Butt welds - Size

Weld cap width

Excess weld metal

height

Root penetration

Root bead width

Butt welds - Profile

x
x x
Butt welds - Toe Blend

x
x x
Butt welds - Weld Width
Under Fill Excess Weld Metal

Incomplete Excess cap

filled groove reinforcement
Incompletely Filled Groove
Poor Restart

Poor stop/starts
Cap Undercut

Cap undercut
 Overlap

Overlap
Overlap
DEFINITION:
An imperfection at the toe
or root of a weld caused
by metal flowing onto the
surface of the parent plate
without fusing to it.
CAUSES:
Contamination
Slow travel speed
High amperage
Welding technique
Overlap

Overlap
 Lack of Fusion

Causes
Improper welding technique
Insufficient weld metal deposited
 Inter
Ìnter run Incompletely Filled Groove

Causes
• Improper welding technique
• Insufficient weld metal deposited
 Slag Inclusions - Cap

Causes
• Insufficient cleaning between passes
• Contaminated weld preparation
• Welding over irregular profile
• Incorrect welding speed
• Arc length too long
 Gas pores / Porosity

Causes
• Low welding current
• Arc length too long
• Excessive moisture in flux or preparation
• Contaminated preparation
• Damaged electrode flux
• Removal of gas shield
 Spatter

Causes
• Excessive arc energy
• Excessive arc length
• Damp electrodes
• Arc blow
Arc Strikes
Causes

Electrode straying onto

parent metal

Electrode holder with poor

insulation

Poor contact of earth

clamp
 Mechanical damage can be defined as any surface
material damage cause during the manufacturing
process. This can included damage caused by:

Grinding Hammering Chiselling Chipping

Breaking off welded attachments (torn surfaces)

Using needle guns to compress weld capping runs

ChiselChisel
MarksMarks Pitting Corrosion Grinding Marks
Chisel Marks
Crater Crack and pipe
Porosity

Cluster porosity
 Porosity

Gas pores Porosity

Cluster Porosity

Cluster
porosity
Worm Hole

Herringbone
porosity
 Lack of Fusion

Causes
• Amperage too low
• Contaminated weld
preparation
• Amperage too high
(welder increases
speed of travel)
Slag inclusions Lack of sidewall
fusion with
associated slag

Parallel slag lines Lack of interun fusion

+ slag
Lack of side Wall Fusion

Lack of
sidewall fusion
Slag Inclusion

Interpass slag
inclusions
 Slag Inclusions

Causes
• Arc length too long
• Incorrect welding speed
• Insufficient cleaning between passes
• Contaminated weld preparation
• Welding over irregular profile
Wagon Track

Elongated
slag lines
 Tungsten Inclusions

Causes
• Contamination of weld Caused by tungsten touching
weld metal or parent metal during welding using the
TIG welding process
 Excess Penetration

Causes
• Excessive amperage during
welding of root
• Excessive root gap
• Poor fit up
• Excessive root grinding
• Improper welding technique
 L.O.P

Causes
Too small a root gap
Arc too long
Wrong polarity
Electrode too large for joint
preparation
Incorrect electrode angle
Too fast a speed of travel for current
Root L.O.F

Lack of root
fusion
 Root Welding Defects

Lack of Incomplete
Penetration
fusion
 Root L.O.F

Causes
Too small a root gap
Arc too long
Wrong polarity
Electrode too large for joint
preparation
Incorrect electrode angle
Too fast a speed of travel for
current
 Root Concavity

Root concavity
 Root Concavity

Causes
• Root gap too large
• Insufficient arc energy
• Excessive back purge TIG
 Burn Through

Causes
• Excessive root grinding
• Excessive amperage during welding of root
• Improper welding technique
• Slow travel speed
• Large root gap/small root face (irregular fit up)
Burn Through
A shallow groove caused by contraction in the weld
metal along each side of the penetration bead or
can occur in the center of the weld bead

• Insufficient weld metal

deposited in the root
pass
Shrinkage groove • Too fast a cooling rate
during the application of
the root bead pass

• Poor welding technique

Shrinkage groove
Root piping
 Root undercut

Root undercut
Causes
• Root gap too large
• Excessive arc energy
• Small or no root face
 Alignment Imperfection
Non-alignment of two abutting edges

2mm

Also Known as: Hi Low. Mismatch. or Misalignment

 50mm

3mm

Angular distortion.
Measure the distance to the edge of the plate (50mm).
Use a straight edge (rule) to find the amount of distortion
then measure the space (3mm).
This reported as Angular distortion 3mm in 50mm