The term Standard applies collectively to codes, specifications, recommended practices, classifications, methods, and guides for a welding process or application that have been prepared by a sponsoring committee of the American Welding Society (AWS), and approved and adopted in accordance with established procedures. Standards for welding are published in cooperation with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
The American Welding Society maintains more than 125 technical committees and sub-committees which prepare and publish approximately 140 documents to serve the welding industry. All AWS standards are voluntary consensus standards because they are adopted voluntarily by users. Volunteers from every sector of the welding industry pool their knowledge and expertise to produce these standards, which are essential to industry and the progress of technology.
Code-. A code is a standard consisting of a set of conditions and requirements relating to a particular subject, and indicating appropriate procedures by which it can be determined that the requirements have been met. It is a standard that is suitable for adoption by a governmental authority as a part of a law or regulation, or as specified by other mandatory documents.
A code is intended to be mandatory, and it should be used when so required by a governmental authority or specified by other mandatory documents. Other mandatory documents could be documents issued by agencies such as purchasing departments, trade associations, or insurance companies.
Specification- A specification is a standard that clearly and accurately describes the essential technical requirements for a material, product, system or service. It indicates the procedures, methods, qualifications, or equipment by which it can be determined that the requirements have been met. A specification is intended to be mandatory when referenced by other mandatory documents, such as those for procurement purposes, or when mutually agreed upon by the parties involved.
Recommended Practice- A recommended practice is a standard that describes general industry practice for some particular process, material, technique, or method, as well as other factors and items that should be considered before using that process, material, technique, or method.
Classification- A classification is a standard intended primarily to establish an arrangement or division of materials or products into groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties, or use.
Method- A method is a standard consisting of a set of requirements relating to the manner in which a particular kind of test, sampling, analysis, or measurement is conducted to determine the properties, composition, or performance of some item. A method does not include numerical limits for the properties, composition, or performance, and is invoked, not by itself, but by other standards.
Guide- A guide is a standard that provides information to the user as to the best practical methods to accomplish the task described. A guide usually provides several different methods.
Standards Development
The Technical Activities Committee (TAC) of the American Welding Society has oversight of the technical committees and subcommittees responsible for writing standards.
AWS subcommittees consist of volunteers who provide the technical input to the documents and prepare the standards. Committee membership must be balanced to ensure that all interests are properly represented. A committee ideally consists of one-third suppliers (producers or distributors of any product or service specified in the Standard), one-third consumers (those directly concerned with the use of any product specified in the Standard, but not with its production or distribution), and one-third general interest members, (others who are interested, i.e., the academic community).
Committee meetings are open to the public; committee meeting schedules are published in the Welding Journal each month.
After subcommittee agreement on the content of the document, it is reviewed by the specific technical committee to which the subcommittee reports. The draft approved by the technical committee is sent to the Technical Activities Committee, which consists of the chairmen of all of the technical committees, and three at-large members. Members of the TAC vote on two aspects of the document:
(1) Conformance with the rules for preparation of the Standard
(2) Adequacy of the technical content of the document.
The next step is review by the Technical Council, which consists of ten members of the AWS Board of Directors. Technical Council members verify by vote that ANSUAWS rules and procedures were followed during the preparation and balloting of the document. Technical Council members may comment on the technical content of a document, but they do not vote on technical content.
When the Standard is submitted to the Technical Council, it is opened to public review. Availability of the document for review is advertised in the Welding Journal and ANSI’s publication, Standards Action. Anyone concerned with the document has 60 days to obtain a copy and make comment. All comments received are considered and the commentator is notified of the results. If there are no negative responses to the draft, or when negative responses have been resolved, ANSI’s Board of Standards Review approves the document as an American National Standard and it is published.
Standards development and maintenance is an ongoing process. Every five years these documents must be revised, reaffirmed or withdrawn to comply with ANSI requirements.