The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs.

Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 1 of 8

November 16-18, 2016 | Las Vegas Convention Center | Las Vegas, NV USA

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs.

Plate Welder
JDALLOS / JANUARY 8, 2016 /
FABTECH365 (HTTP://WWW.FABTECHEXPO.COM/BLOG/CATEGORY/FABTECH-365/)

Sixteen factors that should be considered to determine a welders skill level are reviewed
ROY O. CHRISTENSEN is an integrity specialist, Christensen Qualityworks, Inc., Alberta, Canada.
Reprinted with permission: The Welding Journal (http://www.aws.org/wj)
It is a commonly held belief that plate or structural welding is not as difficult as pipe or pressure
welding. According to an article titled The Basics of Welding Certifications and Test Positions,
plate certifications are easiest to pass, and pipe certifications are harder because of everchanging positions and because there is never a simple straight line (Ref. 1). But is that the case,
or is it just a myth?
(http://www.fabtechexpo.com/wpcontent/uploads/Ultimate-Skills-Challenge.jpg)
This article will explain many factors that contribute
to welder skill. Metalworking is an ancient craft that
uses modern technologies and has become
increasingly complex. This article will also provide
brief overviews of many welding topics, as well as
prove who the best welder really is. For a list of welding abbreviations and explanation of other
terms, see the Welding Dictionary (Ref. 2) or do a Google search for other online resources for
more information.
Introduction
Welders use welding technology to join, shape, and cut metal parts. They make pressure vessels
and pipelines, work joining beams or girders in the construction industry, and manufacture
industrial components and consumer goods (Ref. 3). Although all position and nonlinear welds
are typically more difficult to make than flat position and linear welds, either position or type
may be required with structural or pressure welding. So is the product type pipe or plate a
single good criterion for determining which welder is better? And how can a pipe welders skill
be compared to a plate welders skill when they have different work anyway? There must be
more to it than that.
The well-written article Contrasting Welding Techniques Used on Pipelines and Refinery
Piping: Uphill Versus Downhill (Ref. 4) describes how pipelines and refinery piping are
complementary structures, but the techniques for welding them are completely the opposite.

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs. Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 2 of 8

The author identifies six criteria that differentiate welding for pipelines vs. refinery piping (i.e.,
joints, clamps and tacks, techniques, codes and standards, electrode coatings, and welding
speeds). So which of these welds may require a better pipe welder, and how would either of their
skills compare to those of a plate welder? And how do they compare to tank welders who use
plate to build round containment structures?
Welders work with welding procedure specifications (WPSs) that provide guidelines for
production welding according to the code of construction. For example, the ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) Section IX QW-101 states that a properly qualified WPS
addressing all essential and nonessential (and if required, supplementary essential) variables
shall be used for the control of production welding. Standard WPSs (SWPSs) that are
prequalified may also be used.
Welding Procedure Specifications are used for all types of welding, from joining reinforcing bars
in a precast concrete bridge to the fabrication of a titanium pressure vessel. There are often
additional guidelines for production welding that a welder shall follow as well, such as
engineering specifications and standard drawing requirements that are incorporated into the
fabrication drawings. Similarly, the codes of construction also require that the welder be
qualified. The ASME BPVC Section IX QW-102 states that the basic criterion for a welders
performance qualification is the welders ability to deposit sound weld metal or the welding
operators ability to operate the welding equipment. But wait a minute what is the difference
between a welder and a welding operator? Are these not the same, and what then about a brazer
or a brazer and fusing operator?
Welder Skill Factors
So what factors should be considered for determining a welders skill level and how could these
be used to determine who would win the ultimate welder skills challenge? This is starting to
sound complicated and nobody has even struck an arc yet.
In fact, it is not as simple as welding plate vs. pipe or welder vs. welding operator, and there are
many more categories to be considered, as will be discussed (not listed in order of precedence).
For many of these categories, an experienced welder can quickly learn new procedures or
techniques, but some additional training may be required, and a performance qualification test is
needed to ensure there is adequate skill for production welding.
Training
Welder training requirements vary significantly by industry, but more importantly, by
jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions identify welding as a regulated trade and require welders to be
apprentices or journeymen, while others do not. An apprenticeship is an education and training
system that teaches trade knowledge and skills through on-the-job training and formal
instruction (Ref. 5). The Red Seal is a recognized standard in Canada for tradespeople to work
anywhere in the country without further training or examination (Ref. 6). In Alberta, for
example, the Safety Codes Act establishes competency and certification requirements for
pressure welders (Grades B and C, and tack) and machine welding operators (Ref. 7). There are
also mandatory CWB (or AWS in the United States) certifications for companies involved in
structural and other welding operations (Ref. 8). Once these regulatory requirements are met, a
welder can then be qualified by his/her employer (for example, with further testing), to work as a
tacker (fitter), welder (manual, semiautomatic, or automatic), or welding operator (machine or
wire process), for production welding. The welding processes used are very different, however,
so the skill sets may not be interchangeable. As a result, a welder would not become qualified for
another process without completing additional training.
Experience
If someone says they have 10 years experience, it could be 10 years of varied experience or one
years experience ten times. There is a big difference. Also, todays workforce is very mobile, so
travel may be required for temporary or permanent employment. This means that a welder may
have worked in other industries or jurisdictions that have comparatively more or fewer
regulations and requirements. This includes domestic and international experience, but no case
is a guarantee of any better training or skill for whichever process in particular. A welders
experience may or may not be documented with various training, regulatory, and performance
certifications. Some welders skills are not qualified, but these are gained with experience and

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs. Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 3 of 8

learned on the job. For example, metals always expand when heated and always contract when
cooled. Methods for accommodating and controlling these forces can include misaligning fitup,
weld sequencing, and/or flame straightening after welding in order for the final product to meet
dimensional tolerances.
Qualifications
Welders must be qualified for the production welding they will perform and may also need to be
requalified after a specified period (for example, two years), or if the welding process is not used
(for example, six months). Employers, therefore, keep a current log of welders identifications
and qualifications in order to maintain a qualified workforce for production welding.
Welder qualification may be done with nondestructive examination (NDE), with destructive
testing on sample welded coupons, or with NDE on production welds. Welders often hold many
certifications or tickets for welding with various welding processes, base and filler metals (i.e.,
electrodes), positions, thicknesses, diameters, and other variables. These qualifications may or
may not be transferrable between employers or accepted by others (e.g., clients or end users).
Welders may therefore need to perform additional preemployment or job site qualification tests
for a new employer or when being assigned to a new project. This ensures that regardless of any
qualifications a particular welder may hold, the persons skill to produce sound welds is proven
prior to starting production welding. If at any time the welders skill is in doubt, his or her
qualifications can be retracted and a requalification test requested. If the test is not successful,
retraining may be required prior to another requalification test attempt.
Safety
Welders work with many hazards, including the welding arc and live electrical current, explosive
and noxious gases, heat, dust, noise, molten metal, flying sparks, fumes, power tools and
machinery, and sharp or heavy objects. As part of their work, welders must always wear
personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow safety procedures to protect themselves, their
coworkers, and the public.
Code of Construction
Structural and pressure welding have some similarities, but also many differences according to
the code of construction. Some welding processes, consumables, and NDE methods are used for
both, and the materials can be similar (for example, low-alloy carbon steels are very common,
but high alloy and exotic materials may also be used). The differences include design methods,
material types, and tolerances or acceptance criteria that all lend themselves to the use of
different fabrication techniques. The WPSs and welders qualifications tests for structural and
pressure welding are also prepared differently, so in spite of any similarities, the differences take
precedence.
Learning to weld according to a different code of construction takes time (training), so
regardless of a welders skill with one, there is no guarantee of performance with any other. For
WPS and welder performance qualifications, pressure welding uses ASME BPVC Section IX
while structural welding uses CSA W47.1 (AWS D1.1 in the United States).
Products
Welded pressure equipment includes boilers, piping, pipelines, and vessels, while welded
structural equipment includes bridges, buildings, cranes, and tanks. Storage and transport tanks
may contain product at atmospheric or a higher pressure. There are many other industries that
use welding, including transportation (truck and rail cars, passenger and industrial vehicles,
motorcycles and bicycles), manufacturing (consumer and industrial goods) and the military.
Welding is also used in other applications (auto body or artwork) where requirements are
limited (a WPS and welder qualification are not required); however, the weld quality still needs
to be fit for purpose with adequate strength and suitable appearance. Welds may or may not be
visible in the finished product.
Processes

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs. Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 4 of 8

The most common fusion welding processes are flux cored arc, gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc,
metal cored arc, submerged arc, and shielded metal arc welding, which may be manual,
semiautomatic, automatic, and/or machine operated. There are, in fact, several dozen welding
processes; see the List of Welding Processes (Ref. 9) for more information.
With brazing, unlike fusion welding, the base metals are not melted (i.e., only the filler metal is
melted), but brazing has useful applications in specific industries (e.g., automotive, refrigeration,
and HVAC). It is also one method for joining copper alloys to steel, which cannot be done by
fusion welding. Different power sources and equipment are needed for the various welding
processes; however, some equipment is designed for use with more than one process.
Consumables
Welding consumables include the use of one or two electrodes (i.e., filler metal, either SMA or
wire and consumable or nonconsumable), inserts (with or without and consumable or
nonconsumable), shielding and/or purging gas (with or without), fluxes (with or without and
cored, coated, or granulated), spatter release, and other products. The consumables used for
welding are certified to product standards (for example, AWS and CWB) to ensure quality.
Consumable use is specified in the WPS, but there may also be flexibility for production welding
and welder preference. The latter is a big factor, because welders prefer working with the
process and consumables they have the most experience with and can efficiently produce the
best welds.
Joint Design
There are six basic joint types and 15 basic weld types that can be used to create a large number
of weldments to suit production welding.
The WPS and fabrication drawing will provide the welder with guidelines to make a weldment,
which may be strict or lenient. The root opening (if any), use of backing, and other variables are
also specified for partial- or complete-joint-penetration welds. Unfortunately, weld joints are
often designed for welds that cannot be made (Ref. 10). This is because the designer or welding
engineer is not a welder, so something that may look okay on paper, is in fact not possible to
weld. An experienced welder may be able to offer the designer a compromise to better suit
production welding needs and also comply with the WPS. Experienced welders are also able to
make production welds without a WPS or fabrication drawing where these are not available or
required because of their metalworking knowledge.
Steel and Other Materials
There are hundreds of types of weldable metals, including carbon steel (i.e., low or high alloy),
stainless steel, cast iron, nickel, aluminum, titanium, brass, and exotic or other alloys (exotic has
different meanings for various users). The materials to be joined are certified to product
standards (for example, ASTM and ASME) to ensure quality. When joining two similar base
materials, a similar electrode may be used. With dissimilar metal welds (DMWs), the properties
for three metals must be considered: the two base metals being joined and the filler metal to join
them (Ref. 11). For some DMWs, more than one type of filler metal is required and there may be
up to seven heat-affected zones as a result, with different material properties in each zone.
Material requirements for welding ranges from pots-and-pans-type work that is relatively
straightforward for most welders to critical applications where only very experienced welders
working within the strictest parameters can produce satisfactory results.
Techniques
Several topics are discussed in this section as techniques, but in a WPS these are identified
separately (e.g., positions, pre/postweld heat treatment, electrical characteristics, and welding
methods). The electrical current used may be AC or DC (i.e., direct current electrode negative or
direct current electrode positive polarity) with up to 1000 A and 40 V or more. Some high-tech
welding equipment is computerized so it is smaller and able to produce modified or
programmable electrical characteristics. Metals may need preheat, interpass temperature
control, and/or postweld heat treatment as a result of welding. The flat welding position is
preferred because the welder is working with gravity instead of against it. Higher heat input and
larger electrodes can be used in the flat welding position for increased productivity. Positon
welding (vertical, horizontal, and overhead) requires different techniques and also sometimes

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs. Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 5 of 8

different filler metals. The flat welding position may be done with forehand or backhand
techniques, while position welding may be done with uphand or downhand (uphill or downhill)
techniques. Welding may be done with string or weave, as single or multipasses, on one or both
sides, and with one or more welder per joint or weld. Jigs, clamps, and/or tack welds may be used
to hold items in place until welding is completed. A rotating positioner may be used during
welding to facilitate increased production, improved quality, and reduced welder fatigue. For
this, the electrode is held stationary while the workpiece is rotated. Similarly, for automated
welding, the equipment may be placed on a track to produce linear welds. Robotic welding is
increasingly being used in many manufacturing facilities. Various techniques may be used for
special joining applications (buttering, hot tapping, and temper bead welding) and also to
address material effects (thickness and shrinkage). The WPS provides guidelines for production
welding, but the welder may determine the actual settings, ranges, and other variables to be
used.
Purpose
Welding may be for construction, fabrication, manufacturing, repair work, weld overlay
(corrosion or erosion resistance), functional and artistic use, or a combination of these, which all
have different requirements for appearance and quality. The materials used and final product
often restrict the possible welding methods to be used.
Welders take great pride in their craft and consider workmanship to be of the highest standard if
it does not need to be dressed or cleaned up with a grinder after welding. That high standard is
not required by most codes of construction, however, which specify tolerances for various
conditions or discontinuities ranging from zero to a minimal amount. For architecturally exposed
structural steel (AESS) and other applications, the opposite is true. Some welds need to be as flat
and smooth as possible, because the finished product will be machined or finished with the weld
hidden from view.
NDE
Most codes of construction require that quality control include 100% visual examination of all
welds, with a percentage of up to 100% of all welds also subjected to additional NDE. Pressure
welds may need to be x-ray quality, but structural welds may also have to meet similar highquality standards for volumetric radiographic testing or ultrasonic testing and/or surface
magnetic particle testing, liquid penetrant testing, and visual testing. Nondestructive
examination may be required before, during, and/or after completion of the weld. Containment
welds for pressure and nonpressure equipment is hydrostatically or pneumatically pressure or
leak tested prior to the equipment being placed in service.
Labor Resources
Various groups may claim their welders are the best (union vs. nonunion, employed vs.
contracted, and shop vs. rig welders), but of any factor that may affect a welders skill, how they
are employed or paid is the very least of them.
Workplace
Welders work in a variety of settings ranging from facilities that are very clean to others that by
the nature of the work are very dirty. Welders must often travel or get to wherever the work is
whether thats at great height, in a confined space or pipeline ditch, in operating facilities or
offshore, and even underwater and outside in any climate and all seasons.
Personal Attributes
Welders must have many personal characteristics (see sidebar below), as well as other
attributes. The work requires moving tools, equipment, and workpieces that may be heavy, so
they need to be fit. The work may require heavy personal protective equipment for working with
molten metal and suitable clothing for working outdoors. Like anyone, however, a welder works
best without fighting fatigue, so the equipment is designed to be user-friendly, and the
workplace must be as comfortable as possible.
Welders must be creative and good problem solvers to choose the best methods for following
the WPS requirements and producing the final product. A welder will become very skilled at
certain methods by virtue of the fact that this is what he or she does day in and day out. Welding

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016

The Ultimate Skills Challenge Pipe vs. Plate Welder - FABTECH

Page 6 of 8

is a slow process that is measured in inches (or millimeters) per minute, so welders need to be
patient. Weld defects, especially with manual and semiautomatic processes, are often the result
of the welder working too quickly. With delicate work, the welders breathing and heartbeat can
impact weld quality. A skilled welder must be able to perform efficient and quality workmanship
while dealing with numerous challenges and variables, in addition to the many factors identified
in this article.
Something that makes metal, especially steel, more interesting to work with than other
materials is the fact that it has many polymorphic forms. There are many types of heat treating
processes available for steel (Ref. 13) that are used to provide the required properties in the
final product (softness or hardness and corrosion resistance).
Conclusion
Welder training, regulatory, and performance tests and retests are given to ensure that each
welder has adequate skill and is able to produce sound welds. Welders are, therefore, constantly
being tested for their qualification, even on a daily basis with every weld. What other trade
requires such frequent and rigorous testing?
A welder may be very good or even exceptional at the welding they are familiar with and are
qualified to perform, but that is not a guarantee their skills are suitable for performing other
types of welds, or are better than anyone elses. Success depends upon the individuals skills to
pass the test at hand and not what other tests he or she may have previously passed and how
many tickets may have held. Therefore, a good pressure welder may or may not pass a structural
welders test and vice versa.
So then, who could the best welder really be? Isnt comparing plate welders to pipe welders like
comparing 4 4 monster truck drivers to 18-wheel ice road truck drivers? Yes, they both drive
trucks in challenging conditions, although with very different requirements. So, without a doubt,
the best welder is anyone who can work safely and efficiently to produce satisfactory welds, and
that is the bottom line.
Welders are among the high paying jobs that do not require a degree, and if you are willing to
work remotely the salaries can go up exponentially (Ref. 14). Perhaps then the best welder is a
happy welder, one who enjoys working with metal and earning more than average.
References
1. The basics of welding certifications and test positions. http://www.gowelding.org/,
http://metalwebnews.com/howto/welding/welder-certification.pdf.
2. Welding Dictionary. Miller Electric Mfg. Co.
http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/dictionary.html.
3. Welder Apprentice. SAIT Polytechnic. http://www.sait.ca/programs-andcourses/apprenticeships-and-trades/apprenticeships/apprenticeship-welderapprentice.php.
4. Younas Malik, M. Contrasting welding techniques used on pipelines and refinery piping:
uphill versus downhill. http://www.pipelineandgasjournal. com/contrasting-weldingtechniques-used-pipelines-and-refinery-piping-uphill-versus-downhill?page=show.
5. The apprenticeship system of training. SAIT Polytechnic. http://www.sait.ca/programs-andcourses/apprenticeships-and-trades/apprenticeships/additional-information/theapprentice-system-of-training.php.
6. Interprovincial Red Seal. Alberta Innovation and Advanced Education.
http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/experiencedworkers/interprovincial-red-seal/.
7. Pressure Welders. ABSA. http://www.absa.ca/ECprogram/Welding/PressureWelders.aspx.
8. Mandatory Certification. CWB Office of Public Safety.
http://www.weldquality.org/industry/mandatory-certification.
9. List of welding processes. Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_welding_processes.
10. Joint design and preparation of metals. My Discount Tools.
http://www.mydiscounttools.com/estore/articles/welding/Welding JOINTS.html.
11. Avery, R. E. Guidelines for welding dissimilar metals. Avery Consulting Associates, Inc.
http://www.nickelinstitute.org/~/Media/Files/TechnicalLiterature/GuidelinesforWeldingDissimilarMetals_14018_.pdf#page=.

http://www.fabtechexpo.com/blog/2016/01/08/the-ultimate-skills-challenge-pipe-vs-plate-welder/

1/15/2016