There are ongoing discussions about the qualification of welding personnel when it comes to certifications according to AWS D1.1 vs. ISO 9606-1.
It should be recognized that a welder performance test includes a review of the sound understanding / knowledge of the applied welding process and technology, as well as the ability to read and understanding WPS and drawings. Certainly, assessing the ability to produce acceptable welds and therewith the welder performance is required too.
ISO 9606-1 states the examination of job knowledge shall be designated by “Accepted” or “Not tested”. AWS D1.1 has not specific wording about this.
ISO 9606-1 outlines requirements for extending the welder certification based on three cases.
- Retested every 3 years
- Every 2 years, two welds made during the last 6 months of the validity period shall be tested by radiographic or ultrasonic testing or destructive testing and shall be recorded. The weld tested shall reproduce the original test conditions except for thickness and outside diameter.
- A welder’s qualifications for any certificate shall be valid if it is confirmed according to specific conditions of quality system requirements, employment of the welder, as well as documentation and type of welding applied.
An AWS D1.1 welder can be certified without retesting if the individual is welding with the welding process of qualification.
Both standards require welder continuity testing.
There are additional differences, however, the questions on hand are:
- Are the ISO 9606-1 standard requirements more rigorous than AWS D1.1?
- Is a welder continuity record suitable to validate a welder performance status without additional testing?
Please share your thoughts.