Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 283 Objectives After completing this chapter, you will be able to: ❑ Explain how specifications and codes are used in the welding industry. ❑ Recall the information contained in a welding procedure specification (WPS). ❑ Summarize the process of procedure qualification. ❑ Explain how welder/operator certification is obtained and recall the limitations of certification. ❑ Identify specifications used for welding. ❑ Recall the various careers available in the welding field. ❑ Give examples of soft skills needed in the workplace. ❑ Recall the major factors involved in estimating the cost of making a weld. ❑ Recall the tasks involved in workplace maintenance and equipment inspection. ❑ Explain the requirements for and the advantages of becoming a SENSE-certified welder. Key Terms arc hours automatic operator certification clock hours codes consumables hourly flat rate cost in-process inspection labor procedure qualification soft skills specifications welder certification welding procedure qualification record (WPQR) welding procedure specification (WPS) Introduction All welding is done to specifi cations. The specifi ca- tion may be only a verbal order to the welder, or it may be a very detailed written document, with control over every aspect of the job. Control is necessary to assure the client that the weld will perform the job intended. The amount of assurance is relative to the job requirements. For example, a weld on a steel cabinet base requires very little assurance. However, a weld on a nuclear reactor part must have very high assurance of weld quality. To achieve this assurance of weld quality, rules are made to cover the procedures, methods, materials, qual- ifi cation, and testing used to produce and test the weld. The rules, in the form of orders, codes, specifi cations, or instructions, are generally a part of the purchase order or contracts for the weldment. Specifications and Codes Specifi cations are documents that detail types of materials, welding processes, preparation of joints, qualifi cation and welding requirements, and testing that will be used to produce the weldment. Specifi ca- tions may be specifi c or general in nature and can be Chapter 19 Qualification, Certification, and Employment