AWS Certified Welding Fabricator

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Fabricator Program Requirements
Responding to industry demand, AWS has provides a welding certification program for companies that
use welding as a joining process. The requirements for this program are set forth in an AWS QC17,
Specification for AWS Accreditation of Certified Welding Fabricators and AWS B5.17, Specification
for the Qualification of Welding Fabricators. These standards define the requirement for a company's
compliance with welding-related functions and assures, through third party assessment, that the
Welding Fabricator has the personnel, organization, experience, procedures, knowledge, equipment,
capability, and commitment to conduct proper weldments. AWS B5.17 was developed through an
ANSI accredited consensus process by the AWS B5 Committee on Qualification. The B5 Committee is
composed of representatives throughout industry and academia who have interests and experience in
the qualification of welding personnel and facilities. AWS QC17 was developed by Subcommittee on
Certification of Welding Fabricators and the AWS Certification Committee.
Fabricator Program Instructions
Certification, or accreditation, is the process of documenting the conformance to stated requirements.
For welding fabricators to achieve certification, a process has been defined in AWS QC17, Standard
for Accreditation of Welding Fabricators for AWS Certified Welding Fabricator Program. Written by
the AWS Certification Committee and administered by the AWS Certification Department, the
certification program for companies involves several steps on the road to certification.
1. Download the forms: CWF Initial Application and technical documents (B5.17 and QC 17)
from the CWF home page. You may also request a CWF packet to be mailed to you by calling
1-800-443-9353 (305-443-9353) Ext 273. Study all of the materials to become familiar with the
program requirements.
2. Submit the application along with your quality manual to the AWS Certification Department.
An assessor will be assigned by AWS to review your quality manual and work with you to
improve it if necessary.
3. After your quality manual has been accepted, an assessor will contact you and arrange for a
date for your onsite audit. The assessor will use the same onsite audit checklist that you have,
so you will know what the assessor will be looking for.
4. The onsite audit will consist of an opening meeting, a review of your facility's quality manual,
an inspection and assessment of the facility itself, and a closing meeting to discuss any findings
and concerns observed by the assessor.
5. Your facility will have one month to respond to any outstanding actions to the satisfaction of
the auditor.
6. Upon successful completion of all requirements and satisfaction of all fees due, the facility will
be certified as an AWS Certified Welding Fabricator. This certification shall remain in effect for
a period of three years, with annual internal audits in the second and third year, after which the
process repeats itself.