Welding Visual Inspection

Personal Attributes 1.1

Important qualities that good Inspectors are expected

to have are:
•Honesty
•Integrity
•Knowledge
•Good communicator
•Physical fitness
•Good eyesight
Standard for Visual Inspection 1.1

Basic Requirements
BS EN 970 - Non-destructive examination of fusion welds - Visual examination
Welding Inspection Personnel should:
• be familiar with relevant standards, rules and specifications applicable to the
fabrication work to be undertaken
• be informed about the welding procedures to be used
• have good vision (which should be checked every 12 months)
Welding Inspection 1.2

Conditions for Visual Inspection (to BS EN 970)

Illumination: •
350 lux minimum required • (recommends 500 lux - normal shop or office lighting)
Vision Access: •
Eye should be within 600mm of the surface •
Viewing angle (line from eye to surface) to be not less than 30°
Welding Inspection 1.3

Aids to Visual Inspection (to BS EN 970)

When access is restricted may use:
• A mirrored borescope
•A fiber- optic viewing system
Other aids: •
welding gauges (for checking bevel angles, weld profile, fillet sizing, undercut depth)
• Dedicated weld-gap gauges and linear misalignment (high-low) gauges
• Straight edges and measuring tapes
• Magnifying lens (if magnification lens used it should have magnification between X2 to X5)
Welding Inspectors Equipment 1.3

Measuring devices:
• Flexible tape, steel rule
• Temperature indicating crayons
• Welding gauges
• Voltmeter
• Ammeter
• Magnifying glass
• Torch / flash light
• Gas flow-meter
Welding Inspectors Gauges 1.3
Welding Inspectors Equipment 1.3
Welding Inspection 1.3

Stages of Visual Inspection (to BS EN 970)

Extent of examination and when required should be defined in the application
standard or by agreement between the contracting parties
For high integrity fabrications inspection required throughout the fabrication
process:
Before welding (Before assemble & After assembly)
During welding
After welding
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.5

Before Welding
Preparation:
Familiarization with relevant „documents‟…
• Application Standard/Code - for visual acceptance requirements
• Drawings - item details and positions/tolerances etc
• Quality Control Procedures - for activities such as material handling, documentation
control, storage & issue of welding consumables
• Quality Plan/Inspection & Test Plan/Inspection Checklist details of inspection
requirements, inspection procedures & records required
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.5

Before Welding
Welding Procedures:
• are applicable to joints to be welded & approved
• are available to welders & inspectors
Welder Qualifications:
• list of available qualified welders related to WPS‟s
• certificates are valid and ‘in-date’
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector

Before Welding
Equipment:
• all inspection equipment is in good condition & calibrated as necessary
• all safety requirements are understood & necessary equipment available
Materials:
• can be identified & related to test certificates, traceability !
• are of correct dimensions
• are in suitable condition (no damage/contamination)
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.5

Before Welding
Consumables:
• in accordance with WPS’s
• are being controlled in accordance with Procedure
Weld Preparations:
• comply with WPS/drawing
• free from defects & contamination
Welding Equipment:
• in good order & calibrated as required by Procedure
 Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector

Before Welding
Fit-up
• Complies with WPS
• Number / size of tack welds to Code / good workmanship
Pre-heat
• If specified
• Minimum temperature complies with WPS
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.5

During Welding
Weather conditions
• suitable if site / field welding
Welding Process(es)
• in accordance with WPS
Welder
• is approved to weld the joint
Pre-heat (if required)
• minimum temperature as specified by WPS
• maximum inter-pass temperature as WPS
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.6

During Welding
Welding consumables
• in accordance with WPS
• in suitable condition • controlled issue and handling Welding Parameters
• current, voltage & travel speed – as WPS Root runs
• if possible, visually inspect root before single-sided welds are filled up
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.6

During Welding
Inter-run cleaning
in accordance with an approved method (& back gouging) to good workmanship standard
Distortion control
• welding is balanced & over-welding is avoided
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.6

After Welding
Weld Identification •
• Identified/numbered as required
• Iis marked with welder‟s identity
Visual Inspection
• Ensure weld is suitable for all NDT
• Visually inspect & „sentence‟ to Code requirements
Dimensional Survey
• Ensure dimensions comply with Code/drawing
Other NDT
• Ensure all NDT is completed & reports available
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.6

After Welding
Repairs
• Monitor repairs to ensure compliance with Procedure, ensure NDT after repairs is completed
• PWHT
• Monitor for compliance with Procedure
• Check chart records confirm Procedure compliance
Pressure / Load Test
• Ensure test equipment is suitably calibrated
• Eonitor to ensure compliance with Procedure
• Ensure all records are available
Typical Duties of a Welding Inspector 1.6

After Welding
Documentation
• ensure any modifications are on ‘as-built’ drawings
• ensure all required documents are available
• Collate / file documents for manufacturing records
• Sign all documentation and forward it to QC department.
Summary of Duties

It is the duty of a Welding Inspector to ensure all the welding and

associated actions are carried out in accordance with the
specification and any applicable procedures.
A Welding Inspector must: •
• Observe To observe all relevant actions related to weld quality
throughout production.
• Record To record, or log all production inspection points relevant to
quality, including a final report showing all identified imperfections
• Compare To compare all recorded information with the acceptance
criteria and any other relevant clauses in the applied application standard
Welding Inspection

Welding Imperfections

Section 2
Welding Imperfections

All welds have imperfections

• Imperfections are classed as defects when they are of a type, or size, not allowed by the Acceptance
Standard
A defect is an unacceptable imperfection

• A weld imperfection may be allowed by one Acceptance Standard but be classed as a defect by another
Standard and require removal/rectification
Welding Imperfections

Standards for Welding Imperfections

BS EN ISO 6520-1(1998) Welding and allied processes –
Classification of geometric imperfections
in metallic materials Part 1: Fusion welding
Imperfections are classified into 6 groups, namely:
1 Cracks
2 Cavities
3 Solid inclusions
4 Lack of fusion and penetration
5 Imperfect shape and dimensions
6 Miscellaneous imperfections
Welding Imperfections

Standards for Welding Imperfections

EN ISO 5817 (2003) Welding - Fusion-welded joints in steel,
nickel, titanium and their alloys
(beam welding excluded) –
Quality levels for imperfections
This main imperfections given in EN ISO 6520-1 are listed in EN ISO 5817 with acceptance
criteria at 3 levels, namely
Level B (highest)
Level C (intermediate)
Level D (general)
This Standard is „directly applicable to visual testing of welds‟ ...(weld surfaces & macro examination)
Welding Imperfections Classification

Cracks
Cracks

Cracks that may occur in welded materials are caused generally by many factors and may be classified by
shape and position.
Classified by Shape
•Longitudinal
•Transverse
•Chevron
•Lamellar Tear
Classified by Position
•HAZ
•Centerline
•Crater
•Fusion zone •Parent metal
Note: Cracks are classed as Planar Defects.
Cracks
Cracks
Cracks

Main Crack Types

• Solidification Cracks
• Hydrogen Induced Cracks
• Lamellar Tearing
• Reheat cracks
Cracks

Solidification Cracking
• Occurs during weld solidification process
• Steels with high sulphur impurities content (low ductility at elevated temperature)
• Requires high tensile stress
• Occur longitudinally down center of weld
Cracks

Hydrogen Induced Cold Cracking

• Requires susceptible hard grain structure, stress, low temperature and hydrogen
• Hydrogen enters weld via welding arc mainly as result of contaminated electrode or
preparation
• Hydrogen diffuses out into parent metal on cooling
• Cracking developing most likely in HAZ
Lamellar Tearing

Location: Parent metal

• Steel Type: Any steel type possible
• Susceptible Microstructure: Poor through thickness ductility
• Lamellar tearing has a step like appearance due to the solid inclusions in the parent
material (e.g. sulphides and silicates) linking up under the influence of welding stresses
• Low ductile materials in the short transverse direction containing high levels of
impurities are very susceptible to lamellar tearing
• It forms when the welding stresses act in the short transverse direction of the material
(through thickness direction)
Gas Cavities
Gas Cavities
Gas Cavities
Gas Cavities
Crater Pipe
Crater Pipe

Crater pipe is a shrinkage defect and not a gas defect, it has the appearance of a gas pore in the weld crater

Causes:
• Too fast a cooling rate
• Deoxidization reactions and liquid
to solid volume change
• Contamination
Solid Inclusions
Solid Inclusions
Welding Imperfections

Typical Causes of Lack of Fusion:

• welding current too low
• bevel angle too steep
• root face too large (single-sided weld)
• root gap too small (single-sided weld)
• incorrect electrode angle
• linear misalignment
• welding speed too high
• welding process related – particularly dip-transfer GMAW
• flooding the joint with too much weld metal (blocking Out)
Lack of Fusion3
Lack of Fusion
Weld Root Imperfections
Cap Undercut
Undercut
Surface and Profile
Surface and Profile
Weld Root Imperfections
Overlap
Overlap
Set-Up Irregularities
Set-Up Irregularities
Set-Up Irregularities
Incomplete Groove
Weld Root Imperfections
Weld Root Imperfections
Weld Root Imperfections
Weld Root Imperfections
Weld Root Imperfections3
Oxidized Root (Root Coking)
Miscellaneous Imperfections
Miscellaneous Imperfections
Mechanical Damage3

Mechanical damage can be defined as any surface material damage cause during the manufacturing process.
• Grinding
• Hammering
• Chiseling
• Chipping
• Breaking off welded attachments (torn surfaces)
• Using needle guns to compress weld capping runs
Mechanical Damage
Any Question….

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