A Standard Welding Procedure Specification (SWPS) is a welding procedure that must meet the rules for qualification of AWS B2.1 – Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification, and be approved by the AWS B2 Committee on Procedure and Performance Qualification. All SWPSs have supporting Procedure Qualification Records (PQRs) which comply with the rules set forth […]
Developing a welding procedure does not have to be complicated. But when we are dealing with demand critical welds or with hard-to-weld metals we need to be careful. Simply setting our welding machine to get an arc we like is not enough if we are dealing with materials for which we need to limit heat […]
When it comes to precision welding and fabrication, it only takes one wrong document to cause a major problem. Still, many companies operate by the motto: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Assuming you have incredible attention to detail and a lot of luck, that approach might work for a while. That’s why companies […]
There is a misconception that welder qualifications are only good for six months. This is not accurate. Most codes state that welder qualifications may lapse if the welder is not engaged in a given process for which he or she is qualified for a period exceeding six months. This means that as long as the […]
Whenever we think about qualifying welders we typically think about welding codes such as one of the AWS structural welding codes, API 1104 or ASME Section IX. In most cases qualifications are carried out to comply with a customer requirement. But what if you simply want to qualify your welders as part of your own […]
There is a misconception in our industry that the qualification of welders, and welding procedures for that matter, needs to be done by a certified welding inspector (CWI) or a welding engineer. Or that it has to be done by a third party. Although this may be the case if specified in contract documents, more […]
The purpose of welder performance qualifications is to ensure that the welder can deposit sound welds. There are several tests, both destructive and nondestructive, that are used to evaluate a welder’s ability to deposit good welds. Below are four of the most common test applied for these qualifications: Visual Inspection (VT) Visual inspection is […]
Measuring fillet weld legs is meaningless, well… not really. Fillet weld leg sizes are very important, but simply measuring the leg of a fillet weld does not tell us if we actually achieved the desired throat dimension. The strength of a fillet weld is determined by its effective throat. As you can see in the […]
Keeping track of welding procedure specifications (WPSs), procedure qualification records (PQRs) and performance qualification records (WPQRs) can become a tedious task. A simple WPS and PQR may not seem like much, but a medium to large contract may require you to qualify 5-10 welding procedures procedures along with 15-20 welders. If this is the case […]
The purpose of having welding procedures specifications (WPS) is to ensure quality. This is accomplished by giving the welder a detailed set of instruction on how to deposit weld metal for a specific joint. Consistent quality can be achieved, but there is one caveat. The welding procedures must be well written. A poorly written welding […]
