Incorrect. I run a training department. Every qualified welder has to perform a requal set of welds every 6 months.
"No Colonel Sanders, your wrong. Mama's right!"
Per ASME IX
QW-322 Expiration and Renewal of
Qualification
QW-322.1 Expiration of Qualification. The performance
qualification of a welder or welding operator
shall be affected when one of the following conditions
occurs:
(a) When he has not welded with a process during
a period of 6 months or more, his qualifications for
that process shall expire; unless, within the six month
period, prior to his expiration of qualification,
(1) a welder has welded using a manual or semiautomatic
welding process which will maintain his qualification
for manual and semiautomatic welding with
that process;
(2) a welding operator has welded with a machine
or automatic welding process which will maintain his
qualification for machine and automatic welding with
that process.
(b) When there is a specific reason to question his
ability to make welds that meet the specification, the
qualifications which support the welding he is doing
shall be revoked. All other qualifications not questioned
remain in effect.
QW-322.2 Renewal of Qualification
(a) Renewal of qualification expired under QW-
322.1(a) above may be made for any process by welding
a single test coupon of either plate or pipe, of any
material, thickness or diameter, in any position, and
by testing of that coupon as required by QW-301 and
QW-302. A successful test renews the welder or welding
operator’s previous qualifications for that process for
those materials, thicknesses, diameters, positions, and
other variables for which he was previously qualified.
Providing the conditions of QW-304 and QW-305
are satisfied, renewal of qualification under QW-322.1(a)
may be done on production work.
(b) Welders and welding operators whose qualifications
have been revoked under QW-322.1(b) above
shall requalify. Qualification shall utilize a test coupon
appropriate to the planned production work. The coupon
shall be welded and tested as required by QW-301 and
QW-302. Successful test restores the qualification.
If your site is mandating that all welders requal every 6 months regardless if they have welded utilizing the applicable process then they are going above and beyond the Code, which is asinine.