CAVOREN WPSAWS D1.1 WPS preparation

Route guide · AWS D1.1 WPS

Prequalified WPS or WPS from an existing PQR?

Start with the contract edition and actual weld conditions. Use the prequalified route only when all applicable prequalified requirements fit; use a PQR based route when qualification support is needed and an applicable existing record covers the target.

Decision in one line: Clause 5 eligibility leads to a prequalified WPS; otherwise examine a valid, applicable existing PQR. A missing document is a gap to resolve, not proof that new testing is required. If the required qualification does not already exist, new qualification testing is outside the preparation service.

Compare the three outcomes

What the evidence showsTechnical routeWhat to do next
Every applicable Clause 5 condition is satisfied for the intended procedure and contract.Prequalified WPS. A written WPS is still required; personnel qualification remains separate.Prepare the WPS from actual project details and suitable manufacturer or customer parameter information.
The prequalified route does not fit, but a customer's existing PQR is valid, applicable and covers the target conditions.WPS based on the existing PQR under the applicable qualification provisions.Trace the target scope to the actual test type, coupon, records, results and applicable coverage rules.
A condition or source record needed for either conclusion is unknown or incomplete.Not yet determined. Do not silently classify the unknown as a failure or as compliant.Identify and obtain the specific missing input or record, then evaluate that condition.
The requested condition needs qualification testing and no applicable existing qualification supports it.New qualification is needed for the requested basis.This WPS preparation product does not perform or sell the new qualification test.

A prequalified WPS is a complete set of conditions

Clause 5 eligibility is not inferred from one material, one welding process or an old procedure number. Check the actual base-metal grades and conditions on both sides, the process and process sequence, filler classification, joint details, position, thickness, gas or flux where applicable, temperature controls and any project requirements.

For example, the Clause 5 process list includes SMAW, SAW, GMAW other than GMAW-S, and FCAW, subject to the remaining provisions. GMAW-S cannot be labeled prequalified just because the other process conditions look familiar. A change outside a prequalified WPS's stated range may require a revised WPS; it does not automatically mean that new PQR testing is required if the revised procedure still meets Clause 5.

See prequalified route inputs and scopeCheck known Clause 5 gates

An existing PQR must cover the target, not just resemble it

For an existing-PQR WPS, inspect the record that actually established qualification. Match the qualification method and edition; both base metals and their tested combination; specimen type and joint form; plate or tubular path; thickness and weld-metal deposition; position; recorded process variables; and applicable supplementary variables for conditions such as CVN.

Keep three things distinct: what the PQR measured, what the code permits that qualification to support, and the narrower production range selected for the WPS. Do not use a generic “2T” rule for every weld form, substitute total coupon thickness for each process's deposited metal, or combine unrelated maximum values from several PQRs.

Welder qualification (WPQ/WQTR) qualifies personnel under its own rules. It does not establish that a WPS has procedure qualification support.

See PQR record requirements and coverage methodReview the PQR route checker

A practical route check

  1. Read the contract and record the required code edition, units, structural category and supplemental project requirements.
  2. Write down the exact target weld: both materials, thicknesses, weld type, detail, position, process/pass sequence and intended conditions.
  3. Check the full prequalified conditions. If all applicable conditions fit, use the prequalified route even if the customer also happens to own a PQR.
  4. If Clause 5 does not fit, identify the existing PQR that may support the target and compare each relevant condition to its actual record and qualification basis.
  5. If a needed input is missing, request it. State the specific unsupported condition only after the corresponding evidence is available and checked.
The preparation basis used on this site is AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 base edition plus its registered base-edition errata; AMD1 is not included. The contract's specified edition governs the project review.

Code references

For this route distinction, the relevant 2025 provisions include Clause 5.1 and 5.5, Clause 6.2–6.10, Tables 5.5–5.11 and 6.1–6.10, plus the applicable joint-specific or Clause 10 path. The exact branch depends on the target weld and qualification test type.

See the edition and errata basis used for these pages.

Need a WPS prepared?

Choose the route from actual project conditions and available records.

Open WPS order page