Cost · Prevention
By Timothy Dodd, AWS CWI
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May 15, 2026
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~10 min read
A failed welder qualification plate looks cheap on paper — it's just a piece of steel, right? In practice, the cascade of costs from a single failed plate adds up to $800-$2,500 when re-weld labor, shipping both directions, additional CWI and lab time, and lost shop production time are counted. Here's the real breakdown of what failure costs, the five causes that drive most failures, and the 25-minute prevention routine that catches them.
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WPS · Pre-Test Prep
By Timothy Dodd, AWS CWI
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May 15, 2026
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~11 min read
A welder can produce a perfectly sound weld and still fail qualification — not because the weld is bad, but because the Welding Procedure Specification didn't actually cover the test. Most of these failures are preventable with a ten-minute WPS review before the welder strikes an arc. The 8-point checklist, the prequalified-vs-qualified-by-testing decision, and what to do if you don't have a WPS at all.
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Code Update · D1.1:2025
By Timothy Dodd, AWS CWI
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May 15, 2026
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~14 min read
The 25th edition of the Structural Welding Code — Steel was approved by ANSI on March 19, 2025. There are real changes in most clauses, but only some require action from fabrication shops. Practical breakdown of the A5.36 filler metal withdrawal, A913 Gr80 prequalification, new LRFD methodology, Type D studs, digital radiography acceptance, and what QC managers need to update in their WPS documents.
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Terminology · Compliance
By Timothy Dodd, AWS CWI
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May 15, 2026
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~10 min read
The terminology gets used wrong constantly — including in shop talk, on project documents, and sometimes by inspectors themselves. The result on audit day is a stack of paperwork that doesn't match what the project specification actually requires. Here's the real legal and contractual difference between welder qualification (WPQ) and the AWS Certified Welder program — and how to know which one your project needs.
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