AEROSPACE WELDING

1 PURPOSE & APPLICATION 3.2.5 Heating may be employed as necessary to prevent moisture
1.1 This procedure defines the process for performing Aerospace accumulation.
Welding. 3.2.6 Low Hydrogen SMAW and FCAW electrodes will be handled
1.2 This procedure applies to all employees involved in Aerospace and stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Welding. 3.2.7 Fluxes shall be labeled and segregated by type and /or by
1.3 This procedure meets at a minimum AWS D17:2001 Specification their particular application.
for Fusion Welding for Aerospace Structures. 3.2.8 Fluxes will be stored in sealed containers to prevent moisture
pickup.
2 RESPONSIBILITIES 3.3 Welding Gases
3.3.1 The shielding gases shall be procured to the following
2.1 The Quality Director
requirements unless otherwise required by the customer.
2.1.1 Oversees personnel certification and audits the process.
2.2 The Production Manager
2.2.1 Coordinates employee training and certification. Gas Requirements
2.3 The Welder Gas Specification Alternate
2.3.1 Completes the certification process in the time frame Specification
established by the Production Manager. Argon MIL-A-18455 CGA G-11.1
2.3.2 Keeps the work area clean and free from objects that are Helium BB-H-1168 CGA G-9.1
detrimental to the process. Oxygen B-O-925, Type I or II CGA G-4.3
Nitrogen A-A-59503, Type I or II, Class I, Grade B CGA G-10.1
3 PROCEDURE Hydrogen BB-H-886, Type I or II CGA G-5.3
3.1 Weld Classifications Acetylene BB-A-106, Grade B CGA G-1.1
3.1.1 Classifications will be Class A, Class B, or Class C. Carbon Dioxide BB-C-101, Grade B CGA G-6.2
3.1.2 Classifications refer to the level of inspection required and to
the acceptance criteria in MQ-04-42-02-00. 3.3.2 Recommended Shielding Gases
3.2 Welding Consumables
3.2.1 Consumables used in welding (bare welding wire and welding
Recommended Shielding Gases for Welding
rods, electrodes, inserts and fluxes) will be identified with at least the
Gas
material, specification procured, and size. Material
Ar He Ar-He Ar-O(1) Ar-H N CO2 Ar-CO2
3.2.2 If the identification marking is destroyed or missing, the
consumable will be disposed in accordance with Nonconforming Aluminum X X X
Material Control MQ-05-05-00-00. Cobalt X X X X
3.2.3 When required traceability of the consumables must be Copper X X X
maintained throughout the welding process. Magnesium X X X
3.2.4 Welding filler materials shall be stored in a clean and dry Nickel X X X
environment, such that each material are segregated by size and CRES(2) X X X X (3)
(4) (4)
material to prevent contamination of materials. Plain Carbon Steel X X X X
(4)
Low Alloy Steel X X X X

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Titanium X X X 3.6 Preweld joint preparation and fit-up
Note: (1) 8% Oxygen Maximum (2) CRES=Corrosion resisting steel (3) Allowed for backing only 3.6.1 The edge of each joint member shall be prepared as
(4) Only recommended on plain carbons steels or low alloy steels with a max .25% nominal C specified on the Engineering drawing.
3.4 Welding Equipment 3.6.2 The gap between joint members being welded and between
3.4.1 Equipment (welding machines, welding torches, regulators, backing strips (when used) and joint members being welded shall be
filler material feeders, etc) shall be capable of producing welds that in accordance with the Engineering drawing.
meet the acceptance criteria of MQ-04-42-02-00. 3.6.3 Flange joint fit-up shall be in accordance with the Engineering
3.4.2 Gas flow meters and pressure gages are for reference only. drawing.
They do not require calibration. 3.7 Preheating and Interpass temperature shall be established for
3.4.3 Austenitic stainless steel wire brushes or carbon steel wire materials susceptible to cracking during or after welding and be included
brushes may be used on carbon or low alloy steels. in the Production router.
3.4.4 Only austenitic stainless steel wire brushes may be used on 3.8 Filler material for tack welds shall be the same as that used for
all other materials. subsequent welding unless otherwise specified on the engineering
3.4.5 All wire brushes, once used, will be permanently marked a drawing.
minimum of ½” all the way around the bottom of the handle in the 3.8.1 Tack welds shall be consumed during subsequent welding
following colors for each material. unless removed in other processing.
3.8.2 The requirements of section 3.6 and 3.7 should be
Wire brush marking colors considered during tack welding operations.
Material Color 3.9 Weld start and run-off tabs, when used, shall be composed of the
Aluminum and its Alloys Green same alloy as the joint members. They shall be welded with the same
Cobalt and its Alloys Orange filler materials as specified on the Engineering drawing.
Copper and its Alloys Blue 3.10 The weld and the heat-affected zones (incl deposited weld metal
Magnesium and its Alloys Purple behind the weld pool in reactive materials, such as titanium) shall be
Nickel and its Alloys Yellow protected from oxidation during welding. The shielding method and the
CRES Alloys(1) Red shielding gas shall be included in the Production router.
Carbon and low Alloy Steels Black 3.11 Tungsten electrodes, when required shall be in accordance with
Titanium and its Alloys White AWS A5.12.
Note: (1) CRES = Corrosion resisting steel 3.12 Filler materials used shall be the ones specified on the Engineering
drawing and listed on the Production router.
3.5 Preweld cleaning and other preparation 3.13 Interpass cleaning shall be performed in accordance with
3.5.1 All surfaces to be welded and surfaces that may affect quality paragraph 3.5.
of the resulting weld (ex. Welding filler materials and fixtures) shall 3.13.1 Interpass cleaning of titanium or titanium alloy parts shall only
be free from slag, surface oxides, scale, protective finishes, oils, be performed following a visual inspection and acceptance of the
grease, dirt, or other contaminants. surface discoloration requirements of AWS D17 Section 6.
3.5.2 Chemical methods (ex. Alkaline cleaning, solvent wipe, or 3.14 Welding
etching) or Mechanical methods (ex. Wire brushing, scraping, 3.14.1 The welding arc shall not be struck on any portion of the base
abrasive blasting, or machining) shall be used before welding, as metal away from the surfaces to be joined. When indication of an
needed. arc strike or an arc burn is present in an area other than the
3.5.3 Previously cleaned surfaces shall be protected from deposited weld metal, the weldment shall be rejected as required in
contamination. If contamination is suspected, the surface shall be AWS D17 Section 6.
cleaned again per Paragraph 3.5.2. 3.14.2 In process correction

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Dec 9, 2006
 3.14.2.1 Any correction made by the welder before submitting 4 REVISION HISTORY – Authored by Travis Mcilnay, approved 4
the weld for acceptance inspection is and in-process correction. December 2006.
3.14.2.2 The correction shall not change the metallurgical or 4.1 Added reference to Inspection Instruction MQ-04-42-02-00.
physical condition of the base metal. Authored by Travis Mcilnay, approved 9 December 2006.
3.14.2.3 The correction shall occur before any heat treating
operations. (Note: for the purpose of this requirement a thermal
stress relief operation is not considered to be a heat treat
operation.)
3.14.2.4 Before initiating an in-process correction the surfaces
to be welded shall be cleaned in accordance with paragraph 3.5.
3.14.2.5 One in-process correction attempt is allowed in each
Approvals
individual flaw location. When the in-process correction requires
more than one attempt at the same flaw location the Production
router must me changed to accommodate and document this 9 Dec 2006
correction. Document Custodian Date
3.14.3 Weld reinforcement removal shall be accomplished using
methods that do not reduce the thickness of the base metal and
may only be removed for one or more of the following reasons.
3.14.3.1 When specified on the Engineering drawing. 9 Dec 2006
3.14.3.2 When necessary to aid in the interpretation of non- Quality Director Date
destructive inspection indications. Remaining reinforcement
must be visually evident above the surface plane of the adjacent
joint member and extend throughout the weld bead width. The
9-Dec 2006
weld toe area shall comply with the requirements of MQ-04-42- President or Vice President Date
02-00. When fit or function of the final assembly dictate material
removal. Remaining reinforcement must be visually evident
above the surface plane of the adjacent joint member and extend
throughout the weld bead width. The weld toe area shall comply
with the requirements of MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.15 The completed weldment shall be free of spatter, flux, scale, slag,
or other foreign material. Removal of such material shall not reduce the
weld bead size or base metal thickness below the Engineering drawing
requirements.
3.15.1 Postweld cleaning of welded titanium parts shall only be
performed after completion of a visual inspection and acceptance of
the surface discoloration in accordance with MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.16 Welder certification will be in accordance with MQ-04-42-01-00.

Aerospace Welding |3| Date Printed

MQ-04-42-00-00 rev 01 Expires 1 day after printing
Dec 9, 2006