Welder certification 2

[rd400guy]

Can anyone give me a list of possible certifications for welders? I've been looking around all over the net, and found basic certifications (AWS), but everthing I seem to find essentially covers SMAW.

In addition to being a metallurgist, I'm currently enrolled in the last stage of welding courses at my local technical school, and a few of the guys are doing the "D.O.T. test", which is essentially a multiple pass SMAW weld on 1" thick mild steel. Meanwhile, I'm GTAW welding stainless and aluminum tubing and sheet.

What I guess I'm asking is, are there certifications/tests for GTAW welding, or welders looking to weld metals more exotic than mild steel?

Eventually I want to be able to weld stainless, aluminum, magnesium, copper alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium. According to my instructor, I'm unusually proficient with GTAW, and I do enjoy it quite a lot, so I'm thinking this might be something I'd like to do for a living (or at least part-time). I'm pretty sure that welding the alloy systems I mentioned above could be more lucrative than stick welding structural steel. So once I'm confident with my ability, how do I prove to potential employers (or customers, if I open my own shop) that I can do what they want me to do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[TBP]

If you're interested in a wide range of metals to weld, try pressure pipe welding. Any jurisdiction I'm aware of uses "ASME Section IX". Talk to the local boilers & pressure vessels inspection department to see exactly what is required in your location.

 

[metengr]

If you are interested in welding, as TBP indicated, it would be to your benefit to meet with the local Boilermaker or Piperfitter Unions in your area and express your interest and desire for welding. I can tell you that the trades would provide additional training and qualification testing for welding to be used on various jobs - Power industry, Petrochemical, etc. Once you have worked in the trades and gained valuable welding experience, you could decide to work for any fab shop because of your welder continuity records.

For any work involving welding, you as a welder, will need to obtain proper certification and maintain the certification thru experience. - AWS welder certification for structural or civil work and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel welder certification for boiler , pressure vessels and process piping.

For boiler and pressure vessel work, boilermaker union welders obtain ASME Section IX welder qualification in GTAW and SMAW processes with a wide range of base materials and associated filler material. Pipefitter welders that work on B31 Piping Code systems would follow a similar set up using ASME Section IX, as well.

To answer your second question, I would recommend you obtain a copy of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX - Qualification Standard for Welding and Brazing Procedures and Welders, Brazers and Welding, Brazing Operators. Do not buy the entire set of Code books. Section IX in itself provides guidelines for weld procedure and welder qualification that could be of use to you at some point when you have become an experienced welder.

Good Luck