AWS CWI 9-Yr Recert cheat sheet

Prequalified joint details under D1.1 Clause 3 are limited to the base metal/filler metal combinations in Table 3.1 and the groove geometries of Figures 3.3 and 3.4; any deviation requires qualification per Clause 4.

Prequalified minimum preheat for Group I and II steels is 32 °F (0 °C) when base metal thickness is 1/4 in or less; above 1/4 in to 3/4 in, 50 °F (10 °C) applies, and above 3/4 in, 150 °F (65 °C) applies.

Essential variable changes for prequalified WPSs are listed in Clause 4.5; a change in filler metal classification, position, or thickness range beyond Table 4.1 limits requires requalification.

Qualified WPS ranges: Table 4.1 governs base metal and deposited weld metal thickness qualification; a test coupon qualifies production thickness per the table's multiplier rules, not unlimited thickness.

Visual acceptance (Clause 6, Part C): undercut limited to 0.01 in depth plus 0.07 in width for any length, or 1/32 in depth for lengths up to 2 in in 12 in; cumulative undercut not to exceed 1/16 in in any 12 in.

Reinforcement limits: for groove welds, face reinforcement shall not exceed 1/8 in; weld reinforcement shall be reasonably free of irregularities and blend smoothly into base metal.

Fillet weld acceptance: leg dimensions shall meet the detail drawing; undersized fillets are rejectable if the size is less than the specified size minus 1/16 in.

Welder qualification per Clause 4 Part D uses visual and bend/RT/UT testing; performance qualification remains valid unless the welder is not engaged in the process for 6 months or there is a specific reason to question the welder's ability.

D1.2 covers aluminum alloy structural welding; base metals are grouped in Table 3.1 by alloy and temper, and filler metal selection follows the base metal group in Table 3.2.

Aluminum is welded with GMAW or GTAW; preheat is generally not required but may be used to remove moisture; preheat temperature shall not exceed 250 °F (120 °C) unless qualified.

Oxide removal is essential: mechanical or chemical cleaning of the joint area is required before welding because the aluminum oxide film melts at a much higher temperature than the base metal.

Prequalified joints are limited to those in Figure 3.1; groove angles and root openings differ from steel, and backing may be required for certain single-sided welds.

Qualification essential variables include base metal group, filler metal classification, thickness, and position; changes outside Clause 4 ranges require new procedure qualification.

Visual acceptance: undercut shall not exceed 1/32 in depth or 1/16 in for a length of 2 in in 12 in; weld reinforcement shall not exceed 1/8 in for groove welds.

Porosity limits for visual inspection: surface porosity is rejectable; radiographic acceptance per Clause 6 uses ASTM E1032 or E505 with alloy-specific acceptance tables.

Heat input and interpass temperature must be controlled; aluminum loses strength in heat-affected zones, so qualified procedures limit heat input and interpass temperature.

D1.5 applies to welded bridges and is more restrictive than D1.1; where D1.5 is silent, D1.1 applies, but D1.5 governs fracture-critical members and bridge-specific details.

Fracture-critical member (FCM) designation requires Charpy V-notch toughness testing of procedure qualification test coupons and production weldments per Clause 12.

FCM welds require 100% volumetric NDT (RT or UT) and 100% magnetic particle or penetrant testing of groove weld toes and roots where specified.

Procedure qualification per Clause 5 requires test plates representing production; essential variable changes include base metal group, filler metal, position, and thickness.

Preheat requirements are generally higher than D1.1; minimum preheat for Group I/II steels is 50 °F (10 °C) and increases with thickness and carbon equivalent.

Fillet weld acceptance: minimum size per Table 6.1; undersized fillets rejectable if leg is less than specified minus 1/16 in; convexity limits apply.

NDT personnel must be qualified per ASNT SNT-TC-1A or an equivalent program acceptable to the owner; FCM NDT requires Level II or III certification.

Weld repairs on FCMs require engineer approval and re-inspection; repairs are not permitted on certain weld types without specific authorization.

D15.1 covers welding of railroad cars and locomotives; it addresses carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum fabrication with specific filler metal and procedure requirements.

Procedure qualification per D15.1 requires test welds evaluated by visual, bend, and where applicable radiographic or macro-etch examination.

Welder performance qualification is specific to the process, position, and joint type; requalification is required after 6 months of inactivity or a specific reason to question ability.

Visual acceptance criteria for fillet welds include minimum leg size and limits on undercut, overlap, and porosity; rejectable undercut depth is typically 1/32 in for critical applications.

Aluminum welding under D15.1 follows similar oxide-removal and cleaning requirements as D1.2; preheat is limited and controlled.

Repair welding requires removal of the defect by grinding or gouging and re-welding per a qualified WPS; excavation must be verified before repair.

Inspection records must be maintained and traceable to the weld and welder; NDT records are part of the quality documentation.

Safety-critical components (trucks, bolsters, draft gear) require stricter acceptance and may require 100% NDT per the applicable specification.

D17.1 covers fusion welding of aerospace components; it is a specification that may be invoked by contract and includes both procedure and performance qualification requirements.

Base metal and filler metal combinations must be qualified; essential variables include alloy, temper, thickness, joint design, and welding process.

Procedure qualification requires mechanical testing (tensile, bend, and where applicable fatigue or hardness) of test coupons representing production.

Welder qualification is process- and position-specific; visual and radiographic examination of test welds is required, with acceptance per the applicable class.

D17.1 defines weld quality classes (Class A, B, C) with different acceptance criteria for porosity, undercut, and reinforcement; the class must be specified by the drawing.

Radiographic acceptance uses ASTM E1742 or equivalent; porosity limits are expressed as a percentage of area or specific diameter limits depending on class.

Cleanliness is critical: pre-weld cleaning, inert gas shielding, and interpass cleaning are specified; contamination (oil, oxide, moisture) causes rejectable defects.

Post-weld heat treatment and stress relief may be required by the design; the WPS must specify and the inspector must verify compliance.

API 1104 covers welding of pipelines and related facilities; it applies to girth welds, tie-ins, and fabrication welds, with acceptance criteria in Section 9.

Procedure qualification per Section 5 requires a test weld with tensile and nick-break tests; for some applications, bend tests are also required.

Welder qualification per Section 6 uses a test weld; qualified welders must requalify after 6 months of inactivity or a change in essential variables.

NDT acceptance: radiographic testing per Section 11 uses porosity and slag inclusion limits based on weld thickness; UT per Section 11 may be used where specified.

Girth weld acceptance: incomplete fusion, incomplete penetration, and cracks are rejectable; porosity limits depend on the maximum dimension and distribution.

Welder requalification is required if the welder has not welded with the process for 6 months, or if there is a specific reason to question the welder's ability.

Preheat and interpass temperature requirements are specified in the WPS; for high-strength pipe, preheat is typically 200-300 °F (93-149 °C).

Repair and removal of defects per Section 9; a repair weld must be made with a qualified procedure and the repaired area re-inspected.

MT detects surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials; it is not applicable to austenitic stainless steel, aluminum, or copper alloys.

Magnetization methods include direct (contact) and indirect (coil, yoke, central conductor); the method must produce flux lines perpendicular to the expected discontinuity orientation.

Field strength verification: a pie gauge or field indicator is used to confirm adequate magnetization; the required field is typically 30-40 gauss at the surface for continuous methods.

Wet fluorescent MT is generally more sensitive than dry powder; the choice depends on surface condition and the specification.

Acceptance criteria are typically in the referencing code (e.g., D1.1 Clause 6); indications are evaluated against length and density limits.

Demagnetization may be required after testing to prevent arc blow or interference with subsequent machining; residual magnetism limits are specified.

Personnel qualification per ASNT SNT-TC-1A or an equivalent program; Level II certification is typically required to perform and interpret MT.

Lighting requirements: black light intensity of at least 1000 µW/cm² at the surface for fluorescent MT; visible light background should be less than 20 lux.

PT detects surface-breaking discontinuities in nonporous materials, including austenitic stainless steel and aluminum; it is not effective for subsurface defects.

Process sequence: pre-clean, apply penetrant, dwell, remove excess penetrant, apply developer, inspect, and post-clean.

Penetrant types: Type I fluorescent, Type II visible; Method A water-washable, Method B post-emulsifiable (lipophilic or hydrophilic), Method C solvent-removable.

Dwell time is typically 10-30 minutes depending on penetrant and specification; developer dwell time is typically 10-30 minutes.

Black light intensity for fluorescent PT shall be at least 1000 µW/cm² at the inspection surface; visible light background should not exceed 20 lux.

Acceptance criteria are in the referencing code; linear indications are typically rejectable, and rounded indications are evaluated by size and density.

Temperature limits: standard PT is performed between 50 °F and 125 °F (10-52 °C); outside this range, qualification of the technique is required.

Personnel certification per ASNT SNT-TC-1A or equivalent; Level II is typically required to perform and interpret PT.

Section IX contains welding procedure (QW-200) and performance (QW-300) qualification requirements; it is referenced by B31.1 and B31.3 for procedure and welder qualification.

Procedure qualification records (PQRs) document test results; the WPS is written from the PQR and must address essential and nonessential variables per QW-250.

Essential variables include base metal P-number, filler metal F-number, position, preheat, and post-weld heat treatment; changes require requalification.

Performance qualification per QW-300 is specific to process, position, and essential variables; welders must requalify after 6 months of inactivity.

B31.1 (power piping) and B31.3 (process piping) reference Section IX for qualification but have their own examination and acceptance requirements in their respective chapters.

B31.3 requires 5% random RT or 100% RT depending on fluid service category; normal fluid service requires 5% random RT of welds.

B31.1 requires 100% RT or UT of welds in certain high-energy piping; the extent depends on the service and the owner's requirements.

Test coupon requirements: groove weld test coupons per QW-462; bend tests per QW-160 and tensile tests per QW-150 are used to qualify procedures.

ISO 9606-1 covers welder qualification for steel; ISO 9606-2 for aluminum; qualification is specific to process, position, and joint type.

ISO 15614-1 covers procedure qualification for steel; it requires a test weld with mechanical testing (tensile, bend, impact where applicable).

Qualification ranges in ISO 15614-1 are based on thickness ranges (t, 2t, etc.) and material groups; a change in material group requires requalification.

Welder qualification per ISO 9606-1 remains valid for 6 months of inactivity; requalification is required after that period or a change in essential variables.

ISO 5817 defines weld quality levels B, C, and D; it is used as a reference for acceptance criteria for steel welds.

ISO 10042 defines quality levels for aluminum welds; it parallels ISO 5817 for steel.

NDT personnel qualification is per ISO 9712, with Level 1, 2, and 3 certification; Level 2 is typically required to perform and interpret testing.

ISO 3834 specifies quality requirements for fusion welding; it has three parts (comprehensive, standard, elementary) and requires a welding coordinator.

NDT methods include VT, PT, MT, UT, and RT; method selection depends on the material, defect type, and the referencing code.

Inspection sequence: surface preparation, method application, evaluation against acceptance criteria, and documentation; the sequence is specified in the inspection plan.

Coordination requires that NDT be performed after all welding and heat treatment are complete, unless the procedure specifies otherwise.

Personnel certification per ASNT SNT-TC-1A or ISO 9712; Level II is required to perform and interpret, Level III to establish procedures.

NDT records must include method, procedure, equipment, calibration, personnel, and results; traceability to the weld and welder is required.

Calibration of NDT equipment is required at specified intervals; calibration records are part of the quality documentation.

The NDT coordinator must ensure that the correct method and technique are used for the expected defect orientation and material.

Reporting: results must be documented and communicated to the responsible authority; rejectable indications require repair or further evaluation.

Welding coordination per ISO 14731 requires a welding coordinator with the appropriate technical knowledge and experience; the coordinator is responsible for welding quality.

A welding quality management system (e.g., ISO 3834) requires documented procedures for WPS qualification, welder qualification, and inspection.

QA responsibilities include review of WPSs, verification of welder qualifications, and oversight of NDT and inspection activities.

Document control: WPSs, PQRs, and welder qualification records must be maintained and traceable to production welds.

Nonconformance management: rejectable welds must be documented, repaired per a qualified procedure, and re-inspected.

Audits and surveillance: periodic audits of welding activities verify compliance with the WPS and the quality system.

Traceability: base metal, filler metal, and consumable lots must be traceable to the weld; material test reports (MTRs) are part of the documentation.

Continuous improvement: QA data (reject rates, NDT results) are used to identify trends and improve welding quality.