Welder Qualifications and the ASME Code

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Welder Qualifications and the ASME Code

December 14, 2011

When reviewing customer specifications and statements of work

we generally see either the American Welding Society AWS B2.1
Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance
Qualification or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code Section IX
Qualification Standard for Welding and Brazing Procedures,
Welders, Brazers and Welding and Brazing Operators referenced
as the technical requirement to ensure that welding, weld
procedures, and welder qualifications meet quality standards. We
have selected the ASME standard as more appropriate to the
fabrication of cryogenic, vacuum and pressure equipment of the

Welder performing gas tungsten arc welding process on stainless steel

type Meyer Tool produces. All our welders are certified to the
ASME standard.
Section IX of the ASME B&PV Code sets forth the qualification requirements for welders, brazers, and welding and
brazing operators in addition to the procedures they follow in fabricating vessels, components and piping to meet
the B&PV Code and also the ASME B31 Code for Pressure Piping. Other sections of the B&PV Code (e.g. Section
VIII Pressure Vessels or Section IV Heating Boilers) may state different or additional specifications to the
requirements of Section IX; those requirements take precedent for fabrication within that Section.
The majority of welding requirements Meyer Tool encounters while manufacturing in the areas of cryogenic,
vacuum, or pressure relate back to either Section VIII Pressure Vessels or B31.3 Process Piping. In order to U
Stamp a pressure vessel or certify piping to B31.3 welders must be qualified to the requirements of Section IX.
When fabricating pressure or vacuum retaining components not requiring certification, using certified welders
ensures quality. This article will discuss the tests required by ASME Section IX to demonstrate and document that
welders are qualified to fabricate these types of components.
Welders are qualified through the testing of weld coupons. Weld coupons are produced in accordance with the
requirements of a Weld Procedure Specification (WPS). Other variables are defined by the physical characteristics
of the weld coupon and the manner in which it is welded to determine the limits of the welders qualification.
A WPS is a standard operating procedure developed by the manufacturer that provides the welder with
instructions for producing welds that will meet all Code requirements. The WPS defines the conditions and limits
under which a weld may be performed. Section IX defines specific essential variables for the weld processes
(methods used to achieve the weld joint, for e.g. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW), Plasma Arc Welding (PAW),
etc.) allowed by the Code. The WPS must define these variables within the limits allowed. As mentioned
previously, other Sections of the Code may require additional requirements. The most common of these in
cryogenic applications is meeting the notch toughness requirements of Appendix UHA as referenced in Section
VIII. The manufacturer must develop these WPS first. WPS documents how the welder goes about meeting the
required weld quality, not the skill of the welder in achieving that quality.
The WPS must also be qualified. Again this is done through the production of test coupons. A Procedure
Qualification Record (PQR) records the actual values of the essential variables and any other information that
manufacturer wishes to document during the performance of the test coupons used to qualify the WPS.
Article III of Section IX defines the requirements for welder qualification. Essential variables that apply to the
welder qualification test are listed by weld process. It is important to note that if a welder qualifies to one WPS
using a specific welding process the welder is also qualified to the manufacturers other WPS using that same
process within the limits of the essential variables. The most common welding process Meyer Tool employs in the
fabrication of cryogenic, vacuum, and pressure equipment is the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) processes.
The essential variables for welder qualification as defined by Section IX for this process are:
Table 1 Welder Qualification Essential Variables for the GTAW Process

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Welder Qualifications and the ASME Code

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Table 1 Welder Qualification Essential Variables for the GTAW Process

WQR Essential Variable

Explanation

With or without backing.

Generally it is easier to execute a weld if it is backed. Performing the test

without backing qualifies the welder for either.

P number of base material

and pipe diameter (if the
coupon is a pipe)

Base metals are assigned P numbers. QW-424 lists combinations of metals

and the ranges qualified by P number. Different pipe diameters qualify the
welder for ranges of diameter and for flat plates.

Use of filler metal or

autogenous, F number of filler
metal, and thickness of weld
deposited.

Filler metals are assigned F numbers. QW-433 lists combinations of filler

metals and ranges qualified. The WPS will often limit these further, so
correct combinations of filler and base metals are used. Up to 0.5 the
welder qualifies from the thickness of weld deposited to two times that
thickness.

Position, 1G through 6G and

vertical up or down.

The position of the weld and the progression are important parameters in
welder performance. From easiest to perform 1G (flat) to hardest 6G (on a
45 degree angle) with an upward progression. Performing the test to 6G with
an upward progression qualifies the welder for all positions.

Type of inert backing gas.

This variable will be specified in the WPS for a GTAW process.

Current of polarity.

This variable will be specified in the WPS for a GTAW process.

The WPS also defines essential variables or limits that the welder must meet during performance of the weld
coupons.
The Code is set up such that through judicious selection of the essential and non-essential variables utilized in
producing a weld coupon, the welder can be qualified for a wide range of situations. A series of tables in Section
IX define these ranges. Using the GTAW process again as our example, if we define the test coupon requirements
as follows, we see the following qualification limits for a welder:
Table 2 Welder Qualification Example for Variable Selection and Range Qualified
Variable
Type of Weld

Selection
Groove

Range Qualified
Groove or Fillet

Base Metal

304SS (P-8 to P-8)

P-1 through P-11, P-34, P41 through P49

Filler Metal

308LSS (F6)

All F6 filler metals

Thickness of metal deposited 0.375

.375 to .75

Position

6G

All positions.

Pipe Diameter

2.63 diameter pipe 1 OD to unlimited diameter and flat plates.

All weld coupons must be visually inspected and undergo either mechanical testing or radiographic testing to
assess their acceptability. The welders qualification range and the results of the coupon test are documented on a
Welder Qualification Record (QWR) form.
Depending upon the skill and experience of the welder, he or she will have multiple QWR forms. For example, to
qualify to the full range of Meyer Tools WPS for cryogenic welding of stainless steel, GTAW-SS/LT, a welder would
have to perform at minimum nine (9) qualification tests.
Ensuring the skill level of those performing critical manufacturing processes is of key importance. Welding is a
critical process; the procedures and personnel used to perform welding should be qualified to a national standard.
Meyer Tool reduces your Project Risk in order to achieve the Lowest Total Cost of Ownership by certifying our
welders to the stringent requirements of Section IX of the ASME B&PV Code.

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