We offer a well-lit and ventilated environment stocked with equipment for a variety of welding methods as part of our SMAW welding certification program. Certified Welding Inspectors (CWIs) can view the process from a safe distance in our observation booths, making the certification process safer and more convenient for everyone involved. Our welding lab staff includes qualified CWIs capable of testing the weld’s quality for certification.
What is SMAW Welding?
During SMAW welding, the welder uses a rod (or stick) with a flux-coated consumable electrode. When heated, the electrode melts, and the flux coating emits a shielding gas that protects the weld area from contamination and a slag byproduct that covers the molten weld pool. After the weld solidifies, the welder chips away the hardened slag until only the weld remains.
Professional welders have long favored SMAW for its relatively simple procedure, lightweight and portable equipment, and applicability to various welding positions in indoor and outdoor environments. SMAW is popular with industries such as shipbuilding, construction, manufacturing, repair and maintenance, and aerospace.
Professional welds must be of sound quality to provide structural support, bear loads, and join critical components. As such, companies may want to vet potential hires before onboarding. Welders can prove their ability to weld successfully and reliably with documented certification through an accredited body or by demonstrating their skills before a CWI and other interested parties.
Welding Certification
ATS can customize our inspections and tests according to chosen certification organizations, standards, and client specifications. Three major certification bodies in America are AWS, API, and ASTM. AWS certifies welders, inspectors, and other roles. Meanwhile, API and ASTM are concerned with the welding process and quality.
Throughout the welding process, the CWI focuses on the welder’s ability:
- Following the Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS), relevant standards, and requirements
- Proper set-up and calibration
- Selecting a suitable electrode for the materials
- Successful arc strike
- Effective weaving technique
- Good rod position and angle
- Following safety protocols
- Adequate speed for a strong weld
- Cleaning the face of debris and slag, if allowed
- Clean-up
After the welder completes the weld, the CWI visually examines the welding coupon for defects and contamination. CWIs look for an attractive weld free of contamination, defects, and deficiencies such as bubbles, weakness, poor fusion, shallow penetration, spatter, and slag. The CWI will also perform more sophisticated tests.
Weld Quality Testing
The ATS weld testing lab is A2LA-accredited to perform ISO/IEC 17025:2017 mechanical and nondestructive tests on welds, structures, and related materials. We perform tests and inspections according to industry standards and bodies, such as:
- ASTM
- API
- NADCAP
- AWS
- PED/EN
- NAVSEA
- MIL-STD
- IBC
The ATS weld testing team includes metallurgists, engineers, a chemist, API inspectors, ASNT-TC-1A technicians, qualified welders, and CWIs. Our team delivers the best of ATS’s metallurgical testing capabilities with innovative technology to discern internal and external defects.
Nondestructive Inspections (NDI)
Our experts can provide a visual assessment that follows AWS D1.1 guidelines and other relevant standards. We can also inspect a weld without damaging it through nondestructive methods:
- Eddy Current (ET)
- Phased Array (PA)
- Liquid Penetrant (PT)
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
- Magnetic Particle (MT)
- Radiography
Mechanical
Destructive testing takes a weld coupon to its mechanical limits for the CWI to determine how effective a weld truly is. Professionally laid welds must withstand heavy loads, strains, and stresses without compromising integrity. ATS provides destructive tests that subject coupons to similar conditions:
- Tensile testing
- Hardness testing
- Impact testing
- Bend testing
- Macro-etch testing
- Fillet weld break test
- Nick breaks
- Corrosion testing
About ATS
With over half a century of service behind us, ATS knows the best way to serve our customers is with thorough analysis and rigorous testing. We provide diverse consulting engineering, calibration, testing, and inspection services to national and international clients.
Now leading a growing Family of Companies (FoC) nationwide, ATS operates an ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and multiple A2LA-accredited labs. Our staff frequently travels to perform on-site inspections and analyses of components and structures that cannot be shipped to an ATS lab.
To learn more about our certifications and quality standards, click here.
Contact Us
To schedule a SMAW welding certification test, call +1 (888) 287-5227 or complete the request form on this page. ATS can also observe the welding process and certify welders to work in other positions with other methods, such as GTAW, FCAW, and GMAW.
