Visual Inspection of Welds

Butt Weld Size

a) excess weld metal height


b) root penetration




c) weld width


d) root bead width

Fillet welds (size)
Consider:

a) z minimum (and maximum) leg length
size

b) a minimum design throat
thickness

Shape (Butt Welds)
Ideally, (a) is the most desirable but
very often it may be difficult to
achieve. Because of this, one should
assess the excess weld height in
conjunction with the weld profile and
perhaps the toe blending.

Consider:
Shape (Fillet Welds)
In normal practice, (a) is the most desirable
but, again, in many instances it is difficult to
achieve. Acceptance levels, therefore, allow
tolerances on weld shape.

Consider:
Toe Blend (Butt Welds)
Depending on the service conditions
of the product, the toe blend may be
of greater importance than the size
and shape of the weld. A poor toe
blend may reduce service life by a
considerable margin if the product is
under a cyclic load.
For butt welds, consider:

In normal practice, (a) is the most
desirable but, again, in many
instances it is difficult to achieve.
Acceptance levels, therefore, allow
tolerances on weld shape.

Toe Blend (Fillet Welds)
For fillet welds, consider:

In normal practice, (a) is the most
desirable but, again, in many
instances it is difficult to achieve.
Acceptance levels, therefore,
allow tolerances on weld shape.

Root Defects
Incomplete root penetration
Failure of weld metal to extend into the root of a joint
Lack of root fusion
Lack of union at the root of a joint

Excess penetration bead
Excess weld metal protruding through the root of
a fusion weld made from one side only

Root Defects
Root concavity
(suck-back; underwashing - non-standard terms)
A shallow groove which may occur in the root of a
butt weld, but full fusion is evident
Shrinkage groove
A shallow groove caused by contraction in the metal
along each side of a penetration bead or along the
weld centreline

Burnthrough
(melt through)
A localised collapse of the molten pool due to
excessive penetration, resulting in a hole in the
weld run

Contour Defects
Incompletely filled groove
A continuous or intermittent channel
in the surface of a weld, running
along its length, due to insufficient
weld metal. The channel may be
along the centre or along one or
both edges of the weld
Bulbous Contour
Bulbous contour
A non-standard term used to
describe poor appearance
Unequal Legs
Unequal legs
(non standard term)
Variation of leg length on a fillet weld
Note: Unequal leg lengths may be
specified as part of the design - in which
case they are not imperfections

Undercut
Undercut
An irregular groove at a toe of a run in the
parent metal or in previously deposited
weld metal
The inspector must determine if the
undercut is continuous or intermittent, or
sharp or smooth

Overlap
Overlap
An imperfection at the toe or root of a
weld caused by metal flowing on to the
surface of the parent metal without fusing
to it
Gas Pore
Gas pore
A cavity, generally under
1.5mm in diameter, formed by
trapped gas during the
solidification of molten metal
Porosity
A group of gas pores
Crater Pipe
Crater pipe
A depression due to shrinkage at the end of a
run where the source of heat was removed.
Crater pipes may also lead to micro-cracking
Surface Cracks
Crack
A linear discontinuity produced by fracture
Cracks may be ...

a) ... longitudinal, in the weld metal, i.e. centreline

b) ... longitudinal, in the parent metal or heat affected zone

c) ... transverse

d) Crater crack
(star cracking)

Arc Strike
Stray flash/arc burn/arc strike
(stray arcing)
1. The damage on the parent material
resulting from the accidental striking of an
arc away from the weld
2. The accidental striking of an arc away
from the weld
Note that the same term is used for both
the action and the result

Weld Width
For butt welds and fillet welds,
consider:
Weld width and consistency of weld width