QW-322 EXPIRATION, REVOCATION, AND RENEWAL OF QUALIFICATION INLINE WITH QW-193.2 OF ASME SEC IX-2021

[MUHAMMAD FAHAD RANA]

Question:

Tube to tube sheet welders (Qty 8 Nos) welded mock up on 15-11-2022 and qualifies as per listed acceptance criteria of QW-193. Thier continuity will expire on 15-05-2023. All welders continuosly welding of tube to tube sheets with in this 6 month tenure. The result of visual and PT on thier production TTS welds found satisfactory, can i enhanced thier continuity for next 6 months on the basis of visual and PT work as per provision given in QW-322.1 or one more mock up test of all these welders required to enhance their continuity?

Pls reply

Thanks

 

[r6155]

ASME IX is clear.
QW-322.1 Expiration. The qualification of a welder
or welding operator for a process remains valid provided
no more than 6 months have passed since the welder or
welding operator last used that process. Continuity of
qualification shall be confirmed by the qualifying or par￾
ticipating organization(s) as identified in QG-106.2 and
QG-106.3, respectively.

You can continue to work without any test.

Regards

 

[riteshk14]

May i add another thing here. Strictly speaking, Section IX does not even require any NDE of the weld(s) being cited to extend the validity of the welder. Interpretation IX-17-01 establishes this beyond any doubt. Mere engagement with that welding process within the six months of validity is enough to extend the validity.

So, in the question asked above, although the enquirer has indicated he would like to extend validity on the basis of PT/VT, Sec IX does not require it.

However, Sec IX does not stop anyone from adopting stricter requirements than what is specified in code. So, Mr Rana, you are free to adopt some NDE (such as PT/VT etc.) as a criteria to extend the welders' validity. This is a sign of a quality conscious organization, but be sure that code does not require it.

Another interesting thing of note here. In my organization, customer asks to repeat the full qualification for tube to tubesheet welders if the validity expires. He does not allow to extend validity through mere doing the mockups allowed in QW-193. This is a stance sometimes adopted by some customers citing that some joints are critical, from the quality point of view. And so, for joints where stringent quality requirements have been specified, customer may impose requirements that are over and above those of code.

Hope some of this was helpful.