I-CAR AWQT case studies
I-CAR AWQT · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The I-CAR Auto Welding Qualification Test (AWQT) is a professional credential for collision repair technicians who weld on modern vehicle bodies. It verifies that a technician can select the right joining process, set up equipment, execute sound welds, and inspect results against OEM repair procedures. The I-CAR AWQT case studies are 5 cases and about 3,111 words.
1Stubbing, Start Porosity, and Burn-Through on a 1.0/1.2 mm Quarter-Panel Joint
A 2021 unit-body pickup needs the outer quarter panel replaced at the factory seam. The joint is a 1.2 mm DP780 upper tie-in overlapped by a 1.0 mm mild-steel outer panel.
680 words, about 3 min2Undersized STRSW Nuggets in a Three-Thickness Adhesive-Bonded Flange
A 2020 SUV quarter panel is being replaced at the lower B-pillar flange, a three-thickness stack of 1.2 mm DP590, 1.5 mm HSLA and 2.0 mm mild steel joined with structural adhesive and 12 squeeze-type resistance spot welds per the OEM schedule. The shop's 14 kA welder is fitted with 8 m cables, 6 mm dome-radius electrodes, electrode force set to 4.0 kN, squeeze 20 cycles, weld 12 cycles, hold 5 cycles.
633 words, about 3 min3CuSi3 Brazing on a Galvanized Door Aperture with Collapsed Gap
A door aperture on a 2022 vehicle uses a 0.8 mm galvanized outer panel joined to a 1.2 mm boron-steel inner reinforcement. The OEM procedure permits MIG brazing with CuSi3 only on this non-structural outer joint and calls for a 0.8–1.0 mm gap.
615 words, about 3 min4Aluminum Rocker Splice: Wire Birdnesting, Crater Cracks, and Steel Fastener Contact
An aluminum-intensive 2023 SUV needs a 2.0 mm 6061-T6 extrusion rocker section spliced to a 1.5 mm 5052-H32 inner panel. The shop uses a push-pull gun with a 10 m torch, 1.2 mm ER4043, 100% argon at 20 cfh, and a stainless-steel liner that has been in service for six months.
591 words, about 3 min5Rear Rail Plug Welds: Peel Test Failures, Primer, and a Short Weld Count
After sectioning a 1.2 mm HSLA rear rail, a technician makes 10 plug welds in 8 mm holes with 0.9 mm ER70S-6 at 19 V and 3.5 m/min. The OEM procedure calls for 14 plug welds per flange, a minimum nugget diameter of 1.5 times the thickness of the thinner sheet, and no weld-through primer between faying surfaces.
592 words, about 3 min