CWC WELDING SUPERVISOR GETS CERTIFIED AS AN AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY WELDING INSPECTOR

Fall 2020 marks the start of Welding Shop Supervisor Matt Dripps’ third year at Central Wyoming College. It is also his first year as the newest American Welding Society (AWS) Certified Welding Inspector for the welding program.

To gain this certification, Dripps passed an extensive, three-part exam that focused on welding fundamentals, the D1.1 code book and a hands-on practical. Others in the welding industry have equated it to the welder’s version of the Bar exam.

“It’s a pretty difficult exam,” he said. “Roughly 30% of testers pass the first time.”

Dripps was well prepared. In addition to attending a seminar at the Hobart Institute in Ohio during the summer, he said he spent the entire last year studying for his exams. 

“Teaching also helped quite a bit, because you really get into the fundamentals, theory, and inspection on a daily basis,” Dripps said. 

At CWC, the welding program combines hands-on welding practices with classroom instruction in commonly used welding processes. Students are trained according to the AWS D1.1 structural welding and American Petroleum Institute’s 1104 pipe code books. 

This fall, Dripps will teach Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), which involves using an electric arc between a wire electrode and metal to melt and join workpieces. He is also teaching a general welding course and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Plasma Cutting course. 

To ensure students gain a deep understanding of the field, metallurgy, blueprint reading and weld inspection courses are also part of the 62 credit hour program.