What did Table 6.6 used to be called?

In AWS D1.1:2020 the same content lived in Table 6.5. Pre-2020 editions called it Table 4.5. The 2025 edition renumbered it to Table 6.6. Always cite the table number that matches the cited edition.

Does every row apply to every process?

No. Table 6.6 columns indicate which processes each row applies to. Some rows are SAW-specific (number of electrodes, wire configuration). Some apply only to GMAW transfer mode. Always read the column header for the process you're qualifying.

What's the most commonly violated row in Table 6.6?

Heat input. Production welds frequently drift outside the heat-input range qualified by the PQR — especially when the welder pushes travel speed to keep up with a schedule. A rule engine that calculates heat input on every WPS prevents this.

AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.6 explained: PQR essential variables row by row

Table 6.6 is the heart of PQR essential variables for SMAW, SAW, GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW under AWS D1.1:2025. Here's what each row covers and the common requalification triggers.

AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.6 lists the PQR essential variables for SMAW, SAW, GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW. If you change any listed essential variable beyond its qualified range, the PQR no longer supports the WPS — you need to qualify new ranges.

This is a row-by-row overview of the 2025 edition. For the authoritative table, refer to the published code.

Structure of Table 6.6

The table has roughly two-dozen rows. Each row is a single essential variable, with columns indicating:

Which processes the variable applies to
The change that triggers requalification
The qualified range or limit

Process columns: SMAW, SAW, GMAW (split into spray/globular and short-circuit), FCAW (gas and self-shielded), GTAW.

Common rows that drive requalification

Filler metal classification (AWS A-spec). Change from A5.1 to A5.5, or A5.18 to A5.28 — requalify.

Filler F-number. Cross-grouping fillers — requalify.

Significant base metal change. Moving from Group I to Group II, or from one P-number to another — requalify. The 2025 edition uses Table 6.9 groups.

Current type or polarity. Change from DCEP to DCEN, AC to DC, or pulsed to spray — requalify.

Heat input. A change in heat input greater than the limit allowed by the table (typically ±10% to ±20% depending on row, with CVN-required work tighter under Table 6.8) — requalify.

SAW number of electrodes. Single-wire to twin-wire SAW — requalify.

Position progression. Vertical-up to vertical-down — requalify. (Some processes prohibit vertical-down at the prequalified level entirely.)

Filler metal diameter beyond one size. Going from 1/8 in to 5/32 in is generally allowed; going from 1/8 in to 3/16 in usually requires requalification.

2025 row-content changes

Several rows changed substantively from 2020:

Row 4 — A5.36 dropped from the allowed filler-classification list for GMAW/FCAW
Row 7 — the electrode-to-supplemental-filler ratio threshold is now ±10%
Row 8 — new –G designator rule introduced (was different content in 2020)
The standalone interpass-decrease rule (old row 36 in 2020) is dropped from the 2025 table; only the interpass-increase trigger is retained

How to use Table 6.6 in practice

When writing a WPS, work in two passes:

First pass — identification. Tag every parameter as "essential per row X" or "nonessential." Most rule engines do this automatically.
Second pass — range check. For each essential variable, ensure the WPS range falls inside the qualified range from the PQR. Flag violations with row number, qualified range, WPS value, delta.

A good rule engine returns output like:

Row 7 violation: electrode-to-supplemental-filler ratio recorded on PQR-12 was 50% / 50%. WPS draft specifies 60% / 40%, delta +10% on electrode side — exceeds ±10% threshold. Requalify the ratio change or revise WPS to stay within range.

That moves table interpretation from a Word-document audit problem to a build-time check.

The deepest mistake

Treating Table 6.6 as a checklist instead of an envelope. Each row is a dimension of the qualified envelope. The WPS occupies a region of that envelope — it can move freely inside, but the moment it crosses a row's boundary, the procedure is no longer supported. Knowing the boundaries is the entire point of the table.