There are five typical steps in the qualification of welding procedures:
1. Preparation and welding of suitable samples
2. Testing of representative specimens
3. Evaluation of overall preparation, welding, testing, and end result
4. Possible changes in procedures (may require re-welding of samples)
5. Approval
Qualification of Welding Procedure Specifications
It is always desirable and often essential that the variables associated with the welding be described in a welding procedure with sufficient detail to permit reproduction of the weld and to afford a clear understanding of the parameters for performing the production weld.
- These variables are stipulated in two different documents:
Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) - Detailed methods and practices involved in the production of a weldment
Procedure Qualification Records (PQR). The record of actual welding variables used to produce an acceptable test weldment and the results of the tests conducted on development this document qualifies the WPS
Generally, provide procedures should be proven adequate by either procedure qualification test or by sufficient prior use assure dependability.
Applying existing PQR other than AWS
Our Welding Engineering (EWE, IWE) and AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) are educated and trained to assess existing PQR and WPS and evaluate them against the AWS requirements.
We are preparing a test plan under consideration of properly qualified PQRs and associated test records, customer / project requirements, the applicable AWS standard, applied parent materials and welding consumables.
Depending on the identified differences in each case, the welding of a new test sample may be required; however, the testing scope may be reduced. In some cases, this approach requires the approval of the customer.
After welding and evaluating the test sample, we will be issuing the AWS QPR / WPS documentation.
Please contact us to discuss your needs and objectives.
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