AWS D1.2 Part D (§3.17 through §3.23) covers welder, welding operator, and tack-welder performance qualification for structural aluminum. Test positions (1G/2G/3G/4G plate, 1G/2G/5G/6G pipe), Table 3.7 qualified-position matrix, Table 3.8 thickness ranges, Table 3.9 essential variables, and the 6-month continuity rule under §3.3.2 and §3.23.
§3.17.5 — the WPS shortcut: AWS D1.2 §3.17.5 states that a welder who satisfactorily completes a test weldment meeting the WPS qualification criteria in Part C is considered qualified to weld joints within the type and position limitations of Table 3.7, subject to the welder essential variables in §3.20. The same physical test coupon qualifies both the procedure and the welder who made it — a meaningful efficiency for shops running their own PQR work.
AWS D1.2 governs structural aluminum welding and AWS D1.1 governs structural steel welding. The welder qualification frameworks share the same position numbering and the same 6-month period-of-effectiveness rule, but they diverge in three important ways that catch practitioners moving between the two codes.
First, D1.2 has no prequalified WPS path. D1.1 Clause 5 permits prequalified procedures that do not require a Procedure Qualification Record (PQR), and D1.1 Clause 6 welder qualification stands as a separate exercise. Under D1.2, every WPS must be qualified by procedure testing per Clause 3, and the welder who completes the WPS test coupon is automatically qualified per §3.17.5 within the position and thickness limits of Table 3.7 and Table 3.8. This is why aluminum shops typically run welder qualification and procedure qualification as a single coordinated test event rather than two separate workflows.
Second, the position taxonomy adds an aluminum-specific entry. Plate positions 1G/2G/3G/4G groove and 1F/2F/3F/4F fillet are the same as D1.1. Pipe positions 1G/2G/5G/6G groove are also the same. But D1.2 §3.4.1.4 explicitly includes 2FR (Pipe Horizontal-Rotated) as a distinct fillet pipe position, where the test pipe is placed with its axis approximately horizontal and rotated during welding so filler metal is deposited in the horizontal position. 2FR is not a position you will see in D1.1 Clause 6.
Third, the welder essential variables are aluminum-specific. D1.2 Table 3.9 (referenced from §3.20) lists the changes that require requalification of the welder. These include changes in M-number base-metal group, F-number filler-metal group, mode of metal transfer for GMAW, and the position and thickness limits established by Table 3.7 and Table 3.8. The Table 3.9 list reflects the metallurgical and procedural variables that drive aluminum weld soundness — distinct from the D1.1 Clause 6 essential variables that govern steel work.
D1.2 §3.4.1 sets out the four position categories used across both WPS qualification and welder performance qualification: flat, horizontal, vertical, and overhead per Figures 3.1 and 3.2. The specific test position designations follow joint geometry.
Groove welds — plate (§3.4.1.1, Figure 3.3): Position 1G (Flat) lays the test plates approximately horizontal with weld metal deposited from the upper side. Position 2G (Horizontal) places the plates in an approximately vertical plane with the groove approximately horizontal. Position 3G (Vertical) places the plates in an approximately vertical plane with the groove approximately vertical. Position 4G (Overhead) places the plates approximately horizontal with weld metal deposited from the underside.
Groove welds — pipe (§3.4.1.2, Figure 3.4): Position 1G (Pipe Horizontal-Rotated) places the test pipe with its axis approximately horizontal and rotated during welding. Position 2G (Pipe Vertical-Fixed) places the pipe with axis approximately vertical, groove approximately horizontal, not rotated. Position 5G (Pipe Horizontal-Fixed) places the pipe with axis approximately horizontal, groove approximately vertical, not rotated. Position 6G (Pipe Inclined-Fixed) inclines the pipe approximately 45° with the horizontal, not rotated. The 5G and 6G positions are the most demanding in the pipe set because the welder must execute every position-of-the-clock around a fixed pipe.
Fillet welds — plate (§3.4.1.3, Figure 3.5): Position 1F (Flat) deposits each fillet with its axis approximately horizontal and throat approximately vertical. Position 2F (Horizontal) deposits each fillet on the upper side of a horizontal surface against a vertical surface. Position 3F (Vertical) deposits each fillet on vertical surfaces. Position 4F (Overhead) deposits each fillet on the underside of a horizontal surface against a vertical surface.
Fillet welds — pipe (§3.4.1.4, Figure 3.6): Position 1F (Pipe Inclined-Rotated) places the test pipe with axis approximately 45° and rotated. Position 2F (Pipe Vertical-Fixed) places the pipe vertical with filler deposited on the outer surface, not rotated. Position 2FR (Pipe Horizontal-Rotated) places the pipe approximately horizontal and rotates during welding so filler is deposited in the horizontal position. Position 4F (Overhead-Fixed) places the pipe vertical with filler placed against the outer surface at the juncture with the abutting plate or pipe, not rotated. Position 5F (Pipe Horizontal-Fixed) places the pipe approximately horizontal with the welding joint vertical, not rotated.
Special-position qualification is permitted under §3.17.4 for contractors doing production welding in a special orientation. The welder may be tested in that specific orientation, and the qualification is valid only for the position actually tested, with an angular deviation allowance of ±15° in inclination of the weld axis and rotation of the weld face per Figure 3.1 or 3.2.
Table 3.7 — qualified position rangeD1.2 §3.18 reduces the number of qualifications a welder needs by allowing a test in one position to qualify for production welding in less demanding positions. The mapping lives in Table 3.7. The general principle is that more difficult positions (vertical, overhead, fixed pipe) qualify the welder for less difficult positions (flat, horizontal, rotated pipe) of the same weld type. The specific qualified ranges by row are governed by the table entries themselves.
For most plate work, qualifying in 3G (groove vertical) and 4G (groove overhead) is the common shop combination because those two together typically cover all four plate groove positions. For fillet plate work, 3F (vertical fillet) and 4F (overhead fillet) provide similar coverage. For pipe groove, 6G (45° inclined fixed) is the most demanding single test and qualifies the broadest production range; many shops use 6G as the single welder qualification when pipe-only work is the production norm. For pipe fillet, 5F (horizontal-fixed) is the most demanding single position.
Plate-to-pipe and pipe-to-plate qualification carry separate rules. Qualifying on plate does not automatically qualify the welder for pipe production welding because pipe geometry adds rotational and inclination variables that plate testing does not exercise. The reverse direction — pipe qualification covering plate — is more permissive in some Table 3.7 rows but should be confirmed against the table directly rather than assumed.
"Aluminum welder qualification feels backward to crews coming from steel work. The position taxonomy is similar, but the WPS shortcut in §3.17.5 changes the workflow — we run welder and procedure qualification as one event because the same coupon does both. The 2FR pipe-fillet position trips up first-time D1.2 testers who learned on D1.1 Clause 6 and never saw the rotated-horizontal designation." — Practitioner note synthesized from AWS D1.2
Annex Esample WPS/PQR formats and shop-floor experience reports.
Table 3.8 — test plate thickness and qualified production thicknessD1.2 §3.19 ties test plate thickness to the qualified production thickness range through Table 3.8. The principle is that qualifying on a thicker test plate qualifies the welder for both thicker and thinner production work, within the limits the table defines.
Test plate thicknesses below 3/8 in [10 mm] generally use face and root bend tests per Figure 3.12 and qualify limited thickness ranges. Test plate thicknesses 3/8 in [10 mm] up to 1 in [25 mm] use face and root bends or transverse side bends per Figure 3.10 depending on the table row. Test plate thicknesses 1 in [25 mm] and greater use transverse side bend specimens per Figure 3.10 and generally qualify the welder for unlimited production thickness when full-thickness specimens are tested.
For pipe welder qualification, Table 3.8 ties pipe outside diameter and wall thickness to qualified production diameter and thickness ranges. Subsize specimens permitted under §3.8.1.4 (for pipe 4 in [100 mm] or less in outside diameter, with specimen widths reduced as low as 3/4 in [20 mm] measured around the outside surface) trigger different qualified ranges than full-section specimens. As with positions, always read the row of Table 3.8 that matches the actual test plate or pipe, the bend type used, and the welder qualification path being tested.
Table 3.9 — welder essential variablesD1.2 §3.20 establishes that changes beyond the limitations described in Table 3.9 require requalification of the welder, welding operator, or tack welder. The Table 3.9 essential variables for the welder are distinct from the WPS essential variables in Table 3.1; both tables list specific changes that trigger requalification, but Table 3.9 governs the welder while Table 3.1 governs the procedure.
Common Table 3.9 essential variables include changes in M-number group of the base metal (the aluminum alloy classification system used by D1.2, with M21 covering 1xxx and most 5xxx alloys, M22 covering 5052 family, M23 covering 6xxx heat-treatable alloys, and so on per §3.2.1), changes in F-number group of the filler metal (the A5.10 filler classification system per §3.2.2), changes in welding process (e.g., GMAW to GTAW), changes in mode of metal transfer for GMAW, changes in position beyond the Table 3.7 qualified range, and changes in thickness beyond the Table 3.8 qualified range.
Tack-welder essential variables are a subset of the welder list because tack welds are inherently shorter, smaller, and less sensitive to some procedural variables than full production welds. Welding-operator essential variables (for mechanized or automatic processes) reflect the machine-control nature of the operator role — changes in equipment manufacturer or class can trigger requalification where the same change for a manual welder would not.
D1.2 §3.21 lists the required tests for each weld type. For groove welds, §3.21.1 requires (1) visual examination for appearance and dimensions, and (2) bend test for soundness and ductility, except as castings allow under §3.21.6.4 (macroetch in lieu of bend), or radiographic testing as permitted under §3.21.6.1 or §3.21.6.3. For fillet welds, §3.21.2 requires (1) visual examination for appearance and dimensions plus a macroetch test, and (2) a fracture test for soundness performed per §3.21.6.2 using a 6 in [150 mm] specimen as shown in Figure 3.32. For welded castings, an additional macroetch test for soundness is required under §3.21.6.4.
The test specimens themselves — their number, type, preparation, and location — are governed by Table 3.8 and Figures 3.25 through 3.34. RT of the groove-weld test assembly may be used at the contractor's option in lieu of mechanical testing per §3.21.3. RT procedure and acceptance criteria follow Clause 5, Part B and the relevant subclauses of Clause 5, Part D.
Acceptance criteria for performance qualification mirror the WPS qualification criteria in most respects, with one explicit relaxation. Visual examination acceptance for groove welds (§3.6.2 referenced from §3.21.7.1) requires face and root surfaces free of cracks, all craters filled to full cross section, weld edges blending smoothly with the base metal, undercut not exceeding 0.01 in [0.25 mm], complete fusion at the root for CJP welds (or penetration equal to or greater than weld size for PJP), maximum melt-through on pipe groove welds not exceeding 1/8 in [3 mm], and root concavity not exceeding 1/16 in [2 mm].
Visual examination acceptance for fillet welds (§3.6.3 referenced from §3.21.8.1) requires the surface free from cracks, all craters filled, weld edges blending smoothly, undercut not exceeding 0.01 in [0.25 mm], leg lengths meeting the WPS, complete fusion at the root and to base metal verified by macroetch, and root surface concavity (suck-back) not exceeding 1/32 in [1 mm]. The performance qualification adds an explicit relaxation per §3.21.8.1: penetration through metal 1/8 in [3 mm] and thinner may be accepted — an allowance for thin-section work where full-thickness penetration would risk burn-through.
Bend test acceptance (§3.8.3 referenced from §3.21.7.2) requires the weld and HAZ to be completely within the bent portion of the specimen and the convex surface free of discontinuities exceeding the dimensional limits in §3.8.3.2: 1/8 in [3 mm] in any direction; 3/8 in [10 mm] cumulative for discontinuities greater than 1/32 in [1 mm] but less than or equal to 1/8 in [3 mm], based on a 1-1/2 in [40 mm] specimen width; 1/4 in [6 mm] maximum for corner cracks except those caused by inclusions or fusion-type discontinuities (which fall under the 1/8 in [3 mm] limit); and corner cracks exceeding 1/4 in [6 mm] without inclusion evidence may be disregarded with a replacement test specimen.
Fillet weld fracture test acceptance (§3.10.3.1 referenced from §3.21.8.2) requires that if the specimen folds flat on itself, the test passes. If the specimen fractures, the broken surface must show complete fusion to the root of the joint and exhibit no inclusion or porosity larger than 3/32 in [2 mm] in the greatest dimension. The cumulative dimensions of all inclusions and porosity must not exceed 3/4 in [20 mm] in each 4 in [100 mm] segment.
D1.2 §3.23 (mirroring §3.3.2) governs how long a welder qualification remains in effect. The qualification is effective indefinitely unless one of two conditions occurs: (1) the welder, welding operator, or tack welder is not engaged in a given process of welding for which they are qualified for a period exceeding six months, or (2) there is some specific reason to question the welder's, operator's, or tack welder's ability.
The six-month rule is process-specific and welder-specific. A welder qualified on GMAW who continues welding GMAW production indefinitely retains GMAW qualification, even if years pass since the original test coupon. A welder qualified on both GMAW and GTAW who welds GMAW continuously but stops GTAW production for more than six months loses GTAW qualification while retaining GMAW. The records-of-tests requirement in §3.17.3 makes the contractor or supervisor responsible for documenting which welders are qualified on which processes and tracking the engagement record.
The "reason to question ability" clause is the discretion lever held by the supervisor or inspector. Repeated weld defects in production, observed deviation from qualified procedure, declining visual quality, or any condition that calls competency into doubt is grounds for requiring requalification regardless of the six-month engagement record. Requalification under either path follows the same testing under §3.21 as the original qualification.
D1.2 §3.22 provides two retest paths after a failed performance qualification, with different evidentiary requirements.
Under §3.22.2.1, an immediate retest may be made consisting of two test specimens of each type on which the welder, welding operator, or tack welder failed. All retest specimens must meet all the specified requirements. The immediate retest is the same-session second chance — it confirms whether the original failure was a one-off defect (a piece of slag inclusion, a momentary weave variance, an isolated porosity cluster) or a skill issue. Two specimens per failure type is the requirement, not one, which biases toward catching repeated rather than isolated failure modes.
Under §3.22.2.2, a complete performance qualification retest may be made at a later date for any failed qualification test, provided there is evidence that the welder, welding operator, or tack welder has had further training or practice. The "further training or practice" requirement is what distinguishes the later-date retest from the immediate retest — the supervisor or inspector must document the corrective action, training program, or practice regimen before the welder retakes the full qualification. This evidentiary gate exists to prevent endless retesting cycles where a welder simply tries again without addressing the cause of the original failure.
Per §3.22.1, the testing supervisor may also terminate the test at any stage if it becomes apparent that the welder does not have the required skill to produce satisfactory results. This avoids wasted bend or fracture testing on a clearly failing weldment and preserves the contractor's testing resources for welders likely to pass.
1. Treating WPS qualification and welder qualification as separate workflows. Under D1.2 §3.17.5, the welder who completes a satisfactory WPS test coupon is automatically qualified within the Table 3.7 and Table 3.8 limits. Running them as separate test events is not wrong but is inefficient when the same welder is doing both.
2. Forgetting the 2FR position on pipe fillet tests. D1.2 §3.4.1.4 includes 2FR (Pipe Horizontal-Rotated) as a distinct position. Welders coming from D1.1 Clause 6 commonly assume the pipe fillet positions are 1F/2F/4F/5F and miss 2FR — which has different qualified-range implications under Table 3.7.
3. Assuming plate qualification covers pipe production. Plate testing does not exercise the rotational and inclination variables that pipe welding adds. Table 3.7 governs the cross-coverage rules; do not assume coverage that the table does not grant.
4. Letting the 6-month rule lapse silently. The qualification is process-specific. A welder who has been on continuous GMAW work for two years but has not done GTAW for seven months has lost GTAW qualification. Records under §3.17.3 are the contractor's responsibility — without a tracking system the lapse will only surface when a critical project requires the unused process.
5. Skipping the macroetch on fillet performance qualification. §3.21.2 requires both the macroetch test (visual + macroetch under §3.6.1.2) and the fracture test under §3.21.6.2. The macroetch verifies fusion at the root that the fracture test alone may not reveal cleanly — some shops drop the macroetch as a perceived redundancy and discover later that root fusion was incomplete on production welds.
6. Misreading "reason to question ability" as a high bar. §3.3.2 and §3.23 give the supervisor or inspector explicit authority to require requalification on observed performance grounds, not only after the 6-month engagement gap. Repeated production defects, deviation from qualified procedure, or declining visual quality are valid grounds. The clause exists to keep the qualification system responsive to actual welder performance, not just to elapsed time.
D1.2 ties welder qualification, WPS qualification, and filler-metal selection together more tightly than the steel codes do. Because there is no prequalified WPS path, every WPS requires PQR documentation per Annex E, and the same test coupon that produces the PQR data also qualifies the welder per §3.17.5. Filler-metal selection follows D1.2 Table 4.2 (which the D1.2 filler metals page covers in detail) and is itself a Table 3.1 essential variable for the WPS — a change beyond the F-number range qualified requires WPS requalification, which means a new test coupon, which (under §3.17.5) means new welder qualification documentation as well.
This integration is why aluminum shops typically run welder qualification, WPS qualification, and filler-metal essential-variable verification as a single coordinated test event. The Annex E sample WPS and PQR forms in D1.2 reflect this integration — the form fields call out welder identification, qualified position range, and qualified thickness range as part of the procedure documentation rather than as separate welder records.
CWI Exam Tip: The D1.2 vs D1.1 welder qualification differences are recurring CWI Part B and Part C items. Memorize: D1.2 has no prequalified WPS path, §3.17.5 makes the WPS coupon double as welder qualification, the pipe fillet position 2FR is unique to D1.2, and the 6-month period of effectiveness is the same as D1.1 but applies process-by-process per welder. Table 3.7 (qualified positions) and Table 3.8 (qualified thickness) are the two tables most likely to appear in an exam scenario question.
Yes. AWS D1.2 §3.17.5 states that a welder, welding operator, or tack welder who satisfactorily completes a test weldment meeting the WPS qualification criteria in Part C is considered qualified to weld joints within the type and position limitations described in Table 3.7, subject to the welder essential variables in §3.20, §3.21, and §3.22. This is a meaningful efficiency: the same physical test coupon used to qualify the procedure also qualifies the welder who made it, eliminating a separate performance test in many shop workflows. The qualified position range follows Table 3.7, and the qualified thickness range follows Table 3.8. Welders not involved in WPS qualification take a separate performance qualification test under §3.21 using the same position and thickness rules.
Under AWS D1.2, qualified-position ranges follow Table 3.7. The general principle that runs through the table is that qualifying in a more difficult position qualifies the welder for less difficult positions of the same weld type. For groove welds on plate, the four positions are 1G (flat), 2G (horizontal), 3G (vertical), and 4G (overhead) per §3.4.1.1 and Figure 3.3. A 3G test typically qualifies the welder for 1G and 2G work in addition to 3G, but does not qualify for 4G overhead. Qualifying in both 3G and 4G is the common shop practice for welders who need full plate-position coverage. Pipe positions (1G, 2G, 5G, 6G per §3.4.1.2 and Figure 3.4) follow a separate row set in Table 3.7 because pipe geometry adds rotational and inclination variables that plate testing does not exercise. Always read Table 3.7 directly for the specific qualified ranges that apply to the test position used.
D1.2 §3.19 ties test plate thickness to qualified production thickness through Table 3.8. The principle is that qualifying on a thicker test plate qualifies the welder for both thicker and thinner production work, within the limits the table defines. A 1-inch [25 mm] test plate typically qualifies the welder for production thicknesses from a defined minimum (often 1/8 in [3 mm] or thinner depending on the bend type used) up to twice the test thickness or unlimited, depending on the row. Test plates 1 in [25 mm] and thicker generally qualify for unlimited thickness when the side bend test option in §3.8.1.1 is used. Subsize specimens (§3.8.1.4) and reduced-section options change the qualified range. The exact qualified-thickness range depends on the test plate thickness and the bend test type used, both of which are columns in Table 3.8. Always reference Table 3.8 directly for the row matching your test.
AWS D1.2 §3.23 (mirroring §3.3.2) sets the period of effectiveness as indefinite, with two specific termination conditions. The qualification remains in effect indefinitely unless: (1) the welder, welding operator, or tack welder is not engaged in a given process of welding for which they are qualified for a period exceeding six months, or (2) there is some specific reason to question the welder's ability. The six-month rule is the operational lever — if a welder qualified on GMAW does not weld GMAW production for more than six months, the qualification on that process lapses and requalification is required. The rule is process-specific, so a welder who continues to weld GMAW but stops welding GTAW for more than six months loses GTAW qualification while keeping GMAW. The "reason to question ability" clause is the second termination path and is at the discretion of the supervisor or inspector based on observed performance, repeated weld defects, or any condition that calls competency into question.
AWS D1.2 governs structural aluminum welding while AWS D1.1 governs structural steel welding, and the welder qualification frameworks differ in three meaningful ways. First, D1.2 has no prequalified WPS path — every WPS under D1.2 must be qualified by procedure qualification testing per Clause 3, and §3.17.5 ties welder qualification to the WPS test. D1.1 permits prequalified procedures under Clause 5 that do not require PQR, and welder qualification under D1.1 Clause 6 stands separate from WPS qualification. Second, the position numbering is the same (1G/2G/3G/4G plate; 1G/2G/5G/6G pipe) but D1.2 includes 2FR (fillet pipe horizontal-rotated) under §3.4.1.4 as a distinct position not used in D1.1 Clause 6. Third, D1.2 essential variables for the welder are listed in Table 3.9 and are aluminum-specific (M-number group, F-number group, transfer mode for GMAW), distinct from the D1.1 Clause 6 essential variables which address carbon-steel-specific variables. The 6-month period-of-effectiveness rule is the same across both codes.
AWS D1.2 §3.21.2 lists the required tests for fillet weld performance qualification: (1) visual examination for appearance and dimensions plus a macroetch test, and (2) a fracture test for soundness performed per §3.21.6.2 using a 6 in [150 mm] specimen as shown in Figure 3.32. The macroetch test requirement comes from §3.6.1.2 — one cut face of the fillet specimen is smoothed and etched with a suitable etchant to reveal the weld metal and heat-affected zone. The fracture test acceptance criteria under §3.10.3.1 require that if the specimen folds flat on itself, it passes; if it fractures, the broken surface must show complete fusion to the root and exhibit no inclusion or porosity larger than 3/32 in [2 mm] in the greatest dimension, with the cumulative dimensions of all inclusions and porosity not exceeding 3/4 in [20 mm] in each 4 in [100 mm] segment. Visual examination acceptance under §3.6.3 requires no surface cracks, filled craters, undercut not exceeding 0.01 in [0.25 mm], and complete fusion at the root verified by macroetch.
AWS D1.2 §3.22 provides two retest paths after a failed performance qualification. Under §3.22.2.1, an immediate retest may be made consisting of two test specimens of each type on which the welder failed — and all retest specimens must meet all specified requirements. This is the same-session second chance, intended to confirm whether the failure was a one-off defect or a skill issue. Under §3.22.2.2, a complete performance qualification retest may be made at a later date for any failed qualification test, provided there is evidence that the welder, welding operator, or tack welder has had further training or practice. The "further training or practice" requirement is what distinguishes the later-date retest from the immediate retest — the supervisor or inspector must document the corrective action before the welder retakes the full qualification. Per §3.22.1, the testing supervisor may also terminate the test at any stage if it becomes apparent that the welder does not have the required skill, eliminating wasted bend or fracture testing on a clearly failing weldment.