FWD 22403

WELDING PROCEDURE SPECIFICATION

Welder Qualification

Compiled & Prepared

By
Mahamad Noor

PERFORMANCE QUALIFICATIONS

These articles list separately the various

welding and brazing processes with the
essential variables that apply to the
performance qualifications of each process.
The welder, brazer, and brazing operator
qualifications are limited by essential
variables.
Generally, a welder or welding operator
may be qualified by mechanical bending
tests, radiography of a test plate, or
radiography of the initial production weld.
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QW-100.2 Purpose

In performance qualification, the basic

criterion established for welder
qualification is to determine the welders
ability to deposit sound weld metal.
The purpose of the performance
qualification test for the welding operator
is to determine the welding operators
mechanical ability to operate the welding
equipment.
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QW-103 Responsibility
Each manufacturer or contractor is responsible
for the welding done by his organization and
shall conduct the tests required in this Section
This code also provide the guideline to qualify
the welding procedures he uses in the
construction of the weldments built under this
Code, and the performance of welders and
welding operators who apply these procedures.

QW-103 Records

Each manufacturer or contractor shall

maintain a record of the results obtained
in welding
procedure and welder and welding
operator performance qualifications.
These records shall be certified by the
manufacturer or contractor.
The record shall be accessible to the
Authorized Inspector.
Refer to recommended Forms in Nonmandatory Appendix B.
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QW-300 General

This Article lists the welding processes with the essential

variables that apply to welder and welding operator
performance qualifications.
The welder qualification is limited by the essential variables
given for each welding process. These variables are listed in
QW-350, and are defined in Article IV Welding Data.
The welding operator qualification is limited by the
essential variables given in QW-360 for each type of weld.
A welder or welding operator may be qualified by
radiography of a test coupon, radiography of his initial
production welding, or by bend tests taken from a test
coupon except as stated in QW-304 and QW-305.

QW-301 Test

The performance qualification tests are intended

to determine the ability of welders and welding
operators to make sound welds.
Each manufacturer or contractor shall qualify
each welder or welding operator for each welding
process to be used in production welding.
The performance qualification test shall be
welded in accordance with qualified Welding
Procedure Specifications (WPS).
WPS that requires a preheat or postweld heat
treatment, these may be omitted.

QW-301.3 Identification of Welders

and Welding Operator
Each qualified welder and welding
operator shall be assigned an
identifying number, letter, or symbol.
A specific method shall be use to
identify the work of that welder or
welding operator.
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QW-301.4
Record
of
Tests
The
record of Welder /Welding Operator
Performance Qualification (WPQ) tests
shall include the essential variables (QW350)
The ranges qualified in accordance with
QW-452 for each welder and welding
operator.
Suggested forms for these records are
given in Forms QW-484A/QW-484B (see
Nonmandatory Appendix B).
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QW-423 Alternate Base

Materials for Welder
Qualification
Base metal used for welder qualification may
be substituted for the metal specified in the
WPS in accordance with the following table.
A base metal shown in the left column is
used for welder qualification, the welder is
qualified to weld all combinations of base
metals shown in the right column,
Including unassigned metals of similar
chemical composition to these metals.
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Material test and qualified

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QW-302 Type of Test Required

Except as may be specified for special processes

(QW-380), the type and number of test specimens
required for mechanical testing shall be in
accordance with QW-452.
Groove weld test specimens shall be removed in
a manner similar to that shown in figures QW463.2(a) through QW-463.2(h).
Fillet weld test specimens shall be removed in a
manner similar to that shown in figures QW462.4(a) through QW-462.4(d) and figure QW463.2(h).
All mechanical tests shall meet the requirements
prescribed in QW-160 or QW-180, as applicable.
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Essential variable-Welders

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QW 350-WELDING VARIABLES FOR

WELDERS
A welder shall be requalified whenever a change is
made in one or more of the essential variables
listed for each welding process.
Where a combination of welding processes is
required to make a weldment, each welder shall be
qualified for the particular welding process or
processes he will be required to use in production
welding.
A welder may be qualified by making tests with
each individual welding process, or with a
combination of welding processes in a single test
coupon.
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Electrode qualified (F no)-Welder

QW-433 Alternate F-Numbers
for Welder

The following tables identify

the filler metal or electrode
that the welder used during
qualification testing as
Qualified With, and the
electrodes or filler metals
that the welder is qualified
to use in production
welding as Qualified For.
Qualified With, and the
electrodes or filler metals
that the welder is qualified
to use in production
welding as Qualified For.
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F No test and qualified

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QW-110 WELD ORIENTATION

The orientations of welds are illustrated in
figure QW- 461.1 or figure QW-461.2.

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QW-120 TEST POSITIONS FOR GROOVE

WELDS
Groove welds may be made in test
coupons oriented in any of the positions in
figure QW-461.3 or figure QW-461.4.
An angular deviation of 15 deg from the
specified horizontal and vertical planes,
and an angular deviation of 5 deg from
the specified inclined plane are permitted
during welding.
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QW-461.3 GROOVE WELDS IN PLATE TEST POSITIONS

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QW-461.4 GROOVE WELDS IN PIPE TEST POSITIONS

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QW-461.5 FILLET WELDS IN PLATE TEST POSITIONS

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QW-461.6 FILLET WELDS IN PIPE TEST POSITIONS

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Position test and qualified

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QW-452 Performance Qualification

Thickness Limits and Test
Groove-Weld
Specimens
Test. The following
tables identify the required type and
number of tests and the thickness of
weld metal qualified.

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Type of examination for test coupon

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Thickness of weld metal qualify

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Pipe diameter limit

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