TÜV Rheinland has recently been reaccredited as an AWS testing facility. This accreditation recognizes the excellence of TÜV Rheinland's Aliquippa, PA welding laboratory and their compliance with the requirements set forth by the American Welding Society (AWS), a globally recognized organization for its code and certification procedures, which provide industry standards for welding and joining metals, plastics, and other materials.
To become an Accredited Test Facility (ATF), companies must meet pre-determined AWS requirements and demonstrate that they have the resources to test welders for the nationally recognized and accepted AWS Certified Welding program.
"This is another important recognition for our welding lab, as it attests that our facilities and procedures meet AWS requirements, and positions us as one of the few accredited facilities in Western Pennsylvania," says Chris Dugan, Branch Manager for Industrial Services at TUV Rheinland of North America.
As an ATF, TÜV Rheinland can offer certification to the Certified Welder (CW) program through which AWS and its approved laboratories test welders for procedures used in the structural steel, petroleum pipeline, sheet metal, and chemical refinery welding industries. These tests are conducted at AWS Accredited Testing Facilities, such as TÜV Rheinland's facility in Aliquippa, PA.
"Welders who wish to become an AWS Certified Welder should schedule a visit to our facility, where our experts will assess the professional's practical knowledge," explains Dugan. "Our testing facilities follow rigorous standards for testing welders and can test professionals in accordance with AWS Standard Welding Procedures (SWPSs), industry standard specifications, and company-defined or non-company-defined welding specifications."
Companies interested in ensuring the quality of their processes and the knowledge of their professionals have many benefits by joining the Certified Welder program, because in addition to improving productivity and reducing liability, they can entrust their welder certification to TÜV Rheinland's highly qualified experts. "As a result, it is possible to ensure quality welds and provide welding guidelines to ensure well-aligned processes, reducing the possibility of weld rework, for example," stated Dugan. In addition, individuals who earn AWS certification gain many professional advantages: they can validate their experience and impartiality against an approved set of welding standards and guidelines, demonstrate fundamental welding knowledge, and gain a competitive advantage over non-AWS certified individuals.
For employers, the advantages go further: AWS welding inspector certification has been widely accepted in the United States and even in many of the world's leading industrial countries, and more and more multinational companies are relying on third-party AWS certification to ensure that welding quality reaches the highest internationally recognized level.
