Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW) study guide
AWS CRAW · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Robotic Arc Welding (CRAW) credential from the American Welding Society (AWS) verifies that a professional can set up, operate, program, and support robotic arc welding systems to industry standards. It is intended for people working in automated welding production environments. The AWS CRAW study guide has 12 sections and about 5,084 words.
01Weld Equipment Setup
The Weld Equipment Setup domain tests whether you can take a robotic arc cell from installed to repeatable: torch geometry, wire delivery, gas delivery, current return, and the validation run that proves all of it works together. Items usually describe a setup error and ask what happens to the arc, or ask you to order the steps of a pre-production check.
508 words, about 3 min02Welding Processes
The Welding Processes domain tests whether you can match process, transfer mode, gas, and consumable to a joint, and predict what a robot will and will not do with each. Expect items that give a joint, position, and thickness, then ask which mode or consumable applies.
441 words, about 2 min03Weld Examination
The Weld Examination domain covers how a robotic weld is inspected, by which method, at which stage, and against what acceptance criteria. Items mix method selection with the paperwork around it: who may inspect, what gets recorded, and what turns a discontinuity into a rejectable defect.
392 words, about 2 min04Definitions and Terminology
Definitions and Terminology is a vocabulary domain, but the exam does not ask for dictionary definitions. It gives a scenario and expects the right term, or it tests two terms that get confused on the floor every week.
397 words, about 2 min05Symbols - Welding & Robotics
Symbols for welding and robotics tests whether you read a drawing correctly the first time, because a misread symbol on a robotic cell becomes a wrong program and a rejected part. The governing standard is AWS A2.4, with ISO 2553 in international work; the two differ in enough places to matter.
413 words, about 2 min06Safety
Safety tests the hazards specific to a robotic arc cell and the standards that control them. The governing documents are AWS Z49.1 for welding safety, ANSI/RIA R15.06 with ISO 10218 parts 1 and 2 for robots, NFPA 51B for hot work, and OSHA 1910.252 for welding in general industry.
416 words, about 2 min07Destructive Testing
Destructive Testing covers the mechanical tests that qualify procedures and verify production welds, plus how specimens are made, tested, and judged. The reference standards are AWS B4.0 for mechanical testing and the qualification clauses of the construction code, typically AWS D1.1 Clause 4.
395 words, about 2 min08Conversion and Calculations
Conversion and Calculations tests the handful of formulas that govern robotic arc welding, plus the unit discipline that keeps them right. Most items take one or two steps, and most errors come from mixing units.
394 words, about 2 min09Robot Programming and Logic
Robot Programming and Logic covers how motion, weld control, and cell logic combine in a robotic arc program. Items ask about motion types, point termination, frames, offsets, and the I/O handshake that actually starts and stops the arc.
438 words, about 2 min10Welding Procedures
Welding Procedures tests how a robotic welding operation is documented, qualified, and controlled. It is the paperwork domain that keeps the arc legal: what a WPS must contain, how it is supported, and what change forces a return to the test shop.
409 words, about 2 min11Kinematic Concepts
Kinematic Concepts tests the geometry of the robot and the workholding, and how that geometry constrains a weld path. Items are practical: why a path is jerky near the edge of the envelope, why coordinated positioner motion matters, and why repeatability is not accuracy.
435 words, about 2 min12Robot Arc Weld Cell Components - ID
Robot Arc Weld Cell Components asks you to identify what is in the cell and state what it does. Items are often symptom-based: a fault appears and you name the responsible component.
446 words, about 2 min