§ Blog
AWS D1.1:2025, WPS, PQR — without the jargon.
Practical guides for the people writing, signing, and auditing welding procedure specifications. No fluff, no SEO filler — just what you need to ship a code-compliant WPS faster.
- 4 min readasme ixwps
ASME IX QW-404.4 F-Number Explained for Pressure Vessel Shops
QW-404.4 F-numbers control filler-metal substitution on qualified WPSs. Here's what pressure vessel shops need to know to stay compliant.
Read article → - 4 min readasme ixpqr
ASME IX QW-403.8: When a P-Number Change Forces Requalification
QW-403.8 is one of the most-tripped essential variables in ASME IX. Here's exactly when a P-number change kills your existing PQR.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSAWS D1.1
How to write a WPS for AWS D1.1:2025 (step-by-step)
A practical step-by-step for writing a code-compliant Welding Procedure Specification under AWS D1.1:2025 — from joint sketch to signature.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSAWS D1.1
Prequalified WPS under AWS D1.1 Clause 5: what qualifies
Most shop welds can be prequalified — no PQR required. Here's exactly what AWS D1.1 Clause 5 lets you skip qualification on, and the traps that disqualify a WPS.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSAWS D1.1
What is a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)?
A Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) is a written document that tells a welder exactly how to make a code-compliant weld. Here's what it contains and why every fab shop needs one.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSessential variables
WPS essential variables vs nonessential variables (and why it matters)
Change a nonessential variable and you update the WPS. Change an essential variable and you may need to requalify the procedure. Here's the distinction in plain English.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSPQR
WPS vs PQR vs WPQ: what's the difference?
WPS prescribes how to weld. PQR proves a procedure produces sound welds. WPQ proves a welder can follow it. Three documents, three roles — explained in one read.
Read article → - 2 min readAWS D1.12025 edition
AWS D1.1:2025 vs 2020: what changed
The 2025 edition of AWS D1.1 renumbered the essential-variable tables and tightened several technical limits. Here's a focused diff for anyone maintaining a WPS library.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSaudit
10 common WPS mistakes that fail QC review
The same WPS deficiencies show up audit after audit. Here are the ten most common, in order of frequency — and the one-line fix for each.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSCWI
Who can sign a WPS? CWI requirements and the responsible-engineer rule
A WPS is signed by someone whose qualifications are accountable to the code. Here's who can sign — and who can't — under AWS D1.1, ASME IX, and major US contractor certifications.
Read article → - 2 min readWPSrevision control
WPS revision control: when to issue a new revision (and how to do it right)
A WPS is a controlled document. Edits create new revisions, with full audit trail. Here's the standard for revision control that survives a third-party audit.
Read article → - 3 min readWPSAWS Annex M
WPS template vs WPS form: what AWS Annex M actually shows
AWS D1.1 Annex M includes sample WPS and PQR forms. These are illustrative, not mandatory — but every shop should know what's on them and why.
Read article → - 2 min readTable 6.6PQR
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.
Read article → - 2 min readCVNTable 6.8
CVN impact testing and AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.8 supplementary essentials
When CVN (Charpy V-Notch) testing is required, Table 6.8 adds supplementary essential variables on top of Table 6.6. Here's what changed in 2025 and when it applies.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRqualification
How to qualify a welding procedure (PQR step-by-step)
From draft WPS to signed PQR in three weeks. Here's the sequence that experienced welding engineers use to qualify procedures the first time.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRmechanical testing
PQR tensile and bend test requirements under AWS D1.1:2025
What specimens to cut, what tests to run, what pass-fail criteria apply. A field-ready summary of mechanical-test requirements for AWS D1.1 PQR qualification.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRAWS D1.1
What is a PQR? Procedure Qualification Record, explained
A Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) is the test-weld documentation proving that a welding procedure produces sound welds. Here's what a PQR contains and when you need one.
Read article → - 3 min readheat inputWPS
Heat input control: how to calculate and document it on a WPS
Heat input is an essential variable in AWS D1.1 Tables 6.6 and 6.8. Here's the calculation, the documentation pattern, and the production tracking that keeps it in range.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRprequalification
PQR vs prequalified: which path is cheaper?
Prequalified WPSs cost zero in lab fees but constrain your parameter envelope. PQR-supported WPSs are unlimited but cost $1,500–$4,000 each. Here's how to choose.
Read article → - 3 min readpreheatinterpass
Preheat and interpass temperature: how to document on a WPS
Preheat prevents cold cracking. Interpass temperature controls HAZ size. Both belong on every WPS — here's how to specify and verify them.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRinspection
Reading a PQR test report: what inspectors look for
A PQR lab report is densely formatted. Here's the five-minute read that experienced CWIs use to spot problems — and confirm the PQR actually supports the WPS.
Read article → - 3 min readPQRrequalification
When does a PQR require requalification?
A PQR is valid for the life of the procedure — until you cross an essential variable. Here are the specific changes that force requalification under AWS D1.1:2025.
Read article → - 3 min readFCAW-GA992
FCAW-G WPS for A992 wide-flange beams: a structural-shop standard
FCAW with gas shielding (FCAW-G) on A992 wide-flange beams is the bread-and-butter of US steel erection. Here's a complete WPS template — and the AISC seismic implications.
Read article → - 3 min readGMAWA572-50
GMAW WPS for A572 Grade 50: parameters and pitfalls
GMAW with E70S-6 on ASTM A572 Grade 50 is common in structural fab. Here's the full WPS — including the short-circuit-transfer caveats that trip up prequalified status.
Read article → - 3 min readGTAWSMAW
GTAW root + SMAW fill: writing a hybrid WPS
A hybrid procedure with a GTAW root pass and SMAW fill is common on small-diameter pipe and high-cleanliness joints. Here's how to document a hybrid WPS that covers both processes.
Read article → - 3 min readSAWA516-70
SAW WPS for A516 Grade 70 thick plate pressure-vessel work
Submerged arc welding (SAW) on A516 Gr. 70 thick plate is high-deposition, high-quality, and tightly documented. Here's a full WPS — including the ASME crossover.
Read article → - 3 min readSMAWA36
SMAW WPS for ASTM A36: a complete walkthrough
The most common WPS in any structural fab shop: SMAW with E7018 on ASTM A36. Here's the full parameter set, what's prequalified, and the pitfalls.
Read article → - 3 min readFCAW-GFCAW-S
FCAW-G vs FCAW-S: WPS implications
Gas-shielded and self-shielded flux-cored welding share a name but are different procedures. Different fillers, different essentials, different audit gotchas.
Read article → - 3 min readGMAWtransfer mode
GMAW short-circuit vs spray transfer: WPS implications
Transfer mode is an essential variable. Short-circuit, globular, spray, and pulsed GMAW are different procedures with different WPSs — even on the same wire.
Read article → - 3 min readpulsed GMAWWPS
Pulsed GMAW: documenting waveform parameters on a WPS
Pulsed GMAW promises spray-like quality at lower heat input. The WPS has to document the pulse waveform — not just amperage and voltage.
Read article → - 3 min readSMAWE7018
SMAW low-hydrogen E7018 WPS: when and why
E7018 is the most common SMAW electrode in structural welding. The 'low-hydrogen' designator on the WPS isn't decorative — it's the entire reason E7018 exists.
Read article → - 3 min readD1.6stainless
Welding stainless steel: when D1.6 applies instead of D1.1
AWS D1.1 covers carbon and low-alloy steels. For stainless, the governing code is D1.6. Here's what changes — and what stays the same — in your WPS.
Read article → - 3 min readAHJaudit
AHJ asks for a WPS: how to respond fast
An Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) request for WPSs is a common audit trigger. Here's the response that wins time and the response that loses it.
Read article → - 3 min readAISCcertification
AISC certification audits: what to have ready
AISC steel-building certification audits hit the WPS library hard. Here's the document set that survives an AISC visit — and the gaps that fail one.
Read article → - 3 min readthird-party auditdeficiencies
Common WPS deficiencies found in third-party audits
Three-party audits — independent of the shop and the AHJ — find the same WPS deficiencies over and over. Here are the patterns and the preventive fixes.
Read article → - 3 min readCWIWPS review
CWI WPS review: a step-by-step checklist
What a CWI actually looks for when reviewing a new WPS — and the order experienced inspectors do it in to catch the most findings in the least time.
Read article → - 3 min readWPS libraryorganization
Building a welding procedure library that's always audit-ready
A WPS library is a living asset. Here's how to organize one that supports daily production, survives audits, and onboards new CWIs quickly.
Read article → - 3 min readfield weldingWPS
WPS for field welding vs shop welding: the differences that matter
Field welding adds wind, weather, position constraints, and access challenges that shop welding doesn't have. Here's how to write a field-welding WPS that survives reality.
Read article → - 3 min readAnnex Bjoints
Joint design: prequalified geometries from AWS D1.1 Annex B
AWS D1.1 Annex B is the catalog of prequalified joint details. Use what's in Annex B and your WPS stays prequalified. Use something else, and you qualify by test.
Read article → - 3 min readPWHTWPS
PWHT on a WPS: when post-weld heat treatment is required and how to document it
Post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) relieves residual stress and improves toughness. Here's when it's required, how to specify it on a WPS, and how to verify it in production.
Read article → - 3 min readWPQtraceability
Welder qualification (WPQ) traceability to the WPS
A WPS authorizes a procedure. A WPQ authorizes a welder. The link between them is the most-audited connection in welding QC.
Read article → - 3 min readdigital signatureWPS
WPS digital signature requirements: what holds up at audit
Digital signatures on WPSs are widely accepted — but not all digital signatures meet code expectations. Here's what makes one defensible.
Read article → - 3 min readAIWPS
AI-drafted WPS vs hand-written: what actually changes
AI doesn't replace a CWI. It eliminates the parts of WPS authoring that already feel mechanical, leaving the engineering judgment where it belongs.
Read article → - 3 min readsoftwarecomparison
Modern WPS software vs WeldAssistant, WeldOffice, and WPS Maker
The incumbent desktop WPS programs have run unchanged for a decade. Here's what a modern AI-native, cloud-based alternative does differently — and where the desktop tools still hold ground.
Read article → - 3 min readspreadsheetsoftware
Spreadsheet WPS vs software WPS: the real cost of mistakes
Excel can produce a WPS. So can software. Here's the honest cost comparison that includes rework, audit findings, and the time you'd rather spend elsewhere.
Read article → - 3 min readmigrationsoftware
Why fab shops are leaving Word and Excel for WPS software
Word and Excel did the job for decades. Three forces are pushing fab shops to dedicated WPS software now — and they're not going away.
Read article → - 3 min readtemplatessearch
Free WPS template downloads: why most are a search trap
Search for 'AWS D1.1 WPS template free download' and you'll get hundreds of results. Almost all of them have the same five problems — and using them as-is fails audits.
Read article → - 4 min readASME IXD1.1
AWS D1.1 vs ASME Section IX: code selection for your WPS
Structural steel goes under AWS D1.1. Pressure vessels and piping go under ASME Section IX. The differences are real and matter for your WPS.
Read article → - 4 min readedition transitionWPS lifetime
How long is a WPS valid? Edition transitions and procedure lifetime
WPSs don't expire — but they can become non-compliant when their cited code edition is superseded. Here's how to manage edition transitions in your library.
Read article → - 3 min readA5.36FCAW
AWS A5.36 designators: what changed in D1.1:2025
A5.36 is the open-classification filler standard for FCAW. Its prequalification status changed in D1.1:2025. Here's what shops need to update.
Read article → - 3 min readSAWTable 6.6
The 10% electrode-to-supplemental-filler ratio rule in AWS D1.1:2025
AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.6 row 7 tightened the electrode-to-supplemental-filler ratio threshold. Here's what changed and how to comply on a SAW WPS.
Read article → - 4 min readWPS librarynumbering
WPS numbering scheme: best practices for a growing library
A consistent WPS numbering scheme saves hours during audits and onboarding. Here's the format most certified shops use — and the formats that cause problems.
Read article →