Welding Inspection

Defects/Repairs
Course Reference WIS 5

Definition
A perfect butt weld joint, when subjected to an external
force, provide a distribution of stress throughout its
volume which is not significantly greater than parent
metal.

Definition
This is achieved as long as the following features
apply : Welds should consists of solid metal throughout a cross
section at least equal to that of parent metal.
All parts of a weld should be fully fused to the parent
metal.
Welds should have smoothly blended surfaces.

Weld Defects
Defects which may be detected by visual inspection can
be grouped under five headings
Cracks
Lack of solid metals
Lack of fusion
Lack of smoothly blended surfaces
Miscellaneous

Cracks

Cracks
Cracks that may occur in welded materials are caused
generally by by many factors and may be classified by
shape and position, cracks are classed as planar.

Classified by Shape

Classified by Position

Longitudinal

HAZ

Transverse

Centreline

Branched

Crater

Chevron

Fusion zone
Parent metal

Process Cracks
HAZ hydrogen cracking
Weld metal hydrogen cracking
Solidification cracking (Hot Tearing)
Lamellar tearing

Cracks

HAZ hydrogen cracking

Solidification cracking

Weld metal hydrogen cracking

Lamellar Tearing

Transverse crack

Longitudinal crack

LACK OF SOLID METALS

POROSITY
Description : Gas pores trapped within the weld metal

Causes :

Prevention :

Damp fluxes/ corroded electrode

Use dry electrodes in good

condition

Grease/hydrocarbon/water
contamination of prepared surface
Air entrapment in gas shield
Too high arc voltage/arc length
Incorrect/insufficient deoxidant
in electrode, filler or parent metal

Optimise gas flow

Use electrode with sufficient
deoxidation activity
Reduce arc voltage or arc length

Gas Cavities

Porosity

Root piping

Cluster porosity

Herring bone porosity

Crater Pipe
A shrinkage cavity at the end of a weld run where the arc is
terminated

Causes :

Prevention :

Lack of welder skill due to using

processes with too high current.

Retrain welder

Inoperative crater filler ( GTAW )

Use correct crater filling

technique

Crater Pipe/Cracks

Crater Cracks

Crater pipe

Root concavity
A shallow groove, which may occur in the root of a butt weld

Causes :

Prevention :

Insufficient arc power to produce

positive bead

Raise arc energy

Excessive backing pressure ( GTAW )

Lack of welder skill
Slag flooding in backing bar groove

Reduce gas pressure

Retraint welder
Tilt work to prevent slag
flooding

root concavity

Underfill
A weld with thickness less than that of the parent metal

Causes :

Prevention :

Insufficient weld metal

Increase number of weld run

Irregular weld bead surface

Retrain welder

Incomplete filled groove

Slag Inclusions
Slag or other matters trapped during welding. The imperfection is of
an irregular shape and thus differs in appearance from a gas pore

Causes :

Prevention :

Heavy millscale/rust on work surface

Grind surface prior welding

Incomplete slag removal from

underlying surface of multipass weld

Improve interun slag removal

Slag flooding ahead of the arc

Position work to gain control of

slag

Entrapment of slag in work surface

Dress work surface smooth

Unfused flux due to damage coating

Use electrode in good condition

Interpass slag inclusions

Elongated slag lines

Inter- run Imperfections

Irregular along the fusion line between weld beads

Causes :

Prevention :

Low arc current resulting in low

fluidity of weld pool

Increase current

Too high travel speed

Inaccurate bead replacement

Reduce travel speed

Retrain welder

Lack of Fusion

Incomplete root penetration

Failure of the weld metal to extend into root of a joint

Causes :

Prevention :

Excessively thick root face, insufficient root gap

or failure to cut back sound metal in a back
gouging operation

Improved back gouging and edge

preparation

Low heat input

Excessive inductance in GMAW dip transfer

Increase arc power or decrease travel

speed

SMAW electrode too large( low current density )

Improve electrical settings and possibly

switch to spray transfer

Use of vertical down welding

Reduce electrode size

Switch to vertical up procedure

Root Defects

Lack of root fusion

Lack of root Penetration

Lack of root penetration

Lack of root fusion

Lack of sidewall fusion

Lack of fusion between weld metal and parent metal at one side of weld

Causes :

Prevention :

Low heat input to weld

Increase arc energy or increase travel

speed

Molten metal flowing ahead of arc

Oxide or scale on weld preparation
Excessive inductance in GMAW dip transfer
welding

Improve electrode angle and work

position
Improve edge preparation procedure
Reduce inductance, even if this increase
spatter

Lack of Smoothly
Blended Surfaces

Surface porosity
Gas pores which break the surface of the weld

Causes :

Prevention :

Damp or contaminated surface of electrode

Clean surface and dry electrodes

Low fluxing activity

Use a high activity flux

Excess sulphur ( particularly free cutting steels)

producing sulphur oxide

Use high manganese to produce MnS,

note free cutting should not normally be
welded

Loss of gas shield gas due to long arc or high

breezes ( GMAW )

Reduce arc length

Excess Weld Metal ( Reinforcement )

Reinforcement is the extra metal which produces convexity in fillet
welds and a welds thickness than the parent metal plate in butt welds.

Causes :

Prevention

Excess arc energy ( GMAW,SAW )

Reduction of energy input

Shallow edge preparation

Deepen edge preparation

Faulty electrode manipulation

Improve welder skill

Incorrect electrode size

Reduce electrode size

Excess cap reinforcement

Excessive Penetration
Projection of the root penetration bead beyond a specified limit

Causes :

Prevention

Weld input energy too high

Reduce arc power/increase weld speed

Incorrect weld preparation i.e excessive

root gap, thin edge preparation, lack of
backing
Use electrode unsuited to welding position
Lack of welder skill

Improve work piece preparation

Use correct electrode position
Retrain welder

Excessive root penetration

Undercut
An irregular groove at the toe of a run in the parent metal or in
previously deposited welding, cause by welding

Causes :
Melting of top edge due too high welding
current ( especially at free edge) or high
travel speed
Attempting an HV fillet weld leg length

Prevention
Reduce power input, especially
approaching a free edge where overheating
can occur

>9.0 MM

Weld in a flat position or use multirun

technique

Excessive/Incorrect weaving

Direct arc towards thicker member

Incorrect electrode angle

Cap Undercut
Measured in both Length & Depth

Root undercut

Cap undercut

Overlap
An Imperfection at the toe of a weld caused by metal flowing on to the
surface of the parent metal without fusing to it

Causes :

Prevention

Poor electrode manipulation

Retrain welder

High energy input/low travel speed

causing surface flow of fillet weld

Reduce the heat input or limit size of

fillet weld to 9.0 mm leg by using multi
run weld

Incorrect positioning of weld

Change the flat position

Electrode having too high a fluidity

Change to less fluid weld metal

Profile Defects

Poor stop/starts

Miscellaneous

Misalignment
The non alignment of two abutting edges in a butt joint

Causes :

Prevention :

Inaccuracies in assembly procedures or

distortion from other welds

Excessive out of flatness' in hot rolled

plate or sections

Adequate checking of alignment prior to

welding coupled with the use of clamps
and wedges
Check accuracy of rolled section prior to
welding

Arc strikes
Random areas of fused metal where the electrode, the holder, or
current return clamp accidentally touched the work and produced a
short duration arc

Causes :

Prevention :

Poor Access to work

Missing insulation on electrode holder

or torch

Improve access ( modify assembly

sequence )

Failure to provide an insulated resting

place for the electrode holder or torch
when not in use

Loose current return clamp

Institute a regular inspection scheme for

electrode holders and torches
Provide an insulated resting place
Regularly maintain current return clamp

Spatter
Small droplets of electrode material can be projected clear of the weld
and may fused to the parent metal

Causes:

Prevention :

High arc power

Reduce arc power

Magnetic arc blow

Reduce arc length or swith to AC power

Incorrect setting for GMAW process

Modify electrical settings ( but be careful

to maintain full fusion

Damp electrodes

Use dry electrodes

Burn Through
A localized collapse of the weld pool due to excessive
penetration resulting in a hole in the root run
High Amps/volts
Small Root face
Large Root Gap
Burn through

Slow Travel Speed

Root Defects

Burn
Through

Burn through

Root Coking/Oxidized Root

Loss or insufficient back
purging gas
Most commonly occurs
when welding stainless
steels
Purging gases include
argon, helium and
occasionally nitrogen

Mechanical Damage

Mechanical Damage
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

Parent Material Defects

A welding inspector should also inspect the parent
material for any visible defects

Mechanical damage

Lap

Lamination

Segregation line

Plate Lamination

Any
Any Questions?
Questions?

Questions
QU 1. Give two main causes for the occurrence of a burn through
QU 2. Give two main causes for the occurrence of excessive root
penetration on a single-V butt weld
QU 3. Give five defects, which may occur when welding carbon
steel using the MMA welding process with the current
setting
to low
QU 4. Give three possible causes for the occurrence of lack of
side wall fusion
QU 5. Sketch the following defects
a. Lack of root wall fusion b. Lack of root penetration
c. Incomplete filled groove d. Concave root

Weld Repairs

Welding Repairs
In the event of repair
Authorization for repair
Removal and preparation for repair
Testing of repair - visual and NDT

Weld Repairs
A weld repair may be used to improve weld profiles or
extensive metal removal
Repairs to fabrication defects are generally easier than
repairs to service failures because the repair procedure
may be followed
The main problem with repairing a weld is the
maintenance of mechanical properties
During the inspection of the removed area prior to welding
the inspector must ensure that the defects have been
totally removed and the original joint profile has been
maintained as close as possible

Weld Repairs
The specification or procedure will govern how the defective
areas are to be removed. The method of removal may be

Grinding
Chipping
Machining
Filing
Oxy-Gas gouging
Arc air gouging
Arc air gouging