Welding engineering certification options

Abstract

The University of Ottawa students asked the author about the options of Welding Engineering Certification available. Questions about how to get certification and which certification is best seem to reflect a general unfamiliarity with the process. But in all fairness to the engineering novices, the processes are not uniform around the world, so some of the answers to their questions may not always be understood due to variations from country to country. This paper is an attempt to point out some of the basic differences of the main system types and to offer ideas for those faced with the prospect of a lack of certification options in welding engineering. Harmonization of the main international methods of qualification and certification has been ongoing, but there are still a few differences that need to be addressed to allow worldwide mutual recognition of the two main third-party options. The goal of this paper is to simplify the understanding of the certification options commonly used in welding engineering. When would-be engineers ask, “Which certification is best?” They are perhaps not aware of all the facts. In some cases they have no choice as to which certification to get. But some agencies can actually accommodate several options. Today welding engineers often find it is convenient to hold more than one option of certification. Efforts are being made to have mutual recognition of certifications; however, unless we can agree on a common set of requirements, this is still a future goal.