Sample welding procedure specifications - background information and best practice Page 1 of 11

Sample welding procedure specifications (May

2001)
by Owen Gorton

Contents:
? Introduction
? Material, process and joints covered
? The welding procedure specifications
? Your feedback, please
? Links to additional information
? Best practice
? About the author

Introduction

A small selection of weld procedure specifications (WPSs) is now available here on JoinIT. We would
like your feedback on how useful you find them, and your suggestions for additional procedures -
please use the e-mail form below. If there is sufficient interest, the range could be extended and
formed into a more developed system.

Video clip

Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding - also known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Gas Metal Arc (GMA or
GMAW) welding. Click on the thumbnail to download the video file -

To view this video clip you need an MPEG-1 Video Player. If you have difficulty with this, please talk
to an experienced web user.

Use of pre-written WPSs can eliminate the need for time-consuming re-writing of similar
documentation as a contract requirement. Although standardised systems and methods may not
provide optimum conditions for every specific application, they do have definite advantages, for
example:

? if the weld preparation is standard - in terms of angle, root face and root gap - the probability of

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achieving the requirement is considerably improved

? when the weld preparations are standard, the chances of identifying incorrect preparations
before plating and welding are improved

? use of standard welding conditions generates consistent quality and can give far greater control
of production costs

When standardised WPSs are coupled with standardised consumables, the degree of quality
assurance is enhanced appreciably. Standardised documentation can also eliminate the illogical
requirement sometimes placed on fabricators to issue different procedures for the 'same' welds made
in different areas of a fabrication.

The format of the WPSs makes it simple to issue example procedures and allows contract
documentation to be completed easily and quickly so that effort can be shifted from writing and
issuing of documentation to control of events on the shop floor. However, it must be stressed that
these are pre-written procedures based on experience and evaluation . The user can be
confident about their effectiveness but the responsibility for formal approval in accordance with a
national or industry specification, should it be required, must remain with the individual
fabricator .

It must also be recognised that the effectiveness of any welding procedure is closely linked to the skill
of the welder and it is assumed that welders will be appropriately approved to BS EN 287 Pt. 1,
BS4872 or similar specifications.

Several standard technical terms (e.g. 'carbon equivalent') are used in this system of WPSs.
Recognising that the terms may not be fully understood by some users, it is suggested that this
website be searched to identify relevant information. See also Links to additional information below.

Material, process and joints covered

The current selection of WPSs on JoinIT covers -

Types of
Material Welding process Welding position
joint

Carbon/manganese steels: Metal Active Gas In-line Various - see listing below and
CE (carbon equivalent) 0.45 (MAG or GMAW) butt its accompanying illustration
max. >3mm thick welding 135 Fillet
T-butt

The welding procedure specifications

Below is the current selection of welding procedure specifications on JoinIT. To reach the
specification you need, click the required WPS No.

Welding position
(BS EN ISO 6947)

Horizontal Vertical
WPS Flat vertical Horizontal up
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No. Joint type (PA) (PB) (PC) (PF)

IN-LINE BUTT WELDS (WPS Nos.

1 - 13):

1 single V, partial penetration

2 single V, partial penetration

single V, with backing, full

3 penetration

single V, with backing, full

4 penetration

single bevel, with backing, full

5 penetration
single bevel, with backing, full
6 penetration

single bevel, with backing, full

7 penetration

single V, full penetration (with cut-

8 back)

single V, full penetration (with cut-

9 back)

single V, full penetration (no cut-

10 back)

single V, full penetration (no cut-

11 back)

12 double V, full penetration

13 double V, full penetration

FILLET WELDS (WPS Nos. 14 -

17):

14 fillet, 6mm

15 fillet, 8 - 12mm

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16 fillet, 6mm

17 fillet, 8 - 12mm

T-BUTT WELDS (WPS Nos. 18 -

29):

18 single bevel, partial penetration

19 single bevel, partial penetration

20 single bevel, partial penetration

single bevel, full penetration (with

21 cut-back)

single bevel, full penetration (with

22 cut-back)

single bevel, full penetration (with

23 cut-back)

single bevel, full penetration (no cut-

24 back)

single bevel, full penetration (no cut-

25 back)

single bevel, full penetration (no cut-

26 back)

single bevel, full penetration (full

27 strength)

single bevel, full penetration (full

28 strength)

single bevel, full penetration (full

29 strength)

WPS Joint type Horizontal Vertical

No. Flat vertical Horizontal up
(PA) (PB) (PC) (PF)

Welding position
(BS EN ISO 6947)

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Your feedback, please

Surname & title:

Initials: Job title:
Company:
Full address:
Post code:
Tel: Fax:
E-mail:
Company size:

How useful did you find the WPSs?

j
k
l
m
n very useful
j
k
l
m
n useful
j
k
l
m
n not useful

Comments:

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If you would like more WPSs on JoinIT, what processes and materials should they
cover?

Processes

Materials

Comments:

Are you interested in a system for weld procedure qualification?

j
k
l
m
n yes
j
k
l
m
n no

Comments:

Now either Submit this form, or Reset to clear the form.

Links to additional information

Other relevant information on JoinIT includes:

How to formulate a welding procedure - a guide to best practice. Goes through the steps which need
to be taken when formulating successful welding procedures. Requirements, key issues and practical
considerations are examined with the aid of examples.

Fabrication cracking mechanisms in ferritic steels - a guide to best practice. Helps those concerned
with weld quality achieve a basic understanding of lamellar tearing and hydrogen, solidification and
reheat cracking - the main types of crack found in welded ferritic steels.

Weldspec. Easy to use software for managing welding procedures.

Welding Co -ordinator. Software which provides an electronic link between details of individual welds
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and the documentation that supports them: welding procedures, welder approval records, NDT
reports, weld data sheets, weld history logs.

Use SEARCH to identify other relevant information and knowledge. TWI Industrial Members have
unrestricted access to all TWI content.

Best practice

? Information on parameters in the WPSs

? Good fabrication practice
? Notes on Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding

Information on parameters in the WPSs

Material

Although the WPSs provided may be applicable to other materials, they have been formulated to
operate when using weldable structural steel to BS EN 10025 up to grade S355. The carbon
equivalent is limited to a maximum of 0.45 rather than the 0.47 allowed in the specification. This is
because advances in steel-making practice allow these grades of steel to be ordered to the lower
maximum, i.e. 0.45, without any increase in cost. In the unlikely event of this stated maximum being
exceeded, the requirements of BS 5135 Arc Welding of Carbon Manganese Steels should be
considered to assess the need to increase preheat temperature. (Please note that BS 5135 is due to
be superseded by BS-EN 1011 Pt1 and Pt2.)

Preheat

The need for a minimum preheat specified in the standard WPSs is based on the prevention of HAZ
cracking and is therefore theoretically specific to a particular joint, consumable, arc energy and
carbon equivalent. However, the philosophy adopted within the WPSs is to select parameters
compatible with a simple combined thickness level at which a single-level preheat is applied.

Some fabricators may regard the stated preheat as being onerous for their specific requirements; but
it is considered that in the more normal jobbing -type fabrication shop, this policy will offer many
economic and quality assurance advantages.

Interpass temperature

Control of interpass temperature is not necessary for weldments which do not have fracture
toughness requirements. However, in all other cases, the properties obtained are partly controlled by
the interpass temperature: a high interpass temperature resulting in a lowering of toughness, and to
some extent, a reduction in strength. The procedures have been written to obtain a balance between
good control for fracture toughness properties and avoidance of undue restraint on productivity.

NDT

The extent of NDT depends on the specific contract or Code requirements and this is usually
identified on the WPS.

Weld finish

In all cases this is stated as being 'not dressed'. This term is used rather than 'as-welded' to avoid
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confusion between the 'not dressed' and the 'not stress-relieved' condition.

Cutback

This term is used to cover all means of removing material from the second side back to sound metal.
It is envisaged that following this activity, NDT will be applied before welding on the second side, to
ensure that any defects such as lack of fusion have been removed.

Good fabrication practice

Adopting and implementing a weld procedure system - as represented by the WPSs provided here -
can offer considerable advantages in ensuring some degree of quality control: much success can be
gained by applying simple guidelines without the need for extensive and costly documentation. Key
questions which must answered are:

? what does the customer want?

? how do I demonstrate that I have supplied what the customer wants?

If these questions are approached and actioned correctly, the customer will be satisfied and cost
savings may accrue from a decrease in rectification costs and a better understanding of what is
happening within the works such that improvements in work practices can be made.

Here is a checklist for some of the information required to provide quality control.

Material

? what does the customer/design/application standard require?

? has the material been ordered to this requirement?
? are test certificates required?
? how is the material identified and checked in?
? how are the components/offcuts/parent material identified?
? are different grades/materials stored separately?
? is material which is deficient separated and clearly identified?
? is the material stored in such a manner that it does not deteriorate?

Consumables

? how are the consumables selected?

? is this selection correct?
? how are they stored and issued?
? what happens to those which are issued and remain unused?

Many of the problems associated with control of consumables may be eased considerably by a little
thought and planning. One of the most difficult tasks is to ensure that consumables are not
interchanged, particularly as some consumables are unmarked when out of their package, e.g.
submerged-arc flux. This type of problem may be reduced by standardising on the minimum number
of consumables and if possible only one of each type. This philosophy also applies to special
storage/thermal conditioning of a particular type of consumable, e.g. baking MMA basic electrodes. If
a contract on the shop-floor requires them to be baked, it may be cost-effective to bake them all,
rather than try to control their separation.

Welder qualification
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? is welder approval required?
? what approval is required?
? are sufficient welders approved?
? is a register of approved welders maintained?

Welding procedures

? are approved welding procedures required?

? are approved procedures available?
? does the customer need to know which procedures will be used?
? have the procedures been issued to all relevant parties for this contract?

Inspection

? what inspection is required?

? are there any hold points beyond which production must not proceed without approval by the
client or approving authority?
? has inspection time been planned into the schedule?
? if the job is not inspected how will you know that it has been completed and that it is correct?
? what are the consequences of an incorrect job being delivered to the customer?

Much of the above can be achieved without cost, in terms of money or time, by applying good work-
practices. Most of the inspection can be made by the personnel doing the job, e.g. a plater knows
when an assembly is correct and should not be allowed to pass-on poor workmanship to following
trades. A welder knows when poor welds have been deposited, especially where surface defects are
present and should not rely on subsequent inspection for confirmation. It must always be recognised
that rectification of defective work costs money and the later this occurs the greater the cost.

Drawings

? are the drawings correct?

? are they the latest revision?
? do they contain all the necessary information?
? how are they issued to the shop-floor?
? how are they retained and stored after completion of the contract?

Notes on Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding (135)

MAG welding, also known as Metal Inert Gas (MIG) or Gas Metal Arc (GMA or GMAW) welding, is
categorised as a semi-automatic process which uses a continuously fed wire. The wire feed speed
matches the rate at which the wire is melted and transferred across the arc into the weld pool. The
arc and weld pool are protected by a shielding gas.

The number of combinations of wire diameter and shielding gas composition for this process is
considerable. However, to keep the number of WPSs within acceptable limits, the system used
incorporates the most common shielding gas compositions, i.e. carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and argon +
20%CO 2 , and a wire size (1.2mm diameter) which is sufficiently small to produce well controlled weld
roots and positional beads whilst being large enough to provide acceptable deposition rates in the PA
and PC positions.

Although welds can be produced over a range of parameters, the lack of flux to act as an arc

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stabiliser and wetting agent means that this form of welding is more sensitive to deviations from
optimum parameters than most others. Consequently, additional care should be taken with selection
of parameters and monitoring of these and the bead profile. Parameters not correctly set, incorrect
technique or improperly adjusted or worn equipment can usually be identified first by the amount of
spatter produced and secondly by poor bead appearance.

As with all semi-automatic arc welding processes, consistent wire feeding attained by use of correct
feed rolls, conduit tips and nozzles is essential. Insufficient gas coverage is another common cause of
poor weld appearance and care should be taken to ensure that the gas flow indicated by the flow-
meter is being delivered to the nozzle and that spatter inside the nozzle is not causing the emergent
gas to swirl and so draw in air.

Draughts can also disturb the shielding gas and may result in porosity. Excessive contact tip wear,
giving poor wire contact, can result in intermittent arcing and unstable welding conditions. The tip
should be replaced before this stage is reached.

Semi-automatic MAG welding is commonly introduced as a replacement for manual metal arc.
However, the equipment used is far more sophisticated and more complex to operate, and without
correct installation and maintenance, weld quality and production rates are likely to suffer.
Fortunately, the required routine maintenance is fairly straightforward, and provided that it is carried
out on a regular and planned basis and there is appropriate operator training, problems should be
minimal.

Two modes of transferring metal across the arc can be used for welding mild and low alloy steels,
depending on workpiece thickness and welding position. At high currents, a characteristic spray mode
of metal transfer is generated in which a spray of fine metallic droplets is propelled across the arc in a
stable manner. The spray transfer technique provides high weld deposition rates with deeply
penetrating arc characteristics, making it suitable for producing fully fused welds in relatively thick
sections (6mm and upwards) in the down -hand position. For a solid wire of 1.2mm diameter, spray
transfer welding may be accomplished using welding current in the range 250-400A and voltage of
26-35V depending on the shielding gas composition used.

For welding in all positions and for thin sheet work, the dip transfer or short circuiting arc technique is
used. Low current and voltage settings produce a short circuiting arc to achieve controlled transfer of
metal droplets. The technique is associated with low heat input. Precise control of the parameter
settings is required to attain stable operating conditions and to avoid lack of fusion defects.

For a solid wire of 1.2mm diameter, a current range of 80 -200A and a voltage range of 15-23V can be
used. In addition, it may be necessary to adjust the inductance or choke level of the equipment. This
slows down the surge in current when short circuiting takes place and reduces spatter. Some welding
equipment may have a control which can be used to give a more exact setting. Modern electronic
equipment may have preprogrammed settings, avoiding the need for welding trials to establish
optimum conditions.

Useful generalisations in setting up and operating solid wire semi-automatic MAG equipment are set
out below:

1. constant voltage (flat characteristic power curve) DC power source is preferred

2. two- or four -roll feeders can be used but care should be taken to ensure that their alignment is
accurate
3. an electrode extension of 15-20mm is typical
4. the contact tip is typically flush with the gas nozzle

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5. a gas nozzle of 20mm diameter is used in this system
6. preferred torch angles depend on welding position being used. The suggested ranges and
directions are shown below in the table:

Welding position Angle to vertical Direction

Flat - PA; HV fillet - PB: spray 15-20° Trailing

All positions: dip 0-20° Trailing

About the author

Owen Gorton has wide industrial experience in manufacturing products as diverse as domestic
appliances, nuclear power units, offshore structures, high rise buildings and large bridges. His
responsibilities in these tasks have largely been welding engineering related. He joined TWI in 1987,
becoming involved in a range of projects and acting as a welding engineering consultant in many
areas of the world. Increasingly, his involvement has veered towards manufacturing optimisation in
the fabrication sector with special emphasis on productivity and profitability.

Copyright © 2001, TWI Ltd

TWI information:
Information and advice from TWI are provided in good faith and based, where appropriate, on the best engineering knowledge available at the time and
incorporated into TWI's website in accordance with TWI's ISO 9001 accredited quality system. No warranty expressed or implied is given regarding the results or
effects of applying information or advice obtained from the website, nor is any responsibility accepted for any consequential loss or damage.

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