Buyers ask which codes, quality systems and export rules a weld shop meets. This page explains each one in plain terms and lists TIGTechs' current status.
A welding code tells a shop how to qualify its procedures and welders, and how to accept or reject a weld. The code is set by the drawing or contract, not by the shop.
Most codes share the same paperwork. A WPS (welding procedure specification) gives the settings. A PQR (procedure qualification record) proves the WPS made a sound test weld. A WPQ (welder performance qualification) proves a welder can make that weld.
AWS D17.1 is the American Welding Society spec for fusion welding of aerospace hardware. It covers procedure and welder qualification, inspection and acceptance, and sorts welds into Class A, B and C, with Class A the most critical. See our AWS D17.1 guide.
AWS D1.6 is the structural welding code for stainless steel. It covers frames, supports and other load-bearing stainless weldments, with rules for procedures, welders and inspection.
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section IX sets how weld procedures and welders are qualified for pressure work. Construction codes such as Section VIII and B31.3 point to it. It does not on its own make a shop a stamp holder. See ASME Section IX for pressure vessel TIG welds.
To build code-stamped equipment, a shop must hold an ASME Certification Mark with the right designator, such as U for Section VIII, Division 1 pressure vessels. Repairs and alterations to stamped equipment use the National Board R stamp. Both require an audited quality program.
A quality management system (QMS) covers how the whole shop runs: orders, training, calibration, records and corrective action. An outside registrar audits it and issues the certificate.
ISO 9001 is the base international QMS standard used in every industry. It requires documented processes, internal audits, management review and corrective action.
AS9100 builds on ISO 9001 and adds aerospace rules, such as configuration control, product safety, counterfeit part prevention and first article inspection. Certified suppliers are listed in the IAQG OASIS database.
Nadcap is an industry program that accredits special processes, including welding, for aerospace primes. Some primes require it on top of AS9100.
Some rules are not welding codes at all. They govern who may see your data, or how food and medical equipment must be built.
The International Traffic in Arms Regulations control defense articles and technical data. They are run by the U.S. State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC). Most U.S. companies that make defense articles must register with DDTC, even if they never export. ITAR is a registration, not a certification.
3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. publishes design rules for dairy and food equipment. They call for cleanable, crevice-free product-contact surfaces, commonly finished to 32 Ra µin or smoother, with smooth, fully fused welds. Equipment makers can earn the 3-A Symbol through third-party verification. See FDA and 3-A sanitary standards.
The FDA does not certify welders or weld shops. Its food rules require equipment that can be cleaned and will not contaminate food. Its medical device quality rules (21 CFR Part 820) require device makers to control their suppliers. That is why device customers audit or qualify their weld vendors.
Do not take a logo on a website as proof, including ours. Ask for the document and check it at the source.
Tell us which records you need when you request a quote. We will confirm what comes standard and what adds cost.
No. Section IX only covers qualifying weld procedures and welders. A stamp, or ASME Certification Mark, is issued after ASME audits the shop's quality program for a construction code like Section VIII.
AS9100 includes all of ISO 9001 and adds aerospace rules like configuration control, counterfeit part prevention and product safety. Aerospace primes often require AS9100 from their suppliers.
No. ITAR is a set of federal rules, and companies register with the State Department's DDTC. A registered shop must also control who sees technical data.
No. The FDA sets rules for cleanable, safe food equipment but does not certify weld shops. Most food plants point to 3-A design rules and their own specs for weld finish and inspection.
Yes. Ask for them with your quote or call us at (346) 561-0862.
Tell us your code and quality requirements, and we will send the documents that apply to your job.
Prefer to talk? Call (346) 561-0862.
