Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW)

CRAW-O is the Operator level; CRAW-T is the Technician level. The Technician is ultimately responsible for weld quality in their plant or department. CRAW-T candidates must already hold AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification. Without a current CWI, only the CRAW-O certification can be attained.

There are two parts: a written exam and a practical performance test. The written exam is closed book and lasts two hours, covering subjects listed in AWS QC19. The practical test consists of a series of tasks, including a GMA welding test plate made to a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS). The same two exams are given to CRAW Operators and Technicians.

According to the published subject breakdown, robot programming and logic is the largest area at 20%, followed by welding processes at 15% and safety at 12%. Weld equipment setup, weld examination, definitions and terminology, destructive testing, and welding procedures are each 8%. Symbols, conversion and calculations, kinematic concepts, and robot arc weld cell components are each 3% or 4%.

Candidates need a high school diploma or military-approved equivalent, at least six months of manual or semiautomatic arc welding experience, and documented related occupational experience. Operators need 12 months as a welder and three years in a related occupation; Technicians need 18 months as a welder and five years in a related occupation. Post-secondary degrees may substitute for up to two years of experience but not for the six months of manual or semiautomatic welding.

Registration for training and exams is handled by contacting an ATC representative at any AWS CRAW Approved Testing Center. If you fail any part of the CRAW exam, schedule a retest with your ATC representative. Applications and payments are submitted through the online portal.

CRAW certification remains valid for three-year renewal cycles. To renew, you must demonstrate two years of relevant welding activity within your three-year certification period or retake the exam. This can be met through documented completion or instruction of at least 40 contact hours in related training courses as outlined in AWS QC19.

Every nine years after initial certification, you must recertify. You have two options: retake the current CRAW Operator or Technician performance exam, or prove at least two years of active related work within your last three certified years plus at least 80 contact hours of activities listed in QC19, documented as 8 CEUs or 80 PDHs.

The exams are drawn from references including AWS A3.0, AWS B1.10, AWS B1.11, AWS B5.1, AWS WI, AWS CM-00, AWS B2.1, AWS D8.8, AWS D16.2, AWS D16.3, AWS D16.4, ANSI Z49.1, NEMA EW-1, AWS A2.4, and the AWS Welding Handbook volumes. The CRAW Examination User Guide and the CRAW Performance Test Candidate Information Booklet are also essential.

The practical test requires producing acceptable welds under testing conditions, including a GMA welding test plate made to a WPS. Common failure modes include poor parameter selection, inadequate joint preparation, inconsistent travel speed or torch angle, and inability to program the robot to follow the WPS. The CRAW Performance Test Candidate Information Booklet lists the tasks expected.

Yes. Training is available through CRAW Approved Testing Centers (ATCs), technical schools, employers, and robotic welding equipment manufacturers. Operators must complete an original equipment manufacturer or equivalent Robotic Programming Course from an AWS Approved Testing Center. Many candidates prepare through hands-on robotic welding experience combined with coursework in programming, setup, maintenance, and weld quality evaluation.