Welding Procedures and Welders Qualification
Welding Procedures and Welders Qualification
WELDERS QUALIFICATION
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Why Procedure Qualification
required?
• A design engineer selects a material for a specific
application
• Welding Engineer to see that the weldment also
meet the design criteria of the designer
• Welding is the very important and critical
operation in fabrication of pressure vessels, piping,
boiler ASME SEC- IX of Boiler and Pressure
vessel code I establishes the basic criteria for
welding which are observed while preparation of
requirements which affect procedure and
performance. 2
ASME Sec IX code deals with…
• Part QW for welding
• Part QB for brazing -:
• Each part is divided into further 4 articles
– 1. General requirements
– 2. Procedure Qualification
– 3. Performance Qualification
– 4. Data
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WHY PROCEDURE
QUALIFICATION IS REQUIRED
• The purpose of welding procedure specification
(WPS) and Procedure Qualification Record (PQR)
is to determine that the welding operation proposed
for fabrication are capable of producing welds with
required properties for intended application.
(Assuming that the welder performing the welding
procedure qualification test is a skilled workman).
• Procedure Qualification test is to establish the
properties of the weldment and not the skill of the
welders. .
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WELDING PROCEDURE
SPECIFICA TION (WPS) QW-482
• A WPS is a written document to provide direction for
making production welds which will meet code
requirements.
• i. ESSENTIAL VARIABLE: These are variables which
have a marked and significant effect on the weld
properties if changed
• ii. NON-ESSENTIAL VARIABLE: these will not, have
any significant effect on weld properties if changed.
These variables are listed for each welding process in
QW-252 through QW-265 in ASME Sec. IX.
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WELDING PROCEDURE
SPECIFICA TION (WPS) QW-482
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CONTENTS OF WPS :
• A completed WPS shall describe all essential
and non-essential variables for each welding
process used in WPS.
• The WPS shall also mention the supporting
procedure qualification records.
• FORMAT OF WPS :
• A WPS may be written in any format suitable to
the manufacturer. It should ensure that all
essential and supplementary essential variables
are listed in the WPS. 7
PREPARATION OF A WPS
Step by step procedure of preparing a WPS
• Review of job requirements
• Selection of a suitable welding process
• Fill in the suggested format of PQR
• Ensure that all the welding variables are covered
• Make a preliminary WPS based on the above PQR
• Weld a coupon as per the above WPS
• Carry out the examinations
• Make final WPS & PQR if the results are satisfactory
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PROCEDURE QUALIFICA TION
RECORD (PQR) (FORMAT QW-
483)
• The record of welding data used during welding of
Test-coupon and of Test results is Procedure
Qualification Record.
• A PQR should contain. .
• -Actual values/range of all essential and
supplementary essential(whenever required)
variables observed during the welding of test
coupon.
• -Actual values/range of non-essential variable may
be recorded at manufacture's option. 9
PROCEDURE QUALIFICA TION
RECORD (PQR) (FORMAT QW- 483)
• Types of test conducted.
• Number of test conducted. Results of tests.
• A PQR should be certified by the Manufacturer.
• Changes to PQR are not permitted. However,
correction can be made for example, if P No. or F
No. or any other information is wrong then the same
can be corrected.
• Additional information can be incorporated at a later
date provided it can be substantiated as having been
part of original qualification condition by some lab
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:-Record or similar document.
FORMAT FOR PQR:
• Form QW 483 of section IX can be used as
a guide to prepare PQR.
• PQR used for supporting WPS should be
available for review by the inspector. PQR
need not be available to welding operator or
welder.
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TYPE OF TEST REQUIRED :
• It should be kept in mind while deciding the test
requirements that the weld metal should also have the
essential properties of the base metal.
• A new test coupon shall be welded. Qualification on
grooves weld also qualifies for fillet welds. Procedure
Qualification in any position qualify for all position,
provided welding, process and welding rods electrodes etc
are suitable for use in a specific position.
• Where notch-toughness is a requirement of construction
code the PROCEDURE QUALIFICATION should be
carried out in 3G or 6G only.
• -Welder or welding operator who makes successful
procedure qualification test is qualified to weld in position
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ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PROCEDURE TENSION TEST -QW 153:
In order to pass the tension test, the specimen shall have a
tensile strength that is not less than :
• the minimum specified T.S. of base metal
• the minimum specified T.S. of the weaker of the two, if the
metals of different T.S are welded
• the minimum specified T.S of weld metal when the
applicable section provides for the use of weld metal having
lower room temp strength than base metal(Applicable for
Eutectic alloys)
• If the specimen breaks in the base metal outside of the weld
or weld interface, the test shall be accepted as meeting the
requirements,provided the strength is not more than 5 %
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below the minimum specified T.S of the base metal
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PROCEDURE AND PERFORMANCE
BEND TEST -QW 163:
• The guided bend test shall have no open
discontinuities in the weld or HAZ exceeding 1/8 in
or 3.2 mm, measured in any direction on the convex
surface of the specimen after bending.
• Open discontinuities occurring on the corners of the
specimen during testing shall not be considered
unless there is a definite evidence that they result
from lack of fusion, slag inclusion or any other
discontinuities.
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ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PROCEDURE MACRO EXAMINATION
QW-183
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ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PERFORMANCE - FRACTURE TEST-QW-182
• The stem of 4 in. fracture test specimen centre shall
be loaded laterally in such a way that the root of the
weld is in tension.The load shall be steadily
increased until the specimen fractures or bends flat
upon itself.The stem shall not peel off from the base
surface, which happens when the fusion is only skin
deep
If the specimen fractures, the fractured surface shall
show no evidence of cracks or incomplete root
fusion, and the sum of the lengths of the inclusions
and porosity visible on the fractured surface shall
not exceed 3/8 in. 16
ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PERFORMANCE - MACROEXAMINATION
QW-184
The smoothened and etched surface of the specimen
should give a clear definition of the weld metal and
HAZ. In order to pass the test:
• Visual examination of the cross section of the weld
metal and HAZ shall show complete fusion and
freedom from cracks, except that linear indications
at the root not exceeding 1/32 in. shall be acceptable
• The weld shall not have a concavity or convexity
greater than 1/16 in.
• There shall not be more than 1/8 in. difference in the
lengths of the legs of the fillet.
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ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA -
PERFORMANCE -RADIOGRAPHY-QW-191.2
Welders and welding operators performance tests by
radiography in test assemblies conducted as per
stipulations of Article 2 of ASME Section V, shall be
judged unacceptable when the radiograph exhibits any
of the linear or rounded indications as given in this
article.
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RENEWAL OF QUALIFICATION:
Contd...
• In such case the welder or welding operator will have
to weld a test coupon for re-qualification which will
be tested as required by the code before he is put on
the job.
• Performance qualification-position and diameter
limitations are mentioned in QW- 461-9 and QW-
454(see Annexures). Performance Qualification, tests
can be carried out by using a combination of welding
process on single test coupon limits of thickness for
which he will be qualified will depend upon the
amount of weldment thickness deposited by each
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process.
RENEWAL OF QUALIFICATION:
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