI perform the destructive tests required to qualify the welder or welding operator under the auspices of ASME Section IX? My response is “yes.” The justification is paragraph QW-300.2 part (b), which states: “It is permissible, however, to subcontract any or all of the work of preparation of test materials for welding and subsequent work on the preparation of test specimens from the complete weldments, performance of nondestructive examination and mechanical tests, provided the manufacturer, contractor, assembler, or installer accepts full responsibility for any such work.” In closing, note the original inquiry did not reference a specific construction code. This is an important omission because the construction code, i.e., Section I, Section VIII, 31.3, etc., may modify the provisions contained in Section IX. If the AWS CWI or SCWI is involved in qualifying and certifying welders and welding operators, it is imperative he or she review the applicable construction code to see if there are additional requirements, restrictions, or limitations that apply. With that in mind, my responses are subject to change if the specific construction code modifies the requirements of Section IX. Q: An interesting scenario recently happened at our shop during the qualification of a structural plate welder. During a face bend test, a discontinuity appeared in the center root of the weld exceeding the acceptance criteria in length — Fig. 1. Can this be a cause for rejection? A: (from K. Erickson) AWS D1.1, paragraph 4.9.3.3 specifically states that the “convex surface of the bend test specimen shall be visually examined for surface discontinuities.” The linear indication developed on the opposite surface, which is the concave surface and thus per AWS is not the surface for which evaluation is being conducted in regard to the mechanical test. Visual examinations of all weld qualification test specimens shall be
Inspection Trends | Summer 2013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above