Foreword

Aviation welding specifications were primarily dependent on government standards for contract purposes and were based on welding technology from the 1950s. For those specifications were MIL-8611 (steel), MIL-W-8604 (aluminum), and MIL-W-18326 (Magnesium) and MIL-T-5021 for while their performance. In 1977 The NEA Shannon airspace in this jury and garment move to update some of these standards by Considering the welder's performance of MIL-T-5021 into MIL-STD-1595. MIL-STD-1595 It was issued as a supplement to ASME Border and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX in 1977. It was subsequently revised and superseded by MIL-STD-1595A in 1993. For the first update to the 1950'sand welding process specification came with the release of MIL-W-8604A in 1982, almost 30 years after its initial release. The materiel welding specifications MIL-W-8604, MIL-W-8611, MIL-W-18326 were consolidated into MIL-STD-2219 in1988 and represent the most significant change to aviation welding standards in more than 30 years.

After two unsuccessful attempts to change the military standards, the American Welding Society contacted the industry and proposed the meeting to develop a national specification. Interested welding personnel from the aviation industry gather together in the autumn of 1993 to lay the foundation for a national aviation and aerospace specification for fusion welding to replace MIL-STD-1595A and MIL-STD-2219. This meeting led the formation of AWS D17, Committee on Welding in the Aircraft and Aerospace Industries. The overriding theme the welding committee members brought to the table was that the aviation industry had changed. Those changes affected the welding processes and procedures, based metal and filler metal types, quality and the inspection equipment, just to name a few.

Since the 1950s the welding specifications has not completely kept pace during the revision process to reflect these technology changes. The writing of this specifications was a prime opportunity for the industry and government to create a document to include those changes. Through an industrial effort and committee consensus, this specification represents several years of work, bringing the aviation and aerospace industry together to acknowledge the technological advances of welding and materials. Included this document is weld repair technology to enable the use of weld repair beyond those areas originally designed for a weld.

In keeping with the welding and material technology advancements, this committee is committed to produce additional welding specification as necessary, including Resistance Welding (RW) and Friction Stir Welding (SFW), to meet the demands of the ever-changing aviation and aerospace welding industry.