BC Welder Testing Info

What you will discover at our centrally located CWB welder testing facility:

• Ten booths set up with individual fume extractors and welding stands, and five inch angle grinder with wire wheel.
• New inverter type welding machines that can be set up with a variety of consumables for a range of procedures SMAW, FCAW, GMAW, dual shield or flux core.
• Machining equipment for preparation and testing of welding coupons.
• Experienced staff supervisors available to assist.
• Free parking.

Procedure for Booking your CWB Welder Test

Please have the following information ready when booking:

• First name, middle initial, last name
• Mailing address (where the test report will be sent)
• Contact phone number
• Who is paying? Welder or Company
• Which process is welder testing for: SMAW (stick) – FCAW (flux/wire) – GMAW (mig)

Positions CWB welder testing for:

• Full test—doing all 4 positions
• Check test—position depends on original ticket positions
• Re-test—specify position
• Flat
• Horizontal

Contact Person: Steve Reid or Sheila McCrea
Email: cwbtesting@piledrivers2404.ca

Prerequisites

Be prepared to present welding certification cards to CWB inspector.

Personal protection equipment required (P.P.E.) e.g.

• CSA approved steel toe work boots
• personal eye protection
• wear 100% cotton or wool or fire retardant material
• welding jacket or sleeves
• welding gloves

CWB Plate Test

• 45 minutes per plate – 5/16 maximum leg length
• 1/8” maximum build up – 1/32” maximum undercut
• Use run off tabs – wire wheel on grinder allowed
• No defacing of stamped area – stops and starts must be observed
• Electrode sizes 3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32” usage – no using any grinders or files for metal removal

Guidelines for passing CWB Welder Test

• No chipping hammer marks or stray arcs on plate.
• Fill in the craters at the end of the grove weld.
• Do not build weld up more than 3mm (1/8”) above the surface of the plate.
• No grinder, saw blades, files or tools for metal removal are allowed.
• Ensure that you do not weave up against the square cut plate, always point to the square cut plate when welding to it.
• You are required to make stop/starts as directed by the CWB representative. Ensue that stop/starts are welded correctly.

Stop/start technique

Using SMAW, restart the arc ahead of the crater, move back to the crater, fill it and continue to weld.

• Using FCAW, restart in the centre of the weld crater.
• The second pass must touch the beveled plate.
• Technique for the fill passes is up to the welder, but it is generally considered easier with less chance of leaving a defect in the weld if stringer passes are used. The vertical position may be an exception.
• The legs of the fillet weld must not vary in size by more than 1.5mm (1/16”).
• Fillets size weld is 8mm (5/16”) maximum (this means that you can put on a 5mm (3/16”), 6mm (1/4”) or 8mm (5/16”) fillet weld).
• If attempting three passes in the root area, make sure enough room is left to fuse the third pass to the backup strip.