Inspection Trends
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August 2025
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The Answer Is
Q: I have this problem at work. My employer fabricates heavy structural steel, and we’re having issues with inconsistent weld quality. Our reject rate using flux cored arc welding is way too high — about 20% for fillet welds and around 10% for groove welds.
see moreExploring Certifications and Career Advancements
In the ever-evolving world of welding, career advancement often means looking beyond the daily grind of being under the hood. For many welding professionals, certifications offered through AWS provide the perfect pathway to expand their knowledge, increase their earning potential, and extend their careers in the industry.
see moreNew CWI Syndrome
You passed the difficult AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) test, and you are now a bona fide CWI. You celebrate and commiserate with others who took the test with you. At first, you love the instant notoriety. You might even experience a touch of the so-called New CWI Syndrome — a mild superiority complex.
see moreNews Bulletin
AWS, Miami, Fla., completed its first Company-Certified Thermoplastic Welding Inspector Training and Examination workshop in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The event, hosted at the AWS Accredited Testing Facility Kedah Industrial Skills and Management Development Centre (KISMEC), was organized in collaboration with AWS international agents United Technologies (Malaysia) and KHST (Taiwan).
see moreInspection of Coatings Applied over Welds
Welded structures are essential to the integrity of assets in sectors such as oil and gas, energy, marine infrastructure, and heavy construction. While welding quality is often under strict scrutiny, the protective coatings applied over welds frequently receive less attention, despite being equally critical in preventing corrosion and extending service life.
see moreUnethical Decisions and Their Consequences
Quality and integrity are crucial for any industry but are especially important in nondestructive examination (NDE). For years, I have told people about the importance of NDE and how our decisions affect people’s lives. I often tell students and inspectors, “When we do our jobs right, people live. When we do our jobs wrong, people die.”
see moreWhy Pipe Welding Quality Matters
Why does quality matter? Poor quality costs schedule, money, and harm to the industry’s reputation. Poor quality can also result in safety issues, potentially harming people and property. A project that is focused on production only is susceptible to quality issues.
see moreQuality Planning for Steel Construction Inspection
A site-specific quality plan (SSQP) is critical to the project’s quality. It contains quality information such as seismic criteria, architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) criteria, inspection criteria, and unique bolting, including removal of backing and run-off tabs, and tolerance criteria.
see morePublication Archive
View past issues of our magazines, including Welding Research Supplements in PDF format.