SMAW Rod Oven Temperature Log (Frequency)

If I only used this rod once a year, I would buy the smallest amount possible, new from a supplier. Give the remainder away to someone who can use them before they get old.

I am a certified ISO Auditor - What your friend was likely reffering to was his own MSM -Management systems manual - which is a voluntary set of rules -though once you put them in your system - certification considers them as if regulatory - so to alter it you must alter your MSM- as for the regulations you are correct there is no specified time frame for records - though regulations say legal conformance is required - this will be to the MSDS material safety data sheet for the rods - which should specify a time if required or if it says regularly, then once a year is not, once a quarter would be minimum. My advice is go with the first response it was a good answer and logical

As I said, we are AISC certified company so we do get audited. I was told by my boss that AWS requires that rod ovens be checked daily. I had never heard of this before and it sounded like rumor and not fact.

I have looked in my D1.1 and AWS A5.-. I have found nothing on the intervals required for checks, or frequency. Only baking times and atmospheric conditions etc.

So if I understand you correctly, you're saying that I can adjust the interval to say, once a week? Once a month? As long as I stick with what I put in the company quality asurance manual, and whats on the msds for the rods?

I thank you all for responding but I really need something I can quote or show my boss to win this one. I know it must be out there.

Your AISC Cert. requires you to conform to the rod storage requirements 24/7. Recording the temp at the beginning and end of each shift will keep the certifying authority off your back.

As with most codes and standards it is best to take the most conservative approach.

Thank you for your help, is that in any AWS or AISC literature? I would like to find a quote on which to base my checks. Also so I could put it in the company book. What you say makes perfect sense but I'm still looking for literature.

I can only say that this is an administrative kind of thing that you decide to do to document how you are complying with AWS. Codes and standards give us the requirements. In most cases; it is up to us to determine how we will comply with those requirements. This is usually spelled out in your company's Quality Assurance (QA) Manual. Most of your customers probably require their approval of your QA Manual as part of your contract.

You determine how you are going to comply with and document your compliance with the rod storage requirements of the various codes that you are required to follow. Since it is not really specified, you could just use the calibration documentation of your rod ovens, or you could set up a chart-corder and monitor the temp constantly. Hopefully you will find a suitable procedure somewhere in between those extremes. The goal of course is to satisfy yourself, the certifying authority, and you customers that you are in compliance.

If you need to justify whatever you do to a superior, get them involved with decision making on this. In fact; you could get the people who will be responsible for conducting this activity involved as well. This will make everyone feel that they are part of the decision making process, and be more likely to carry it out faithfully.