AWS AND NAVSEA WELDING CERTIFICATIONS AT JMC FABRICATION
JMC Fabrication's welders hold AWS (American Welding Society) certification for commercial and industrial work, and NAVSEA certification for marine and Navy-spec applications. Both certs are tied to specific procedures, positions, and material groups, and both are maintained through ongoing qualification records, not signed once and forgotten.
For a buyer comparing shops, those two credentials together mean JMC can run the same crew across commercial structural steel, process piping, and marine work without subbing the welding out or starting a new qualification trail for every project.
Published May 19, 2026 · JMC Fabrication
AWS is the American Welding Society, and its code suite is the baseline most U.S. commercial and industrial projects spec on the drawings. The two codes JMC's shop sees most often are AWS D1.1 (structural steel) and AWS D1.6 (stainless steel structural). Pipe work runs under different codes, usually ASME B31.1 for power piping and B31.3 for process piping, with the welding qualification logic still rooted in AWS-style WPS and PQR records.
An AWS welder certification isn't a generic credential. It's a record that a specific welder, using a specific procedure, on a specific material group, in a specific position, produced a test coupon that passed visual and mechanical testing. Change the position from flat to overhead, or change from carbon steel to stainless, and the welder needs to be qualified for that new combination.
JMC keeps the qualification records on file for each welder and each procedure. When a customer or third-party CWI asks for proof, the records come out of the QC binder, not out of memory.
NAVSEA is Naval Sea Systems Command, the U.S. Navy organization that writes the welding and fabrication standards used on Navy ships, shipyard support work, and Navy facility projects. NAVSEA welding requirements are stricter than commercial AWS in several places: tighter heat input control, more restrictive filler metal traceability, additional NDE requirements, and qualification testing that's audited differently than commercial AWS testing.
On the Gulf Coast, NAVSEA work shows up on shipyard support contracts, Navy vessel repair, and prime contractor jobs that flow down Navy specs to subcontractors. A shop without NAVSEA-qualified welders can't bid that work, period. JMC's Pascagoula location puts the shop next to the largest shipyard in Mississippi, so NAVSEA capability is a working credential, not a brochure line.
Practically, NAVSEA certification means the welder has already been qualified under Navy procedures and the shop has the QC infrastructure (procedures, records, inspection process) the Navy expects to see in an audit.
Both AWS and NAVSEA qualification follow the same general pattern. Here's what that looks like step by step:
- Procedure (WPS) is written first: Before a welder can be qualified, the shop writes a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) that defines every variable: base material, filler metal, position, joint design, preheat, interpass temperature, heat input. The WPS is the recipe.
- PQR test coupon is welded: A test coupon is welded following the WPS, then sent for mechanical testing (tensile, bend, sometimes impact). The results become the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR), which proves the WPS produces sound welds.
- Welder is qualified against the WPS: Once a WPS/PQR pair is approved, individual welders qualify by welding their own test coupon under that procedure. The coupon goes through visual inspection, bend testing, or radiography depending on the code.
- Records are filed and indexed: Each welder's qualification record (WQR) is kept on file with the WPS, PQR, test results, and the date qualified. The record names the position, the material group, and the thickness range the welder is good for.
- Continuity is tracked: AWS qualifications stay current as long as the welder uses the process at least every six months, with documented evidence. NAVSEA requires more rigorous continuity tracking and periodic requalification depending on the job's spec.
Same WPS/PQR/WQR backbone, different scopes and audit expectations. Here's how the two stack up:
| Item | AWS | NAVSEA |
|---|---|---|
| Typical scope | Commercial, industrial, structural steel, stainless structural | U.S. Navy vessel work, shipyard support, Navy facility projects |
| Governing codes | AWS D1.1 (structural), D1.6 (stainless), B2.1 (procedure) | NAVSEA Tech Pubs (S9074-AR-GIB-010/278, NAVSEA 0900-LP-001-7000) |
| Continuity | Use the process within 6 months to stay current | Stricter continuity and periodic requalification per project spec |
| Audit oversight | Customer or third-party CWI on commercial jobs | Navy or prime contractor QA, with formal audit trail |
| Filler metal traceability | Required, tracked through MTRs and shop logs | Required, with tighter handling and storage controls |
| NDE expectations | Per project spec (VT minimum, RT/UT/MT/PT as required) | Higher baseline NDE; specific Navy techniques and acceptance |
A lot of Gulf Coast shops carry one or the other. AWS-only shops can bid commercial and industrial, but they're shut out of Navy work. NAVSEA-only shops are rare, but a shop that's only set up for Navy specs ends up overbuilt and uncompetitive on routine commercial structural.
Carrying both means one fabrication operation, one engineering team, one QC department, and one set of records can move between commercial structural, oil & gas piping, and marine work without losing momentum. For customers, that translates to fewer subcontractors in the chain and a shorter paper trail when documentation has to be reconciled at closeout.
It also matters on multi-scope projects. A petrochem facility expansion next to a navigable waterway might need commercial structural, AWS-qualified pipe spools, and a few NAVSEA-grade components for a Navy interface. JMC can run all three off the same shop floor.
Anyone evaluating a fabrication shop's welding credentials should expect specific documents on request. Generic claims aren't enough on serious work. Ask for:
- The actual Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) for the processes that will be used on the project
- The matching Procedure Qualification Records (PQR) showing the WPS has been tested and passed
- Welder Qualification Records (WQR) for the named welders, with date, position, and material range
- Continuity logs showing each welder has stayed current on the process
- Filler metal MTRs and electrode storage records, especially on stainless and low-hydrogen work
- For NAVSEA scopes, the Navy tech pub references the shop is qualified under and any auditor sign-offs
Certifications sitting in a binder don't help if they're not connected to the part on the truck. JMC's weld logs name the welder, the WPS, and the date for every joint that gets stamped. Cross-referencing the weld log against the welder qualification file is a one-step check, not a fishing expedition.
That same logic runs into the closeout package. When the customer sees an NDE report on a stainless weld, the package shows which welder ran the joint, which WPS it was welded to, which heat of filler metal was used, and what the inspection found. That's the audit trail the certifications are there to support.
Does JMC's AWS certification cover stainless steel structural work?
Yes, under AWS D1.6 for stainless steel structural welding. Welders are qualified per WPS for the specific stainless grade, position, and thickness range the job requires. JMC also segregates stainless fabrication areas from carbon steel to prevent cross-contamination.
Is NAVSEA the same as ABS or USCG certification?
No. NAVSEA is U.S. Navy. ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) and USCG (Coast Guard) cover commercial marine vessels under different rule sets. A welder or shop qualified under NAVSEA isn't automatically qualified under ABS, and vice versa. Tell JMC up front which authority is governing your project so the right procedures and records get pulled.
How does JMC keep welder certifications current?
AWS qualifications stay active as long as the welder uses the process within a six-month window, with documented evidence. JMC tracks process usage by welder so continuity doesn't lapse on processes that aren't run every week. For NAVSEA, continuity tracking is stricter and any required requalification testing is done before it's needed, not after.
Can JMC qualify a new procedure if our project needs something unusual?
Yes. If a job calls for a material, position, or process combination JMC doesn't already have a WPS for, the engineering and QC teams write the procedure, weld and test the PQR coupon, and qualify welders against the new procedure. The lead time depends on the test scope and outside lab turnaround.
Do you weld to ASME B31.1 and B31.3 for piping?
Yes. Process and power piping welds are qualified to ASME B31.3 and B31.1 as the job specifies. The qualification model is the same WPS/PQR/WQR structure as AWS, just under the ASME code book. JMC's spool fabrication runs under these codes on commercial and industrial piping work.
Who inspects welds on AWS and NAVSEA jobs at JMC?
Visual inspection happens on every weld in-house. Beyond visual, NDE (MT, PT, RT, UT) is performed by a qualified inspector, either in-house or a third-party CWI/CWS, depending on the project spec. Inspection results go into the weld log and into the closeout package along with the welder and procedure records.
Will JMC provide welder qualification records to our QA team before fabrication starts?
Yes. Customer QA review of WPS, PQR, and WQR records before the first weld is a standard part of the project kickoff on NAVSEA and most oil & gas scopes. JMC will send the records as part of the pre-fabrication submittal package and answer questions before production starts.