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Presenter
Steve Cave
Senior P & EW Instructor
WELDING PRESENTATION
By
Steve Cave
The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) plays an important
role during any welded construction activities ensuring the
required specifications and standards are followed. Due to
the numerous materials and processes associated with
metal joining (welding) THIS PRESENTATION SHALL
SHOW ONLY THE BASIC WELDING PROCESSES AND
EXAMINATION METHODS (NDE). National and
International Codes and Specifications along with measuring
devices are the Inspectors tools. Hopefully the following
presentation shall give an insight into basic welding
inspection.
Weld Failures
Overload
Overload
For example of this is a lifting lug on a pressure vessel. If the
vessel is lifted by a spreader beam the loading condition on
the lug consists of a simple vertical force putting the
attachment welds either in tension or shear. However if the
vessel is lifted with a rope sling the loading condition
becomes more complex because there is now a horizontal
component of the force to consider as well a the vertical one,
which effectively increases the loading on the welds.
Joint Design
Hot Cracking
This type of cracking occurs when the weld is starting to
solidify, in the pasty state, as it posses very little strength and
therefore any residual loading is likely to cause it to break
before it has fully solidified. The problem can be
compounded by impurities that are forced out of the
solidifying weld, becoming trapped in the center of the weld
during final solidification. Hot cracking can occur where their
is a high degree of restraint in the structure of the fabrication
or where the structure moves slightly as the weld solidifies.
Hot Cracking
A good example of this type of failure is on the weld used to
secure the small plug in the mandrill hole of a spun dished
head on a pressure vessel, a weld that many people do not
take seriously because of its size. As the weld cools it
contracts causing the plug to move , if the weld at the other
side of the plug is still solidifying it could easily fail. This is
because of the very high contraction stresses generated by
the plug as the weld starts to solidify.
Metallurgical failure
Materials that are to be welded have to tolerate severe
thermal transients created by the welding process without
suffering deterioration of their mechanical properties or
adverse phase changes. The metallurgical composition or
temper conditions of certain types of metal may make them
unsuitable to weld or may require special controls to be
imposed during the welding operation. For example some
steels that are easy to machine may contain high levels of
sulphur that may result in cracking of any attaching weld.
Therefore this type of material should not be used on load
bearing fabricated items such as the eye bolts that are often
found holding down man way covers on pressure vessels.
Weld Defects
They can usually be attributed to the welders inability to set up
and manipulate the welding equipment; although bad joint
design and faulty welding equipment can also be responsible.
The most significant defects are cracks and those that
resemble cracks such as lack of fusion, cold overlap etc. This
is because of the risk that the crack may become unstable and
propagate when loaded causing a dramatic failure often by
brittle fracture
Weld Defects
Porosity seldom causes weld failure in multi-run welds
however it is a sign that something has gone wrong with
welding operation and can often be caused by other defects
that may not have been detected such as lack of side wall
fusion. Weld profile can also cause failure, if the weld size is
too small because the joint is underfilled with weld then its
load carrying capability will be reduced, if the joint contains
excessive weld metal this can create a notch effect which
can lead to failure by fatigue if the loading condition
fluctuates.
Weld Defects
Bad fit up excessive root penetration on single sided welds
can create defects in the root of the weld such as wormholes
and even cracking. Distortion of welded joints can cause
failure by buckling if the welded member is subjected to
compressive loads.
Conclusion
To minimize these problems the following points should be
considered
1
. Design of the weld based on the loading condition(s) the joint will carry
2
. Accessibility to enable ease of welding
3
. Control of distortion
4
. Careful consideration of the welding environment
5
. Matching welding process with materials
6 A factor of safety applied to the design stress of the weld which should be based on the
. consequence of weld failure and the level of non destructive testing that is to be carried out.
Welding Inspection
Duties of a Welding
Inspector
Report on weld.
Check NDT reports where needed.
Welding Processes
Root Problems
Gap size too large:
b) burnthrough
a) excess penetration
c) shrinkage grooves
d) gas entrapment
Root Problems
Gap size too small:
1) incomplete penetration
4) slag inclusions
5) root concavity
Root Problems
Root face too large:
Root Problems
Root face too small:
1) excessive
penetration
3) root concavity
2) burnthrough
4) root undercut
a) excess penetration
Fillet Welds
Gap size too large:
2) slag inclusions
3) gas inclusions
4) reduced vertical
leg length size
5) cracking
5) excessive cap
7) slag
inclusions
b) root penetration
c) weld width
b) a minimum design
throat thickness
Root Defects
Incomplete root penetration
Failure of weld metal to extend into the root of a
Root Defects
Root concavity
(suck-back; underwashing - non-standard
terms)
A shallow groove which may occur in the root
of a butt weld, but full fusion is evident
Shrinkage groove
A shallow groove caused by contraction in the
metal along each side of a penetration bead o
along the weld centreline
Burnthrough
(melt through)
A localised collapse of the molten pool
due to excessive penetration, resulting in
a hole in the weld run
Contour Defects
Bulbous Contour
Bulbous contour
A non-standard term used to
describe poor appearance
Unequal Legs
Unequal legs
(non standard term)
Variation of leg length on a fillet weld
Note: Unequal leg lengths may be
specified as part of the design - in
which case they are not imperfections
Undercut
Undercut
An irregular groove at a toe of a run
in the parent metal or in previously
deposited weld metal
The inspector must determine if the
undercut is continuous or
intermittent, or sharp or smooth
Overlap
Overlap
An imperfection at the toe or root of a
weld caused by metal flowing on to
the surface of the parent metal
without fusing to it
Gas Pore
Gas pore
A cavity, generally under
1.5mm in diameter,
formed by trapped gas
during the solidification of
molten metal
Porosity
A group of gas pores
Crater Pipe
Crater pipe
A depression due to shrinkage at the end
of a run where the source of heat was
removed. Crater pipes may also lead to
micro-cracking
Surface Cracks
Crack
A linear discontinuity produced by fracture
Cracks may be ...
a) ... longitudinal, in the weld metal, i.e. centreline
c) ... transverse
d) Crater crack
(star cracking)
Arc Strike
Stray flash/arc burn/arc strike
(stray arcing)
1. The damage on the parent material
resulting from the accidental striking
of an arc away from the weld
2. The accidental striking of an arc
away from the weld
Note that the same term is used for
both the action and the result
Weld Width
Weld width and consistency of weld
width
Weld Defects
Porosity
Slag Inclusions
Solidification Cracking
Overlap
Excess Penetration
Root Concavity
Slag Inclusion
Cracking
Arc Strikes
Crater Pipe
Measurin
g
Fillet
Welds
Measuring Cap
Reinforcement/
Misalignment
Measuring
Bevel
Angle
Hi Lo Gage
Measures Hi Lo
Pipe Thickness
Bevel Angle
Measurin
g the
height of
the cap
Misalignment (WPG)
Shown
on scale
Visual Inspection
Visual inspection is the one NDT
method used extensively to evaluate
the condition or the quality of a weld or
component. It is easily carried out,
inexpensive and Visual inspection is the
one NDT method used extensively to
evaluate the condition or the quality of
a weld or component. It is easily carried
out, inexpensive and usually doesn't
require special equipment.
Radiography
X-rays are produced by high voltage x
ray machines whereas gamma rays
are produced from radioactive
isotopes such as Iridium 192 The xray or gamma rays are placed close
to the material to bc inspected and
they pass through the material and
are then captured on film This film is
then processed and the image is
obtained as a series of gray shades
between black and white.
Magnetic Particle
Inspection
Magnetic particle inspection is a method that
can be used to find surface and near surface
flaws in ferromagnetic materials such as steel
and iron.
The technique uses the principle that
magnetic lines of force {flux) will be distorted
by the presence of a flaw in a manner that
will reveal it's presence. the flaw (for
example, a crack) is located from the "flux
leakage", following the application of fine iron
particles, to the area under examination.
There are variations in the way the magnetic
Penetrant Testing
Inspection
Liquid penetration inspection is a method that
is used to reveal surface breaking flaws by
bleed out of a colored or fluorescent dye from
the flaw.
Ultrasonic Testing
Ultrasonic inspection uses sound waves of
short wavelength and high frequency to
detect flaws or measure material thickness.
It is used on aircraft, the power stations
generating plant, or welds in pressure
vessels at an oil refinery or paper mill.