Welding procedure
WPS and WPQR
The Welding Procedure Specification tells the welder exactly how to make a weld; the Welding Procedure Qualification Record proves that procedure was tested and works.
A WPS is a written instruction for a specific weld: the process (MIG/MAG, MMA, TIG, FCAW), the parent materials and thicknesses, the joint design and preparation, the consumables, the position, the preheat and interpass temperature, the current, voltage and travel speed ranges, the number and sequence of passes, and any post-weld treatment. It is what the welder works to. Before it can be used on production work for BS EN 1090 at EXC2 and above, it must be qualified: a test piece welded to a preliminary procedure, examined and mechanically tested by a laboratory, and the results recorded on a WPQR to BS EN ISO 15614-1, usually witnessed by a third party. Each WPQR qualifies a range of thicknesses, diameters and positions; the production WPSs are written within that range.
Welders are qualified separately, to BS EN ISO 9606-1, by welding a test piece for each process, material group, position and thickness range they will work in; the qualification lasts two or three years depending on the confirmation route, and it lapses if the welder does not use the process for six months. The Responsible Welding Coordinator keeps the register of WPSs, WPQRs and welder qualifications, matches every production weld to a qualified procedure and a qualified welder, and that register is what the notified body audits.
Where it comes from
- BS EN ISO 15609-1 (specification of welding procedures), BS EN ISO 15614-1 (qualification by welding procedure test), BS EN ISO 9606-1 (qualification testing of welders), BS EN ISO 3834 (quality requirements), as called for by BS EN 1090-2 by execution class.
Questions people ask
Can I buy a WPQR?
Standard WPQRs for common joints and materials can be obtained from consultancies and are valid if the ranges cover your production welds, the process and consumables match, and your welding coordinator adopts them into your system. Many small shops start that way and qualify their own for anything unusual.
How long does a welder qualification last?
Under BS EN ISO 9606-1, two years with six-monthly confirmation by the employer that the welder has been working within the range, or three years with confirmation by a third party, or requalification. It lapses after a six-month break from the process.
Welding procedure, handled on a phone
SiteLynx puts the RAMS, permits, inspections, audits, plant checks and records behind every term in this glossary on the crew's phones, signed on site, with a PDF at the end. 14 days free, no card.
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