American Welding Society

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American Welding Society

Founded 1919

Type Non-Profit Organization

Headquarters Miami, FL

Members
73,000+

President
Dale Flood

Website http://www.aws.org

The American Welding Society (AWS) was founded in 1919 as a non-profit organization to
advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes,
including brazing, soldering and thermal spraying.
Headquartered in Miami, Florida and led by a volunteer organization of officers and directors, AWS
serves over 73,000 members worldwide and is composed of 22 Districts with 250 Sections and
student chapters.
The organization is perhaps best known for its code and certification procedures, which provide
industry standards for the welding and joining of metals, plastics and other materials.
[citation needed]
 Contents

 1History
o 1.1Location
 2Welding Journal
 3Certification
o 3.1Endorsements
o 3.2Accredited Test Facilities
o 3.3Certified Welding Fabricator
 4Membership
 5AWS Codes and Specifications
 6Sections
o 6.1List of American Welding Society Sections
 7AWS Foundation
 8AWS Awards
 9Standing Committees
 10Officers
 11See also
 12References

History[edit]
The roots of the American Welding Society stretch back to World War I, when the sudden demands
of swiftly producing military equipment brought about the need for standardization of the
manufacturing industry. An evolving metal joining process, welding, suddenly became very
necessary to enhance the war effort. To ensure that industry took advantage of this
technology, President Woodrow Wilson called upon a Harvard professor, Comfort A. Adams, to chair
the Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corp.
Welding performed well in the war effort and its success motivated Adams in 1919 to bring together
industry leaders for the purpose of merging the Welding Committee of the Emergency Fleet Corp.
and the National Welding Council into a new organization, the purpose of which was to provide
dependable and objective information on the developing technology of welding. On March 28, 1919,
the American Welding Society was born for that purpose, with Adams serving as its first President.
That first year the Society grew to 217 members; introduced the Journal of the American Welding
Society, a technical publication with a life of one issue, but the precursor of the Welding Journal;
found a home in the Engineering Societies Building in New York City; and established the foundation
of the committee system for the production of its operating procedures and industry standards on
welding. In 1920, the first local Section was organized in Philadelphia, Pa.
By 1922, the American Welding Society had held its first Annual Meeting. Attendees were told of the
formation of Sections in eight cities, and also of the establishment of the Journal of the American
Welding Society. However, the first meeting also called into discussion the growing financial issues
surrounding the depression and proposed solutions to alleviate it. Financial reports delivered at the
meeting stated an income for fiscal year ending March 31, 1922, of $12,683.74. The budget for fiscal
year 1922-23 was projected at $15,540. It was clear more earnings were needed, so the Society
turned to increasing membership numbers of advertising in the Journal as a solution.[citation needed]

Location[edit]
The Doral, FL headquarters for the American Welding Society

This sculpture sits in the lobby of the American Welding Society headquarters.

The American Welding Society's first headquarters were located in New York City, inside the
Engineering Societies Building. For 42 years the organization held all their business in this building,
before finally making the move to the United Engineering Center, which was also in New York City.
In 1971 the Society once again moved their headquarters - this time to Miami, FL. The American
Welding Society held this location for 30 years before buying its current property in Doral, FL - only
seven miles northwest of the old facility.
In August 2012 the American Welding Society moved from their longtime headquarters just
outside Coral Gables, FL to their current location in Doral, FL. During the grand opening of the new
building, AWS President William Rice said "Our newly renovated five-story building in Doral offers us
exactly what we need. It gives us more than three times the office and meeting space of our
previous headquarters, and it provides room for our board, committee, and educational activities.” [1]

The lobby of the headquarters features a bronze sculpture created by sculptor Gregory Johnson and
donated to the American Welding Society by President Rice and his wife Cherry.

Welding Journal[edit]
The first and only issue of the Journal of the American Welding Society.

The publication currently known as the Welding Journal was born in October 1919 with a different
name. The Journal of the American Welding Society was its original title - and it had just one issue
under this name. In the first publication, American Welding Society President Comfort A.
Adams wrote, "The American Bureau of Welding is the authoritative body to establish the facts. To
make the most use of the facts, however, requires another sort of machinery and the organization
that does this is the American Welding Society. Its function is not to supply the knowledge but to
spread it and assist in putting it to practical uses. It is the Society, for instance, which publishes this
Journal, which will push matters of importance to welding and which will open out new fields for its
use. It holds regular meetings to discuss matters relating to welding, to act upon the
recommendation of the Bureau and to initiate further activities. This division of the work, while it has
created some confusion on account of the similarity of the names, is a logical one, and will be found
effective in operating as was clearly indicated by the experience with the old Welding Committee." [2]

Operating costs were too high for the Journal, and it was not until 1922 that the publication was
reborn under its current name thanks to advertising earnings.
The Society explained the advertising move in their first issue of the newly named Welding Journal.
"Advertising is also included in this issue, as it was impossible to continue monthly publication
without increased revenue. The dues from members of which the National Organization retains half
(the other half being returned to local sections) is barely sufficient to pay the ordinary expenses of
the Society. Moreover, several members of the Board of Directors feel that these advertisements are
of interest to our members and add to the value of the Journal." [3]

Since the move to advertising, the Welding Journal has been published continually and continues to
be an resource for issues and advancements concerning all types of materials joining, metal
fabrication, and construction. It is offered as a benefit to members of the Society, and includes
information of the latest products, trends, technology, and events; including articles covering
everything from testing and inspection, maintenance and repair, design, training, personal safety,
and brazing and soldering.
The Welding Journal has earned more than 60 editorial and design awards, including multiple
Charlie Awards from the Florida Magazine Association (FMA), and Tabbie Awards from the Trade
Association Business Publications International (TABPI).
The Society now also publishes the Welding Journal en Español - a free quarterly publication
containing tailored articles written by and for Mexican and Latin American professionals.
The Welding Journal en Español has a circulation of 10,000 printed copies and 40,000 digital copies.
Along with this publication, the Welding Journal em Português is a magazine distributed in Brazil to
coincide with the Brazil Welding Show that takes place every two years in São Paulo, Brazil.

Certification[edit]
The American Welding Society offers a number of certification programs that recognize and
document expertise and knowledge in specific welding-related disciplines including:

 Certified Welding Inspector

 Senior Certified Welding Inspector
 Certified Welding Educator
 Certified Radiographic Interpreter
 Certified Welding Supervisor
 Certified Welding Sales Representative
 Certified Welding Engineer
 Certified Welder
 Certified Robotic Arc Welding
Since the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program was introduced in 1976, AWS has certified
over 100,000 welding inspectors alone, plus thousands more working professionals across the other
certification categories. Certification is accomplished through testing and evaluation of
corresponding procedures. The Radiographic Interpretation Certification, for example, includes a
detailed general knowledge exam, a test of specific information from the AWS code book on
radiographic quality and interpretation, and a practical exam testing the individual's ability to read
radiographic films. Most AWS certifications are typically renewed after a period of three years, and
[4]

are required to satisfy re-certification requirements every nine years.

Welders are required to take a qualification test at an AWS Accredited Testing Facility. Welders
must mail their qualification test record to AWS with a completed AWS Welder Application in order to
have an AWS certification issued. AWS Welders are required to submit a Maintenance of Welder
Certification Form to renew their certifications every six months.
Endorsements[edit]
Endorsements are supplemental inspection credentials available to all AWS Certified Welding
Inspectors (CWIs) and Senior Certified Welding Inspectors (SCWIs) to enhance an individual’s
credentials. The examinations offered as endorsements to the CWI/SCWI programs are also offered
as stand-alone exams to non-CWIs/SCWIs who wish to enhance their educational background.
Below are the available endorsement certifications that AWS offers.

 D1.1 Structural Steel

 D1.2 Structural Aluminum
 D1.5 Welding
 D15.1 Railroad
 D17.1 Aerospace
 API 1104 Pipeline
 Structural Drawing Reading
 Structural Bolting Inspection
 ASME Pressure Piping B31.1 and B31.3
 ASME Pressure Vessel Section VIII, Div. 1
Accredited Test Facilities[edit]
The American Welding Society also certifies the Accredited Test Facilities (ATF) which play an
integral part in the operation of their Certification program. The ATF program establishes minimum
requirements for test facilities, their personnel and equipment to qualify for accreditation to test and
qualify welders. This program is open to all qualified test facilities that may be a part of an
independent laboratory, manufacturing plant, educational institution, or other entity. American
Welding Society ATFs are listed on the official AWS website and advertised in the American Welding
Society's Welding Journal magazine.
The ATF program requires that a facility implements a quality assurance program that meets the
requirements established in the AWS QC4-89, Standard for the Accreditation of Testing
Facilities. The requirements include that the facility has a Quality Manual that controls the activities
[5]

related to the testing of welders in the facility according to AWS QC7, Standard for AWS Certified
Welders. The facility must also have a CWI on staff or contracted to perform the welder qualification
tests.
The American Welding Society explains the benefits of the ATF program on their website by writing
"Entrusting welder certification to ATF specialists makes good business sense for contractors and
fabricators. Companies are increasingly realizing the shortcomings of self-qualification and switching
to AWS Accredited Test Facilities to test and qualify their welders. ATFs help them to save money,
improve productivity, and reduce liability by entrusting their welder certification to the experts."
[6]

Certified Welding Fabricator[edit]

American Welding Society certifications are not only available to individuals. Companies may also
become an official AWS Certified Welding Fabricator (CWF). The American Welding Society
describes the program as being "designed to recognize those select companies who prove they
have the resources, procedures, and personnel to apply a quality management system to the
welding fabrication activities."
[7]

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Welding Society have
established a reciprocity agreement whereby AISC Certified Fabricators are also eligible to receive
certification as an AWS Certified Welding Fabricator. The AISC certification program criteria fully
satisfy the AWS Welding Fabricator Certification program requirements. AISC Fabricators that hold
current building structures and/or bridge certification may apply to AWS and pay a minimal fee to
also attain the AWS Certified Welding Fabricator certification.