Introduction

Have you got an upcoming welding audit? Just the mention of the word audit can make even the most seasoned welding professional break just a little bit of a sweat. You are probably picturing the inspector with a clipboard snooping over your shoulder watching each mark and arc and weld bead you make! But what if we flipped the whole concept? An audit is not a negative thing. It’s a health check for your welding operation. It’s your opportunity to prove to yourself and others that you are providing consistent, quality, and safe work. This article will highlight the key International (ISO) and American (AWS) standards and, more importantly, what documentation you need to have ready in order to not just pass but to ace your audit.

Why audit and who really cares. The true value of a welding audit.

Think of compliance as your business structure, not as checking a box.

• Ensures quality and safety: there are standards for a reason. Standards provide a time-tested framework to help prevent failures, accidents, and rework.
• Score your business: a lot of clients, especially oil & gas, aerospace, and structural steel clients will not even consider a fabricator with a certified quality system.
• Culture of Excellence: When everyone performs according to a simple, documented process, quality is no longer a choice, it is a habit.

 

The Two Heavyweights: ISO and AWS Standards You will generally use only two sets of standards. They often go together.

ISO 3834: Quality Management System for Welding ISO 3834 is not a code on how to weld. Rather, it is a system for managing your welding quality process. ISO 3834 helps you to answer the question: “How can you assure your welding will always be good if you have the right people, processes, and equipment?”

There are three levels:

• ISO 3834-2: Full Quality Requirements (most complex)
• ISO 3834-3: Standard Quality Requirements
• ISO 3834-4: Elementary Quality Requirements

 

AWS Standards: The “How-To” Guides

The American Welding Society (AWS) establishes the codes that specify how to weld. An auditor will verify that you are following the proper code for the task at hand. Common ones are:

• AWS D1.1/D1.1M: Structural Welding Code – Steel
• AWS D1.2/D1.2M: Structural Welding Code – Aluminium
• AWS D1.6/D1.6M: Structural Welding Code – Stainless Steel
• AWS B2.1: Standard for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification
• AWS D14.3/D14.3M: Specification for Welding Earthmoving, Construction, and Agricultural Equipment.

 

Your Pre-Audit Checklist: What to Keep

This is the important part. An auditor lives by documentation. Auditors hold true to the famous quality quote, “If it is not written down, it did not happen”. You will want to collect and organize these documents into a Quality Control (QC) Binder or your Welding Procedure Binder.

 

1. Contract Review & Design Documents

You will need proof that you understood the requirements before you ever struck an arc.

• Customer Welding Specification: A particular standard (e.g., AWS D1.1, Clause) that the customer must comply with.
• Design Drawings and Weld Symbols: Ensure they are complete and clear.
• Material Specification: Documentation (Mill Test Reports – MTRs) for all base metals that you will be using, showing they are of the grade and type shown on the drawing.
• Filler Material Specification: Documentation for all welding wire, stick electrodes, and fluxes showing it conforms to the required AWS classification (e.g., ER70S-6, E7018).

 

2. Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS)

The WPS is central to your process. The WPS contains the guidance, and the instruction sheet that your welders will need to follow for any joint.

• Base metal type and thickness range.

• Shielding gas type and flow rate.
• Electrical characteristics: Voltage, amperage, and polarity ranges.
• Travel speed and technique (e.g., stringer or weave bead).
• Preheat and interpass temperature requirements.
• Post-weld heat treatment details.

 

3. Procedure Qualification Records (PQR)

You can’t just write a WPS; you must demonstrate it works. The PQR providing that demonstration and showing the qualifications you made to qualify the procedure.

The PQR Package must include:

• The actual WPS you used for the test.
• Records of all welding parameters you used while making the test weld.
• Destructive Test Reports: Results from bend tests, tensile tests, macro-etch, or Charpy impact tests performed on the test coupon.
• A signed report from either the testing lab or responsible party who can attest that the test coupon met all requirements.

 

4. Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ)

This shows that a specific welder has the skill to use a qualified WPS. A welder’s certification is not generic; it ties them to the variables associated with their test.

For each welder you should have a WPQ record that indicates:

• The welder’s name and unique identification number.
• The specific WPS they qualified under.
• A record of their continuity which can prove they have performed that type of weld on a regular basis to keep their qualification active.

 

5. Equipment Calibration & Maintenance

An auditor will verify that your equipment does not negatively impact your workmanship.

• Calibration Certificates: For all of your welding machines, amperage/voltage meters, temperature sticks, and oven thermometer. Must be current (typically annual calibration).
• Preventative Maintenance Logs: Records relating to the regular service of your welding power sources, wire feeders, and gas regulators.
• Electrode Oven Logs: If using low-hydrogen electrodes (E7018), you need to log sausage bake temperatures and holding times to ensure moisture pickup is controlled.

 

6. Inspection & Test Reports (ITRs)

These are your evidence that you checked the work and it was compliant with acceptance criteria.

• Visual Inspection (VT) Reports: These will be completed by your Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) with specific notations regarding defects (e.g. porosity, undercut, cracking) and your specific weld codes.
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Reports: Formal reports from Radiographic (X-Ray) Testing (RT), Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Magnetic Particle Testing (MT), or Dye Penetrant Testing (PT). Reports must clearly state the standard that was used, the results, and the identity of the certified technician.
• Corrective Action Reports (CARs): Possibly the most critical document. When an inspector discovers a defect, you need to document not just the repair, but the conduct of a root cause analysis and the action steps taken to prevent recurrence of the defect in the future. This demonstrates a proactive quality culture.

 

7. Employee Records

• CVs/Resumes for key personnel such as the Welding Engineer, Coordinator and Supervisor.
• Certification Cards for all of your Certified Welding Inspectors (CWI) to show currency of credentials.
• Training Records for all welders and operators, indicating training on specific WPSs and safety procedures.

 

The Day of the Audit: Make an Impression

Preparation is everything! The day of the audit you need to:

• Designate a Guide: An auditor should be escorted during the audit. Typically, your Quality Manager or a knowledgeable lead person can serve this function.
• Tour the Facility: Show your clean organized shop with pride! Make our way to calibrated equipment, material storage, and area with welders working to the posted WPS.
• Ask Questions: Don’t be afraid to interact with the auditor. Expect to understand the report, and explore the findings. Remember this is a learning opportunity too.

 

FAQ

Q1: What is the primary difference between ISO and AWS standards?

A: AWS Standards (e.g., D1.1): These are highly prescriptive and technical standards. They tell you how to weld, by specifying the procedures, techniques, materials, and inspection requirements. They are the “rulebook” of the art of welding in the US.

 

Conclusion

You will Leverage Anxiety into Confidence

A welding audit is not a black box. It is a confirmation of your system. Remember to provide a thorough understanding of the standards (ISO for management, AWS for technique) along with keeping complete and accurate documentation maintain consistency and transparency transforming audits from a stress into a positive system of advantages. You stop worrying about if you will pass and start showcasing how you excel. Your documentation becomes the story of your commitment to quality a story any auditor will be happy to read.

 

Educational Resources & References for Welding Audit Compliance

American Welding Society (AWS): www.aws.org

International Organization for Standardization (ISO): www.iso.org

TWI Global (The Welding Institute): www.twi-global.com

American Society for Non-destructive Testing (ASNT): www.asnt.org

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – NDT Resources: www.iaea.org

NDT Resource Center: www.nde-ed.org

ASTM International (formerly American Society for Testing and Materials): www.astm.org

IEEE Xplore Digital Library: www.ieee.org