Cert
Cert turns up in 2 fields: heat treating, welding. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Cert in heat treating
Shop word for the certificate of heat treatment that states what was done to a lot and the results.
Certification sent with a lot after processing, listing the specification, furnace, recipe, temperatures, times, quenchant, hardness results and case depth where required, signed by quality. Aerospace and automotive customers will not accept parts without one, and a missing or wrong cert can hold up a whole shipment. Certs also means the mill test reports that arrive with raw steel.
"Parts are on the truck but the cert is still sitting on the QA desk, nobody signed it."
Cert in welding
Shop word for a welder's qualification, or the test taken to earn it, as in a 6G cert.
Everyday name for a welder performance qualification: the record that a welder passed a test under a specific code, process, position and range of thickness, diameter and filler. Certs belong to the employer or test facility and lapse if the welder goes too long without using the process, often six months, unless continuity is logged. Welders talk about getting certed, holding certs and testing in at a new job.
"New hire says he's got a 6G cert from his last plant, doesn't matter, he tests here Monday."