Annex B

II - Part 3
GL 2000

Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium

Chapter 2
Page B1

Annex B
Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium
Limits for imperfections in welded joints in aluminium (alloys)
in accordance with the international standards EN 30042 / ISO 10042 (repoduced with the kind permission
of the Deutsches Institut fr Normung (DIN) e.V. Berlin [German Standards Institute ]
Amendments or additions to the standards are shaded in grey.
No.

Description of
imperfections

Ref. No.
in acc.
with ISO
6520

Remarks

Limit for imperfections for

quality levels
low

medium

high

Cracks

100

All types of cracks except micro cracks

(h 1 < 1mm2), crater cracks, see No. 2

End crater crack

104

Gas inclusion

201

Pore

2011

Porosity

2012

Cluster of pores

2013

d 0,5 s + d 0,5 s + d 0,5 s +

0,05 s or 0,035 s or 0,02 s or
0,02 a
0,035 a
0,05 a
max.
max.
max.
2 mm
1.5 mm
3 mm

Surface pore

2017

per 100 mm length:

not permitted
h 0,2 s or
0,2 a

not permitted

The term "gas inclusion" encompasses

per 100 mm length:
porosity, cluster of pores and pores. The entire A 8 s or A 4 s or A 2 s or
pore area within a cluster should be included: 8 a mm2
4 a mm2
2 a mm2
an envelope curve that encompasses all the
pores or a circle with a diameter that matches d 0,5 s or d 0,3 s or d 0,25 s or
0,5 a mm2 0,3 a mm2 0,25 a mm2
that of the width of the weld.
max.
max.
max.
The permitted pore area should be localized.
5,5 mm
4,5 mm
3,5 mm
The possibility that other irregularities are
concealed should be allowed for.
d 0,5 s + d 0,5 s + d 0,5 s +
0,035 s or 0,02 s or 0,01 s or
0,035 a
0,02 a
0,01 a
max.
max.
max.
1 mm
2 mm
1,5 mm

A 2 t mm2 A 1 t mm2 A 0,5 t mm2

d 0,5 mm + d 0,5 mm+ d 0,5 mm +

0,035 s or
0,035 a
max.
2 mm

Solid inclusions
(other than
copper and
tungsten)

Tungsten
inclusions

300

3041

Solid inclusions include oxide inclusions.

If several inclusions h1, h2, h3 ... are present in
a section, the sum is
Sh = h1+ h2 + h3 ...

Copper
inclusions

0,01 s or
0,01 a
max.
1 mm

Long irregularities:
not permitted
Short irregularities:
S h 0,1 s or 0,1 a
max.
max.
3 mm
1,5 mm

not
permitted

h 0,1 s or 0,1 a

h 0,05 s
or 0,05 a
max.
0,8 mm

max.
3 mm
10

0,02 s or
0,02 a
max.
1,5 mm

max.
1,5 mm

3042
not permitted

Chapter 2
Page B2

No.
11

Annex B

Description of
imperfections
Lack of fusion

Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium

Ref. No.
in acc.
with ISO
6520
401

II - Part 3
GL 2000

Limit for imperfections for

quality levels

Remarks
Where there are several instances of lack of
fusion h1, h2, h3 ... the sum is
S h = h1 + h2 + h3 ...

low

medium

high

Long irregularities:
not permitted
Short irregularities:
not
S h 0,1 s or 0,1 a
permitted
max.
max.
3 mm

12

Incomplete
penetration

402

Specified penetration
Actual penetration

1,5 mm

A small number
permitted, but not a
regular occurrence
h 0,4 s
max.
3 mm

h 0,2 s
max.
2 mm

not
permitted

Fig. A

Specified penetration
Actual penetration
Fig. B
Actual penetration
Specified penetration

Fig. C
Imcomplete
penetration
(fillet welds)

Long irregularities:
not permitted
Short irregularities:

12.1

h
-

An excessive or inadequate gap between the

components being joined.

Poor fit-up,
fillet welds

13

Gaps exceeding the relevant limit may be

compensated by a correspondingly larger
throat thickness

h 0,3 a
max.
2 mm

h 0,2 a
max.
1,5 mm

h 0,1 a
max.
1 mm

h 1mm h 0,5 mm h 0,5 mm

+ 0,2 a,
+ 0,15 a,
+ 0,1 a,
max.
max.
max.
4 mm
3 mm
2 mm

No.
14

Annex B

Description of
imperfections
Undercut

Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium

Ref. No.
in acc.
with ISO
6520
5011
5012

Chapter 2
Page B3

Limit for imperfections for

quality levels

Remarks
Smooth transition is required.

II - Part 3
GL 2000

low

medium

high

Long irregularities:
h 0,6 mm h 0,4 mm h 0,2 mm
Short irregularities:

15

Excessive weld
reinforcement

502

16

Excessive
convexity

503

Smooth transition is required.

b

h 1,5 mm h 1 mm h 0,5 mm
Long and short irregularities:
Not more than 10 % of the plate
thickness in the case of undercuts
vertical to the main direction of load

Actual weld thickness

h 1,5 mm h 1,5 mm h 1,5 mm

+ 0,3 b,
+ 0,15 b,
+ 0,1 b,
max.
max.
max.
5 mm
4 mm
3 mm

Required weld
thickness

h 1,5 mm h 1,5 mm h 1,5 mm

+ 0,20 b, + 0,15 b,
+ 0,1 b,
max.
max.
max.
10 mm
7 mm
5 mm

h 1 mm
+ 0,3 a,
max.
7 mm
Actual weld thickness
Specified weld
thickness

Excessive weld
thickness (fillet
weld)

For many applications a weld thickness in

excess of the specified size does not represent
grounds for rejection.

18

Reduced weld
thickness (fillet
weld)

A fillet weld with an obviously smaller weld

thickness should not be regarded as a defect
provided that the actual weld thickness is
compensated by a deeper penetration and by
so doing achieving the specified size.

h 1 mm
+ 0,2 a,
max.
6 mm

h 1 mm
+ 0,15 a,
max.
5 mm

17

Long irregularities:
not permitted
Short irregularities:
h 0,2 a
max.
1,5 mm

h 0,1 a
max.
1 mm

h 4 mm

h 3 mm

Actual weld thickness h 0,3 a

max.
Required weld
2
mm
thickness

h 5 mm

504

Excessive root
reinforcement

19

Chapter 2
Page B4

No.
20

Annex B

Description of
imperfections
Misalignment of
edges

Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium

Ref. No.
in acc
with ISO
6520
507

II - Part 3
GL 2000

Limit for imperfections for

quality levels

Remarks

low

medium

high

The deviation limits relate to the correct

position. Unless otherwise specified, the
correct position is when the centre lines
coincide.

t relates to the smaller thickness

h 0,5 mm h 0,5 mm h 0,5 mm

+ 0,25 t,
+ 0,15 t,
+ 0,1 t,
max.
max.
max.
4 mm
3 mm
2,5 mm

Fig. A - Plates and longitudinal welds

h 0,5 t
max.
4 mm

max.
3 mm

max.
2,5 mm

Fig. B - Circumferential welds

Incompletely
filled groove

511

Long irregularities:
not permitted

Smooth transition is required.

b

Short irregularities:

21

Excessively
unequal leg
lengths of fillet
welds

512

It is assumed that an asymmetric fillet weld

has not been expressly prescribed.

h 0,1 t
max.
1,5 mm

h 3 mm
+ 0,3 a

h 2 mm h 1,5 mm
+ 0,25 a
+ 0,2 a

h 0,05 t
max.
1,0 mm

z1
515

Smooth transition is required.

Root concavity

Long irregularities:
not permitted
Short irregularities:

Root notch

5013

23

z2

22

h 0,2 t
max.
2 mm

h 0,2 t
max.
2 mm

h 0,1 t
max.
1,5 mm

h 0,05 t
max.
1 mm

Remarks
For thicknesses s 10 mm or a 10 mm,
special parameters may be necessary
h2

Chapter 2
Page B5

Limits for imperfections for

quality levels

h1

Multiple
irregularities
in the section

Ref. No.
in acc.
with ISO
6520

h5

24

Description of
imperfections

Imperfections in Welded Joints in Aluminium

h1 + h 2 + h 3 + h 4 + h 5 S h

h3

No.

Annex B

h4

II - Part 3
GL 2000

low

medium

high

Maximum size of short

irregularities S h
0,3 s
or
0,3 a,
max.
10 mm

0,25 s
or
0,25 a,
max.
10 mm

0,2 s
or
0,2 a,
max.
10 mm

h1

h2

h4

h5
h3

h6

h 1 + h2 + h 3 + h4 + h5 + h6 S h
This table, taken from the international standards EN 30042 resp. ISO 10042 specifies requirements for three levels of
acceptance for imperfections in joints of aluminium and it's weldable alloys and for thicknesses of 3 mm to 63 mm. It may
be used, where applicable, for other fusion welding processes or weld thicknesses.
No. 24 shows multiple imperfections, a theoretically possible accumulation of individual imperfections. In this case, the total
of all permitted deviations for the determined figures of the several classification levels should be reduced. However, the
value of a single imperfection h, e.g. for a single pore, should not be exceeded.
The requirements given in this table should not treated as absolute limits but rather as limits that should not be exceeded
with more than a defined probability. It should be noted that imperfections exceeding the size limits given are often present
in a weld without impairing it's fitness-for-purpose.
This table may be used in conjunction with the IIW-Catalogue ISO 10042 which contains realistic illustrations. They show
the size of the permissible imperfections for the various quality levels by means of photographs of the face and root side
and/or reproductions of radiographs and of photos of macrographs of the cross-section of the welds. The catalogue and it's
reference cards may be used to assess the various imperfections and may be employed when opinions differ as to permissible
size of imperfections.
Symbols
The following symbols are used in the table:
A
area of gas cavity
a
nominal fillet weld throat thickness (fillet thickness)
b
width of weld reinforcement
d
diameter or pore
h
size (height or weight) of imperfection
l
lenght of imperfection
s
nominal butt weld thickness or, in the case of partial
penetration, the precribed depth of penetration
t
wall or plate thickness
z
nominal leg length of fillet welds (in case of isosceles
right angle triangular section z = a 2)

Short imperfection:
One or more imperfections of total length not greater than
25 mm in any 100 mm length of the weld or a maximum of
25 % of the weld length for a weld shorter than 100 mm.
Long imperfection:
One or more imperfections of total length greater than 25 mm
in any 100 mm length of the weld or a minimum of 25 % of
the weld length for a weld shorter than 100 mm.