SHOULD CWI’s HAVE WELD EXPERIENCE?

I once believed they should but now I more believe the only thing required of them is to be exceptional in their trade as we should be in ours

[stevefleniken]

As a 6 year CWI with NDE background I can assure you that anyone that has achieved the certification, is qualified to conduct a visual and mechanical examination of the weld. In your video you were speaking of reading this is not a CWI requirement unless the client has requested the CWI to be certified as a Radiographic interpreter. This is the requirement of the level II or level III Radiographer that is certified according to ASNT TC1A. I have the upmost respect for tradesmen and appreciate the work they perform. We all have a job to do and strive to better ourselves in every aspect. Codes and Specifications determine acceptance criteria. Welds have to be determined acceptable or rejected according to said Codes and Specifications.

[Youdontdeservemygreatness]

My question to the welder would be..."How much inspection experience do you have?"
I would ask you do you think welders need inspection experience? Do you need to know how to inspect to weld? If your answer is no, then that's the same answer when you ask if inspectors need welding experience. In my opinion, some type of training for non-welders would help inspectors, but on the flip side of the coin, wouldn't that mean welders should learn about film reading? Should welders understand how to use gauges and all the tools/inspection techniques to make them a better welder? I'm an Inspector, not a CWI, but I want to become one. Right now at my current job I ask tons of questions to welders, I observe them, I'm on youtube looking up different welding videos(that's how I came across your video) and I'm trying to understand welding more because I feel I'll become a better inspector. I would think that same logic would apply to a welder with learning more about inspections.

[Jnormad]

The problem is that Some Inspectors that have never welded think all welds have too look like the ones they seen on their books or pics they think we are robots and no matter what we fighting wind, heat, cold conditions foreman’s pushing a bad day, tight spots, have too switch from waking the cup too free hand, bad fits and I can go on a wc that’s been a welder looks at your weld and knows even if it’s not the best looking the most important thing is will it shoot and we need more or them

[Mybattlefieldlife]

As a 25 yr welder that now has a CWI I can understand your point, however as for knowing how the weld is built is none of there/our concern as long as it is to AWS/ASME/API standard. I use to think the same but as I've learned the rules are the rules.

[hoot]

I started out as a LVL 2 NDT Tech. I never worked as a welder. When i moved up in my company, a CWI was my next step. Luckily for me I worked under a SCWI for 2 years. Although i never learned how to weld before. I bought a hood and worked with the SCWI who was a pipeline welder in his younger days. The experience from those training days was unmatched by any books or study prep i did for the cwi test. Learning how each weld process works and how weld defects are caused and how to fix them has helped me earn the respect from the welders i inspect. Welders gave me a lot of shit when i started lol. But i worked at my welding until i was able to pass a standard SMAW bend test. I do not have the skill to weld but now i understand and respect the difficulty of welding.

[kingssoldiers]

I have been a CWI for six years. Currently contracting for the Army Core of Engineers as a CWI. Also a Welding Instructor for Palm Beach State College in South Florida. I've been a Pipe Welder & Pipeline Welder for over 13 years back home in South Texas. But every job site that test any Welder to specific codes must follow within those codes. Yes, some CWI can take it to the extreme if they choose if it falls within the code. So the answer is "What code were you tested to & what does it cover. Acceptance Criteria etc. " you as a Welder have the right & authority to ask for the WPS you were tested to, & or are going to be tested to. You should always ask for the WPS before testing. Then you need the code book. The only way to have it your way with the Quality Control Inspector is to have the codes that verify your point of view. Then show the Inspector the code your following & what it says your qualified for. Or the CWI should be able to tell you what your Qualified for. My perspective as a CWI is to assist the Welder by offering my experience if need be. But my responsibility is to verify, witness, document, manage, all documentation according to the code. The CWI & the Welder should always be with the understanding of Quality & Excellence. When something isn't done meeting those expectations it is the job of the Inspector to correct & call out the defects according to the code. The Welder then has the opportunity to state his or her opinion of what went wrong. Learn from it, correct it as soon as possible & move on. Some production companies would give people a percentage of how many X Ray's you passed to how many you failed within 3 months. You could possibly lose your job because they were going to retest again in order for you to keep your job. That's pressure. Found out it was how he was striking & starting his tie ins . After he took the advice of the Experienced CWI he was to correct his mistake & keep his job with a flawless 0 % X ray failure rate for the next 5 years until the company closed. Any way. I love both worlds Inspecting & Welding. That's why I do both even today.

[reedevert]

I'm so glad to find your videos and read these comments. I've been welding for 9 years now mainly GMAW and FCAW, I have my 6GR and a few other and looking to go for CWI within the next 5 months. To see others view on the job, I believe will help with decisions.

[Yeahyeahblahblah]

A CWI is a CWI. They don’t weld. They don’t have to be a welder. That is not their job requirement or their task. If the welder did not do his job properly to pass inspection according to the book, then that’s the welders fault and issue. Humming and hawing over a CWI being able to do your job to make you feel better about telling you that you didn’t do your job, shouldn’t even be a discussion. If a welder doesn’t know all the ins and outs, know how to inspect a weld according to all of the proper codes and regulations, know everything about the steps, paperwork and process from front to back and can’t do the CWIs job, then why are they concerned about someone with a totally different job and certification being able to do there’s? If the weld inspector is wrong, then they should be handled accordingly. But majority of the time, It’s an ego problem.

[mjwolters]

A couple things here, first there are “industry experience” requirements depending on your education level to become a CWI pretty much bottoming out at 5 years unless you have a degree specific to welding/ metallurgy engineering. Second, the first part of the three part test to become a CWI is 150+ questions on general welding and fabrication knowledge including welding safety, metallurgy, print reading etc all chosen at random so you do have to know your way around welding to get past that part. Finally in some cases not having that welding experience actually works to the advantage of the inspector... if safety and objectivity are critical as they are on pipeline, then having someone who won’t make the excuses and will continually ask why is actually quite valuable. The code doesn’t care if a weld was hard to do or had lousy conditions...it cares about safety and maintaining standards for everyone involved from fabrication to consumer. And yes I am a CWI with industry experience but no formal training as a “welder.”

[davidosland]

Knowing how to weld can only make a CWI that much better and well rounded.
It's like an architect that's never having picked up a hammer or tape measure before, design buildings....
field experience can only make him/her better at their craft.

[drunkbutler]

I am a cwi and also welded in the oil field for over 15 years. Cwi doesn’t need to have experience but I rather they did so they get the idea of how things work none of this do as I say not as I do.

[KLR]

The client pays the CWI to ensure that everything is done to code. The codes are very specific. Any variations from the code have to be accepted/approved by the client.

[alexwhite]

I'm from Pennsylvania and I moved to Nebraska to go to school to be an NDT tech and every school I have looked at has a welding class build into the program. Plus any CWI who has went to school for that profession goes in really deep with the welding process itself just the same as welders do if not deeper. I think we should have welding experience but I believe both the welder and the CWI get thrown into the deep end of the pool when it comes to learning how steel reacts at those temperatures and the discontinues that come from that process.

[brandonrealander]

Doing my CWI stuff currently and out of the 15 people in my class 2 have welding experience, myself included. Been doing certified work for 10 years and fab shop stuff for 8 years. I agree with you 100 percent. I would actually find it more difficult to do this classroom and tests without some experience and knowledge.

[chrisweldz]

In my honest opinion I feel that CWI's should learn the craft of welding becuase not only thry understand whats going on under the hood and feel the pain and hard work it is to create a good weld from the prep work to the wire wheel and might also help them understand. I really want to become a CWI for these reasons but also to encourage people to do better in their work not bring them down. I also respect CWI's more who are welders than those who aren’t it just shows just a opinion of a welding student working on their dreams.

[daveforgot]

Reading film is not a requirement of the of CWI except they need to have a general understanding of things of course

[antoniow]

AWS states you need to have 5 years documented work experience to take the exam along with eye exams etc

[dennisflynn]

You have to have at least 5 years experience before you are even aloud to test for the CWI I have been a CWI for 30 years and agree some interpretations are incorrect because not everyone can read film correctly nor are even quanified for of college grads get their CWI just for the money...

[CallMeJazz]

Will the code change if the Inspector is a former welder?

[leegulf]

The inspector you mentioned using a dental pick to check undercut was out of code.
The standard is visual inspection to include lights, mirrors, magnifiers, or any visual aid.
If undercut is visually determined then it needs to be gaged to verify acceptance.

The important question is what are the codes, specs., standards, and weld procedures being used,
not some inspector or manager or technicians whim.