| How does a welder get certified for motorsports | | | | visually inspected and also tested by x ray and other |
| welding? | | | | destructive tests like bend, tensile, penetrant |
| Good question. As I write this, there is no welding | | | | inspection etc. |
| certification test code book written for the | | | | If results are acceptable, a welding procedure |
| motor-sports industry. | | | | qualification report (WPQR) is recorded and used to |
| When will the American Welding Society (AWS) | | | | produce an official WPS for further tests as well as |
| create one? Word on the street is that it is in the | | | | production welds. |
| works. But welding codes are written by welding | | | | So what acceptance criteria is available for motor-- |
| committees. And committees are slow. | | | | sports applications? |
| In other words, don't hold your breath. | | | | In the absence of a specific welding code for the |
| If you weld for the motorsports industry and are | | | | racing industry, the code that most closely resembles |
| hearing terms thrown around like "due diligence" or | | | | motorsports for material types, thicknesses, and |
| "product liability", you may want to consider this: | | | | processes, (along with similar issues like cyclic loading |
| AWS welding codes are all very similar in that they | | | | and fatigue failures) is the AWS D17.1 ---Specification |
| use common test welds to test welders to a specific | | | | for Fusion Welding for Aerospace applications. |
| acceptance criteria. The welding procedure must also | | | | AWS D17.1 is a relatively short document that allows |
| be qualified. | | | | the Engineering Authority of a company to tailor |
| The twenty thousand foot view looks like this: | | | | welding tests to the task. |
| A preliminary welding procedure specification (wps) is | | | | The code specifically addresses materials like 4130 |
| drafted with approximate essential variables recorded | | | | chromoly, 17-4 ph stainless, inconels, 6061 t6 |
| that will likely yield acceptable results. | | | | aluminum, ez33 magnesium, 6AL4V titanium, and any |
| Test welds are made using the WPS and the weld is | | | | other alloy it takes to build a race vehicle. |