Welder Certification and Qualification

The Hobart Institute of Welding Technology has been certifying/qualifying welders and welding procedures to structural, pressure piping, production, and aerospace specifications since 1989.

Our staff has the expertise and experience to certify welders on all types of ferrous and nonferrous materials including Titanium, Cobalt, Inconel, and Aluminum. Our organization is fully staffed with AWS® Certified Welding Inspectors and SNT Level III Technicians that meet most, if not all, welding specification requirements. Our office maintains a complete and efficient computer database and filing system for easy and accurate access.

For further information, contact the certification lab at 937-332-9505.

The AWS® Certified Welder program is a performance-based program with no prerequisite courses or certifications required. Final certification will provide “transferable” credentials that you may take with you wherever you go. Unlike typical welder qualifications, which are obtained through an employer and only active while you are employed with that company, your AWS® Welder Certification travels with you, regardless of your employment status with a particular company. Your certification will be added to the American Welding Society’s National Registry of Certified Welders. Employers can access this database to confirm your Certification.

The Certified Welder (CW) program tests welders to procedures used in the structural steel, petroleum pipelines, sheet metal, and chemical refinery welding industries. There is also a provision to test to a company-supplied or non-code welding specification. Certified Welder (CW) testing may only be performed at AWS® Accredited Testing Facilities. The Hobart Institute of Welding Technology has been accredited
by the American Welding Society under QC4 to perform Certification and Qualification of Welders in accordance with AWS® QC-7 since 1990.

To begin the process for Welder Certification, you should:

1. Review the AWS® QC-7 Standard and applicable Supplement(s) that include fit-up, assembly, and positioning.

AWS QC7-93, Standard for AWS Certified Welders

AWS QC7-93 Supplement C – Welder Performance Qualification Sheet Metal Test Requirements

AWS QC7-93 Supplement F – Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping

AWS QC7-93 Supplement G – AWS Performance Qualification Test

2. Contact an Institute Testing Specialist at (937)-332-9505 to discuss your desired QC7 Welder Certification and determine which test best fits your needs.
3.  Review Institute QC-7 Guidelines & Safety Requirements. Click here for QC-7 Guidelines
4. Create an account on the AWS® Certified Welder Portal.
5. Contact a registrar at (937) 332-9500 ext. 9607 to schedule your QC7 weld test and make payment. At the time of contact please let the registrar know the email address used when setting up the account on the AWS® Certified Welder Portal.
6. Arrive at the main office at 7:30am on your scheduled test day to sign-in, meet your testing supervisor, and complete your safety orientation.
7. Once your test passes visual inspection it will be submitted to the certification lab for testing. Your results will be communicated to you within 5 business days.
8. Upon successful completion of the Welder Certification, the Institute will send the results to the AWS® Certification Dept. for processing. AWS® will then mail you your certification wallet card.
9. You must submit certification maintenance forms every six months for your certification to remain valid. Copies of the form are available here.

The purpose of this standard for the AWS® Certified Welder Program is:

1. To determine the ability of welders to deposit sound welds in accordance with the standardized requirements.

2. To impose sufficient controls on the documentation and maintenance of certification to allow transfer between employers without requalification, where allowed by standard or contract document. For prices and to learn more about becoming an AWS® QC7 Certified Welder, contact Hobart Institute at 937-332-9505.

Understanding AWS® QC7 Welder Certifications

1. A Certified Welder credential or wallet card is not sufficient for you to begin welding on any project. Arriving on site and performing welding without the proper documentation is a violation of the AWS Standard. You MUST either:
   1. Have your own WPS to follow (if working as a subcontractor) for the process of which you are certified for (and pertain to the project) OR
   2. Your employer must provide you with a WPS to follow (again, applicable to the process you are certified for and appliable to the project).
2. It is important to ensure that the WPS used and WPQ/ WPQR (your Certification) conforms to the project and that none of the essential variables for the welder certification fall outside.
3. You employer may still require you to successful pass a welder qualification test. It is the employer’s discretion to accept/recognize your Welder Certification.

For additional information or to learn more about becoming an AWS® QC-7 Certified Welder, contact the Certification Department at 937-332-9500 ext 9505.

*Pricing is per specimen/per welding procedure submitted and includes required tensile and bends, no impacts are included in listed prices. Procedure qualification pricing is based on material up to 1” in thickness.  Procedures for materials over 1” in thickness are priced on request.

¹ All Procedure Qualifications will be charged an $200.00 flat rate fee for documentation and reporting.

² Includes all WPS, PQR & WQR documentation (if applicable).

³ May require additional non destructive testing prior to destructive testing at an additional cost. Radiography will be charged at $150 per specimen and Liquid Penetrant at $150 per specimen.

*Pricing is per specimen/per welding procedure submitted and includes required tensile and bends, no impacts are included in listed prices. Procedure qualification pricing is based on material up to 1” in thickness.  Procedures for materials over 1” in thickness are priced on request.

¹ All Procedure Qualifications will be charged an $200.00 flat rate fee for documentation and reporting.

² Includes all WPS, PQR & WQR documentation (if applicable).

³ May require additional non destructive testing prior to destructive testing at an additional cost. Radiography will be charged at $150 per specimen and Liquid Penetrant at $150 per specimen.