SMAW electrodes shipping approvals

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One of my regular customers, teenage kid actually, asked me about this today just before I closed the shop. Turns out he's currently enrolled at a welding school and instructor gave this question as part of a written homework when they resume classes on Monday. Trying to help out the kid, I downloaded and printed out spec sheets for the rods the school uses plus a bunch of pdf files about the different shipping bureaus approvals that were stated that the rods were accredited in. Now I ain't no welder, so I didn't understand half of what I read but I got curious as these rods are the same type/brands I sell.http://www.nihonweld.com/products.do?item_id=15217http://www.nihonweld.com/products.do?item_id=15218http://www.nihonweld.com/products.do?item_id=15224http://www.nihonweld.com/products.do?item_id=15238I told the kid I'd ask on the forum and to come back tommorow afternoon and maybe I'd have more clarification on this. So what are all this approvals for? I also noticed that only locally manufactured electrodes have this approvals stated on their packaging. I have here at home Kobelco LB-52U, Cigweld Ferrocraft and Lincoln Easyarc 6011. I bought them to try out for personal use and nowhere in their boxes are shipping approvals printed. Why is this not stated on their boxes? What is the big deal about having shipping approvals that they are stated in the packaging?Thanks and sorry for being too long a post.
Reply:A bit of info (2 1/2 pages):  http://www.esabna.com/euweb/awtc/lesson10_7.htmhttp://ww2.eagle.org/en/rules-and-re...-products.htmlList of stick electrodes approved by ABS:  http://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eag...mables/SMA.pdf  - Look under Philippines for Nihonweld stuff.Last edited by Oldendum; 05-22-2015 at 01:17 PM."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:From what I see it is not shipping approvals but ship building approvals. Those are two different things entirely. Shipping approval would be like some things are not approved to be sold/shipped to California. Ship building approval means the welds have been tested and conform to standards expected in the ship building industry. These would be tests on strength under conditions expected on ships. If you watch Deadliest Catch you can see some of the conditions that welds would have to meet. Some of the liberty ships from WWII the welds and metal failed and ships sank because of these failures and the ship building approvals for welding materials were the end result of these failures.