AWS D17.1 Aerospace Welding Services from Certified Sources
Looking for AWS D17.1 aerospace welding services? We place your weldments with shops whose procedures, welders and Nadcap scope match the weld class and process on your drawing, flow down filler, inspection and repair rules, and check the weld records before shipment. Send the drawing, weld class, material and quantity.
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Finding certified aerospace welding for a D17.1 job
A shop is a fit for an AWS D17.1 job only when three things line up for your part: a qualified procedure for the joint, a welder qualified to that procedure, and an accreditation or customer approval that covers the process and material. A welding certificate on the lobby wall says little until you match it to your weld class, alloy and process.
The requests we see split into a few kinds. Flight brackets and tube assemblies in stainless, nickel alloy or titanium that need GTAW to Class A or B. Thin wall pressure or propulsion hardware that needs electron beam or laser welding. Spot or seam welded sheet assemblies that fall under the resistance welding spec. And repair welds on parts that are already machined, where the question is less who can weld it than who may approve it.
This page is about choosing and directing the welding source. For the engineering background on forming and welding, see our sheet metal and aerospace welding library page, and for full fabrication jobs see aerospace sheet metal fabrication.
AWS D17.1 and D17.2: which spec governs your welds
Fusion welds on aerospace hardware are usually governed by AWS D17.1/D17.1M, and resistance welds by AWS D17.2/D17.2M. Name the spec and its edition on the drawing or PO, because a shop qualified to an older edition may need to requalify or show equivalence.
| Spec | Current edition | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| AWS D17.1/D17.1M | Fourth edition, 2024 | Fusion welding of aluminum, nickel, iron, cobalt, magnesium and titanium based alloys by arc and high energy beam processes; design, procedure and welder qualification, fabrication, inspection, acceptance, and repair welding of existing hardware |
| AWS D17.2/D17.2M | Fourth edition, 2026 | Resistance welding for aerospace applications, including spot and seam welding, with new requirements for wire mesh in this edition |
The 2026 edition of D17.2 was restructured from five clauses to twelve, and added a clause on mandatory provisions and authority written to mirror D17.1, according to the AWS Welding Digest article announcing it. If your drawings still call out an older D17.2 edition, ask engineering whether the new one should apply to new orders.
Primes often overlay their own welding specs or approvals on D17.1. When your contract invokes one, it rules, and the shop must hold that prime's approval for the process as well.
Have a part like this?Send it in under a minute. A person replies within 1 business day.Weld class A, B or C: what the class does to the source
The class is set by engineering from the consequence of failure, and it decides how much inspection the weld gets and how narrow your list of capable shops becomes. Class A is for welds whose failure would lose or compromise a critical system, Class B for welds whose failure would reduce a system's strength or effectiveness, and Class C for welds with no structural role.
| Class | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|
| A | Expect volumetric inspection in addition to visual and surface methods where the drawing and class tables call for it, tighter acceptance limits, and a short list of shops with the right procedures and NDT access. Plan the most time and cost here. |
| B | Visual plus surface or volumetric methods as the class tables and drawing require. Many experienced aerospace weld shops cover this class. |
| C | Mainly visual inspection. Suits non structural and some ground hardware, but the code still applies, and a welder still needs qualification. |
Two errors cost buyers time. A drawing with no class leaves the shop to ask, or to assume. And a part that engineering marks Class A out of caution when it is really Class B or C narrows the supplier pool and adds inspection for no reason. Ask engineering to confirm the class before the RFQ, not after quotes come back. Ground support equipment is a separate case covered on our GSE page, since structural steel frames are often welded to structural codes rather than D17.1.
Welder qualification and the paperwork behind it
Ask for proof that the specific welder who will work on your part is qualified for the process, material group, thickness range and position used, and that the qualification is current. A company level statement that its welders are certified does not answer that.
The records that answer it:
- Welding procedure specification (WPS) for the joint, naming the process, filler specification, shielding, and the variables that must be held
- Procedure qualification record (PQR) showing the test weld that proved the WPS, with its test results
- Welder or welding operator performance qualification for each person, tied to the process and material, with the record that keeps it active
- Weld map or traveler that ties each weld on your part to the WPS used and the welder who made it
Nadcap audits these records directly. Its welder and welding operator qualification checklist, AC7110/12, is required on a Nadcap audit that includes the fusion (AC7110/5) or laser (AC7110/6) checklists, as accredited suppliers' scope certificates state. So a Nadcap accredited fusion shop has had its qualification system reviewed, but you still need the qualification of the person assigned to your job.
Nadcap welding accreditation under AC7110
Nadcap welding accreditation is issued against the AC7110 family of audit criteria, and the scope certificate lists exactly which processes were audited. Check the scope against your process, not just the word "welding" on the certificate.
| Checklist | Title as shown on accredited suppliers' scopes | Look for it when |
|---|---|---|
| AC7110 | Nadcap Audit Criteria for Welding / Torch and Induction Brazing and Additive Manufacturing (baseline) | Always, with the AC7110S supplement |
| AC7110/1 | Brazing (Torch/Induction) | Your part has torch or induction brazed joints |
| AC7110/4 | Resistance Welding (Spot, Seam, Projection) | D17.2 spot or seam welds |
| AC7110/5 | Fusion Welding, with supplements by process such as gas processes, filler materials and tack welding | GTAW and other arc welds to D17.1 |
| AC7110/6 | Laser Welding | Laser welded joints |
| AC7110/12 | Welder/Welding Operator Qualification | Required with the fusion and laser checklists |
Checklist revisions change over time and different sites hold different revisions, so read the current certificate and its expiration date in PRI's Qualified Manufacturers List rather than a copy in a sales packet. For electron beam work, confirm with the shop which checklist its scope lists for the process; do not assume the fusion checklist covers it. The program itself is described on our Nadcap overview for suppliers.
Nadcap is required when your prime, contract or drawing requires it. Many primes do require it for welding on flight hardware, and some also keep their own approved source lists for welding specs.
GTAW, electron beam, laser and resistance welding
The process is usually fixed by the drawing or the engineering spec, and it narrows the shop list more than anything else. Match the process first, then the alloy.
- GTAW (TIG). The common choice for thin stainless, nickel alloy, aluminum and titanium sheet and tube, by hand or with orbital equipment for tube. Titanium needs inert gas coverage of the weld and the hot zone around it; ask how the shop shields and how it judges weld color.
- Electron beam (EBW). Done in vacuum, with deep, narrow welds and low distortion. AMS 2681 covers EB welding procedures in hard and soft vacuum. Chamber size limits part size, so send the envelope dimensions with the RFQ.
- Laser beam welding. Narrow welds with low heat input, often used on thin sections and hermetic joints. Confirm the shop's Nadcap scope lists laser welding if your prime requires accreditation.
- Resistance spot and seam welding. Governed by D17.2 rather than D17.1, with machine qualification and periodic test coupons. Ask for the machine qualification and the most recent production test results.
Brazing is a separate process with its own Nadcap checklist, so do not send a brazed assembly to a fusion only shop.
Filler metal and cert traceability
The filler wire goes into the part, so it needs the same traceability as the base metal. The WPS should name the filler specification, and the weld record should tie each weld to a filler heat or lot that has a cert.
Aerospace filler is usually bought to an AMS wire spec matched to the base alloy. Two common examples:
- AMS 4954, titanium alloy welding wire, 6Al-4V. SAE lists revision M, June 2026, as current.
- AMS 5832, nickel alloy welding wire with the 718 composition, consumable electrode or vacuum induction melted. SAE lists revision K, 2026, as current.
What to require on the PO:
- Filler cert from the wire producer or an AS9120 distributor, showing spec, revision, heat or lot and chemistry
- Filler lot recorded on the weld traveler for each weld or weld group
- Base metal certs for every detail in the weldment, so the joint is traceable on both sides
- Storage and handling controls for filler, especially titanium and aluminum wire that must stay clean
Our material certs and traceability page covers how to read the base metal side, and buying from AS9120 distributors covers where filler with paperwork comes from.
Repair welds need engineering approval first
Do not let anyone weld a repair on a flight part, or rework a rejected weld beyond what the drawing and spec already allow, without written approval from the engineering authority named on the drawing. The 2024 edition of D17.1 includes requirements for repair welding of existing hardware, and earlier editions put the engineering authority in charge of repair instructions such as the number of weld corrections allowed, documentation and acceptance inspection. Confirm the exact wording in the edition your contract invokes.
Practical rules buyers use:
- State on the PO that repair welding requires your written approval before work starts
- Require the repair to be recorded on the weld map with the welder, WPS and inspection results
- Expect the repair weld to get at least the inspection the original weld required
- Treat a repair on a machined part as a possible distortion problem, and ask whether finished features need rechecking
- Where heat treatment follows welding, confirm whether the repair resets the heat treat sequence
For welds that also need post weld heat treatment, our aerospace heat treating services page covers how to source and sequence it.
Weld inspection methods to put on the order
Inspection is set by the weld class tables and the drawing, and the PO should say who performs each method and what report you get back. Visual inspection applies to every weld; penetrant, magnetic particle, radiography and ultrasonic are added as required.
- Visual, with the acceptance criteria and the inspector named on the record
- Penetrant on nonferrous welds, magnetic particle on ferromagnetic steels, where the class or drawing calls for surface methods
- Radiography or ultrasonic where volumetric inspection is required, done by an NDT source the prime accepts
- Pressure or leak testing on fluid hardware, if the drawing requires it
- Dimensional inspection after welding, since shrinkage moves features
Our inspection and NDT services page covers sourcing NDT separately, and first article inspection covers how the welding and NDT records enter the FAI.
What drives lead time and cost on welded parts
Qualification, fixturing and inspection usually take longer than the welding. No prices or promised lead times here, but these factors move both:
- Whether the shop already holds a qualified procedure for your alloy, thickness and joint, or must qualify one
- Weld class and the NDT it brings, plus queue time at an outside NDT lab
- Fixturing for distortion control on thin or long parts
- EB chamber or laser cell availability for high energy beam work
- Filler availability to the right AMS spec and lot
- Post weld heat treat, machining and finishing steps at other suppliers
- First article requirements on a new weldment
What to send with your welding request
- Drawing and model at released revision, with weld symbols and the weld class for each joint
- Governing spec and edition: AWS D17.1, D17.2 or a prime welding spec
- Base metal specs and tempers, and filler spec if engineering has set it
- Process required or excluded: GTAW, EBW, laser, resistance or brazing
- Nadcap and prime approval requirements, with the clause that invokes them
- Inspection methods and acceptance, including NDT and leak or pressure tests
- Repair welding rules and who approves them
- Post weld heat treat, machining and finish steps
- Quantity, need date and export classification
The aerospace RFQ checklist lists the commercial items that go with these.
How Aerospace Sourcing handles welding work
We do not run a weld shop and hold no welding certification or Nadcap accreditation ourselves. We route your weldments to shops whose procedures, welders and accreditation scope fit the job, and we manage the work to delivery.
- One quote, one lead time, one point of contact and one PO, even when welding, NDT, heat treat and finish are at different suppliers
- Weld spec, class, process, filler, inspection and repair rules flowed down to each supplier
- WPS, welder qualification, filler certs, weld map and NDT reports checked against the drawing before shipment
- A certificate of conformance with every order
Controlled drawings never go through the website. See controlled programs and confidentiality.
Request aerospace welding
Send the drawing, weld class, process and material through the sheet metal and welding request form. Those four items tell us which shops hold a procedure and accreditation scope that can take the job, which is the step that decides lead time on welded work. A person replies within one business day, and rush requests are prioritized.
Send the job. A person replies within 1 business day.
Part, quantity and date are enough to start. Drawings and the mutual NDA follow by reply, and controlled programs never send technical data through this site.
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Questions
What does AWS D17.1 certified welding actually mean?
AWS D17.1 does not certify a company. It sets how procedures and welders are qualified, how welds are made and inspected, and what is accepted. A shop working to it should show a qualified WPS and PQR for your joint, a current qualification for the welder assigned, and inspection to your weld class. Ask for those records rather than a general statement.
Do I need a Nadcap accredited welding shop?
Only if your prime, contract or drawing requires it, though many primes do for flight hardware. If it is required, check the shop's scope in PRI's Qualified Manufacturers List for the right checklist, such as AC7110/5 for fusion, AC7110/6 for laser or AC7110/4 for resistance welding, and confirm the certificate is current on the date your parts are welded.
How do I choose between Class A, B and C welds?
Engineering sets the class from the consequence of failure. Class A is for welds whose failure would lose or compromise a critical system, Class B for welds whose failure would reduce strength or effectiveness, and Class C for welds with no structural role. The class drives inspection and the supplier pool, so confirm it before the RFQ goes out.
Does D17.1 cover resistance spot welding?
No. Resistance welding for aerospace is covered by AWS D17.2/D17.2M, whose fourth edition was published in 2026. It covers spot and seam welding and added requirements for wire mesh. Put D17.2 and its edition on the drawing for spot or seam welded assemblies, and look for AC7110/4 in the shop's Nadcap scope if accreditation is required.
What filler metal certs should come with welded parts?
A cert for each filler heat or lot used, showing the specification, revision, lot and chemistry, from the wire producer or an AS9120 distributor. Common examples are AMS 4954 for 6Al-4V titanium wire and AMS 5832 for 718 nickel alloy wire. The weld traveler should record which lot went into which weld.
Can a supplier repair a cracked or rejected weld on its own?
Not on flight hardware without approval. D17.1 includes repair provisions, and the engineering authority on your drawing should approve repair welding in writing, including how many corrections are allowed and what inspection follows. Put that rule on the PO, and require the repair to be recorded with the welder, procedure and inspection results.
Related
Sources
- ANSI Webstore: AWS D17.1/D17.1M:2024 Specification for Fusion Welding for Aerospace Applications
- ANSI Blog: AWS D17.1:2024 fusion welding for aerospace
- AWS Welding Digest: AWS D17.2 restructured, June 2026
- AWS Welding Digest: how specifications keep aerospace vehicles up to standard
- Example Nadcap welding scope of accreditation listing AC7110 checklists (HEICO, 2026)
- Example Nadcap welding scope listing AC7110/6 laser welding (PFW, 2023)
- PRI: Nadcap program overview
- SAE: AMS 2681 electron beam welding
- SAE: AMS4954M titanium alloy welding wire 6Al-4V
- SAE: AMS5832K nickel alloy welding wire (718)
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