Keeping welders qualified across multiple processes is a continuous bookkeeping problem. Every process has its own 6-month continuity clock, every test coupon defines a different qualification range, and none of it stays current on its own. WeldPad tracks the continuity dates, qualification ranges, and documentation so you spend less time in filing cabinets and more time running the floor. You are still the one making code decisions — the software handles the calendar math and the record keeping.
Why Is Tracking Welder Continuity So Hard with Spreadsheets?
Spreadsheets require manual date math and do not link a welder's qualification records to the procedures they are running. When production is moving, static files cannot keep up.
Consider a 12-person structural shop with 8 welders, each qualified in 3 to 4 processes — SMAW, FCAW, GMAW. That is dozens of continuity dates someone has to manually update based on production records, traveler signoffs, or foreman logs. In a pressure vessel shop, the complexity multiplies — welders might be qualified under a dozen different Welding Procedure Specifications with varying essential variables across multiple P-Number groups.
In Excel, someone fat-fingers a date, copies and pastes the wrong cell, or simply forgets to update a row after a job closes out. Three months later, an auditor points out that a welder's GTAW qualification expired and nobody noticed. WeldPad reduces this risk by turning static text into active, interconnected records with automated date tracking.
How Does WeldPad Track the 6-Month Continuity Rule?
WeldPad maintains an automated countdown for every process a welder is qualified in and sends alerts before the 6-month window closes. The countdown is per process, not blanket — logging FCAW activity does not reset the GTAW clock.
Both AWS D1.1 (Clause 4, Part C) and ASME Section IX (QW-322) require that a welder use a specific process within a rolling 6-month period to maintain active qualification. WeldPad tracks this by process for each welder. When a continuity event is logged — whether from a production weld, a traveler signoff, a maintenance weld, or a test coupon — the clock resets for that process only.
Continuity can be logged by the CWI, a foreman, or a QC admin, depending on how your shop operates. You do not need a CWI standing at every joint with a tablet. The entry records the date, the process, the job or WPS reference, and who entered it. The software handles the date math from there — you get a dashboard showing who is current, who is approaching expiration, and who needs to run work with a specific process this month.
How Does It Handle Qualification Ranges?
WeldPad logs the essential variables from the original test coupon and displays the qualified ranges for thickness, diameter, and position on the welder's profile. It helps you verify ranges faster without repeated lookups in QW-452 or the D1.1 qualification tables.
A welder passing a test on a 3/8-inch plate is not qualified to weld everything in the shop. ASME IX QW-452 defines specific thickness and diameter qualification limits based on the test coupon, and both AWS and ASME restrict positions based on the test position. WeldPad displays those boundaries on the welder's record. You enter the test variables once — process, position, coupon thickness, diameter, base metal group, filler classification, backing, progression — and the system shows what that test covers.
This does not replace reading the code. It reduces the repeated lookups that eat time when you are assigning welders to jobs or preparing for an audit. You still verify fit for application — the software surfaces the data so you are not recalculating from scratch every time.
What About Multi-Process and Combination Tests?
WeldPad handles welders qualified in multiple processes with separate tracking for each. A welder holding SMAW and GTAW qualifications has independent continuity clocks, independent thickness ranges, and independent position coverage.
For combination tests — a 6G pipe test with GTAW root and SMAW fill, for example — the system records qualification data per process within the test. If that welder logs production work with SMAW but not GTAW, only the SMAW continuity resets. The GTAW clock keeps counting down independently. This is how the code works, and the software matches it.
What Happens When a Qualification Lapses?
WeldPad automatically marks expired qualifications as inactive and preserves the full history. It does not delete or overwrite — the original test record, ranges, and continuity log remain in the system.
When reinstatement or requalification is needed, you document the new test or renewal directly in the welder's record. The system tracks the reinstatement event alongside the original qualification, so the auditor can see the full timeline: initial test, continuity history, lapse date, and reinstatement.
Can It Produce WPQ and WQT Records?
Yes. WeldPad provides structured templates for Welder Performance Qualification (WPQ) and Welder Qualification Test (WQT) records that capture the fields required by ASME IX QW-301 and AWS D1.1.
The template prompts you for all required data — test variables, mechanical test results, examiner signoff, bend or RT results, and acceptance criteria. Because everything is built in the same system as the WPS Builder, each welder's test record links directly to the supporting PQR and the applicable WPS. Records can be locked after approval, and every change is logged with a timestamp and user ID for traceability.
How Does This Help When the Auditor Walks In?
Centralized tracking pulls all continuity logs, test records, and procedure links into one place. You hand the auditor a complete package in minutes, not days.
Passing an audit means demonstrating that every welder on the floor is qualified for the work they are doing, that their qualifications are current, and that the records prove it. WeldPad keeps your shop audit-ready by exporting any welder's full record packet — WPQ, continuity log, qualified ranges, linked WPSs — as a clean PDF. You can filter by active/expired, by process, by code, or by expiration date to see exactly where your shop stands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WeldPad automatically qualify welders?
No. The CWI, inspector, or responsible manager must still evaluate the test coupon, sign off on results, and verify continuity updates. WeldPad provides the framework, date tracking, and record storage — it does not make code decisions or engineering judgments for you.
Can I track qualifications across both AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX?
Yes. WeldPad separates qualifications by code so a welder can hold AWS and ASME qualifications side by side with independent continuity tracking, qualification ranges, and reinstatement rules for each.
Is the $20/month pricing per user or per welder tracked?
Per software user — the CWIs, shop managers, or admins who log in. You can track as many welders, test records, and continuity dates as your shop needs at no extra per-welder cost.
Stop chasing continuity dates
Track every welder, every process, every continuity clock — all in one place. $20/user/month.