How familiar are you with welding and even developing a Quality program for welding? Do you have any type of welding program at your facility? These are important questions because you may need to seek outside welding expertise in providing the necessary training to properly manage this type of program.

The first resource material you will need is to obtain a copy of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX and read it. This Section provides the necessary guidelines for weld procedure and welder qualification.

You can purchase Standard Welding Procedure Specifications from AWS to jump start your program and qualify your welders, but this requires some level of expierence with ASME Section IX.

If you have to ask the question, you probably need to hire someone that is familiar with the requirements of both ASME Section IX and B31.3.

Section IX of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code provides the basic information for qualifying welding and brazing procedures as well as performance qualification of welders and brazers. Notice I said the "basic information".

The construction code, in your case B31.3, may modify the requirements of Section IX depending on the category of the piping system being worked on. For example; Section IX permits the welder performance test coupon to be evaluated by radiographic examination or guided bend tests. If the piping system is categorized as a high pressure system by the engineer, B31.3 will only accept performance qualifications evaluated by bend tests.

Also, keep in mind that the welding procedure used to qualify the welder must be a qualified WPS, that is, it must be supported by a PQR.

The question arises, does the welder have to be qualified inorder to weld a test coupon for the PQR. The answer is no. The welder can be qualified by welding a successful PQR test coupon. There are limitations to the ranges for which both the WPS and welder are qualified (and they are different from each other) depending on what materials, filler metals, test position, and product form was used to qualify the WPS, i.e., PQR test.

My company, as well as others, specialize in setting up testing programs and providing training to the company as well as the welders. Make sure you do your homework to verify the company you hire is qualified to do the work.

AWS has started a new program where the code used for the "open book" portion of the CWI examination is made available to the customer. That is, the Certified Welding Inspector or the Senior Certified Welding Inspector can have the code used on the examination listed on the inspector's certification. You, as the customer, have to ask what code was used on the open book examination. This is very new to the AWS QC1 program. Not everyone is aware of the changes, so make sure you ask. My recommendation is to make sure the individual you hire is a Senior Certified Welding Inspector and ask if he or she has taken the ASME Section IX and ASME B31.3 open book examination. At the very least, ask the consultant whether or not they have the latest editions of Section IX and B31.3. They can't provide you with the latest requirements if they don't have the information on hand.

Good luck. Contact me if you have any additional questions.

Al