WPS and PQR 1

[vanci]

I am trying to establish more formal welding regulations and parameters in the shop. Are there any standardized WPS and PQR available? Also, which one needs to be done first before the other one is filled out?

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[metengr]

vanci;
My suggestion is to follow the format established by ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. This is an international standard, and having procedures and welders qualified to this Standard will set you apart from other shops that claim "welding" capability.

First off, to keep costs to a minimum I would suggest you obtain an older edition of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX. After you review this document you can start your own welding program by generating welding procedures and qualifying these procedures using the ASME Section IX format.


Generally, you draft a welding procedure specification (WPS) and qualify this procedure. Section IX will provide you all of the information for what should be in a welding procedure, how to qualify this procedure and qualifying your shop welders.


If you need help, you can contact directly the American Welding Society (AWS).

 

[Goahead]

From

http://www.aws.org/catalogs/

you can download the AWS 2006 Catalog
In the Catalog, at pages 22 and 23
you find a list of Standard WPS
available from AWS.
Procedures for Qualification and Certification can be found in Chapter 15 of the AWS Welding Handbook, ninth edition Vol. 1, including sample forms.

http://www.welding-advisers.com/

 

[weldtek]

Depending on your in house capabilities, and how varied your applications are, and procedures need to be, you could take an alternate approach, that being using AWS prequalified procedures. You could check out their web site at '

http://www.aws.org'

 

[metengr]

Keep in mind that you should qualify your welders even if you use an AWS Standard Welding procedure or pre-qualified WPS. Welder qualification is as equally important as having the welding procedure itself.

Also, you can develop a Quality Control program/manual that describes material tracking, weld rod control, maintaining welder certifications. It does not need to be elaborate, just functional.

 

[dbooker630]

I would also document all training received in outline form to support the individual welding certification. The ISO folks that recently audited my shop took the approach that anyone can be taught just enough to pass a weld appearance, bend, break test but how do we know that they really know how to weld? One example is if you were to scramble all of the welding machine and gas settings could the person set it back up to produce a proper weld without any assistance.

 

[gtaw]

The first question I would ask is, "what type of work do you do?"

Next question, "are you working to a specific welding code or standard such as AWS D1.1, API 1104, ASME B & PV Code, or military standards such as NAVSEA S9074-AR-GIB-010/278?"

Then, "what base metals are you welding?"

Based on your answers, you can decide what approach is applicable to your situation. There's no reason to qualify your welding procedures to ASME Section IX if your work is structural in nature and AWS D1.1 can be applied. Likewise, attempting to use prequalified WPSs based on one of AWS'structural welding codes are not applicable if you are working to NAVSEA S9074-AR-GIB-010/278 or ASME Pressure Piping Codes.

I see a lot of small contractors jump in with both feet before determining just what they are jumping into. You can waste a lot of time, effort, and money qualifying to the wrong welding standards.

AWS Structural Welding Codes - D1.1 carbon steel, D1.2 aluminum, D1.6 austenitic stainless steel, concrete reinforcing bars.

ASME Boilers, pressure vessels, pressure piping, all base metals (use Section IX as the basis of qualification)

API 1104 - petrochemical pipelines and equipment

NAVSEA - U.S. Navy ships and equipment, all base metals

Each of the organizations have different requirements for qualifying the welding procedures and the welders.

Good luck - Al