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Chapter 4Welding Inspection Operations

The last chapter outlined desirable charac-teristics and responsibilities of a weldinginspector. This chapter concentrates on themost essential operations involved in thewelding inspection process.Welding inspectors can have a diversifiedrange of responsibilities, depending upon thespecification or code to which they are work-ing, and the particular manufacturing or fabri-cation industry in which they are employed.Welding inspection operations will, for themost part, follow the general sequence of thefabrication process. The following outline is alist of activities encountered in weldinginspection:(1)Review of drawings, specifications, andmanufacturing instructions(2)Review of the manufacturers approvedquality assurance1 quality control program(3)Verification of welding procedures andpersonnel qualifications(4) Verification of approved procedure forqualifying welding and inspection personnel(5)Selection and examination of produc-tion test samples(6)Evaluation of test results(7) Preparation of test reports and mainte-(8) Observance and monitoring of recom-nance of recordsmended safety guidelines.

4.1 Review of Drawings,Specifications, andManufacturing InstructionsWelding inspectors should have a workingknowledge of the product being manufac-tured, especially those components or subas-semblies which they will inspect. Detailedknowledge of drawing requirements, specifi-

cation requirements, and any manufacturinginstructions is essential. It also is helpful tohave a knowledge of the material to be usedin the weldment because certain metals mayrequire special treatment for satisfactorywelding. Welding and related proceduresshould contain information that incorporatesall of the specified variables for performingthe operation. Manufacturing instructionsdetail the use of particular procedures for var-iousphases of fabrication.

The welding inspector should be alert toany changes made in these documents toassure compliance with all other proceduresand fabrication requirements. Deviationsfrom drawings, specifications, and manufac-turing instructions should be referred to theappropriate technical function for resolution.In some instances, deviations from drawingsor specifications should be referred to a regu-latory agency for approval.

It is not always possible to write a specifi-cation that contains all the detailed informa-tion needed to provide an answer for allquestions that might arise. Those parts of thespecification that are unclear should bereferred to the appropriate technical person-nel for interpretation.

4.2 Reviewof the ManufacturersApproved Quality Assurance/Quality Control ProgramThe welding inspector should be aware of

the manufacturers quality program. A qualityprogram provides the administrative stepsneeded to inspect and control the quality ofthe completed product. Chapter 6, QualityAssurance, describes the elements of goodprogram.19COPYRIGHT 2003; American Welding Society, Inc. Document provided by IHS Licensee=Shell Services International B.V./5924979112,

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Quality assurance includes all planned andsystematic actions necessary to provide ade-quate confidence that a structure, system, orcomponent will perform satisfactorily todesign requirements or intended service.Quality control, which may be included inquality assurance, includes those actionsrelated to the physical characteristics of amaterial, structure, component, or system.These actions provide a means to control thequality of the material, component, or systemto predetermined requirements.A quality program may include control

over a manufacturers procedures. This mayinclude final approval and control of proce-dure revisions, or procedures and job orderapplicability. Other functions might includethe administration of the manufacturersinstrument calibration program. A qualityassurance program will document complianceto requirements of the applicable code orstandard. The inspector should have generalfamiliarity with program requirements toassure that compliance with the program isachieved.

The welding inspector should be familiarwith rules, procedures, and methods for han-dling and reporting discrepancy findings tothe manufacturer.

4.3 Verification of WeldingProcedure and PersonnelQualificationsPrior to the start of fabrication, the inspec-tor should verify that the fabricator hasprepared written welding procedure specifica-tions that meet the applicable specification,standard, or code. The welding procedureshould be capable of producing weldments

with adequate strength, ductility, and tough-ness to satisfy the applicable specification orcode. Chapter 10, Qualification of WeldingProcedures, describes the elements of awelding procedure specification and explainsthe reasons for its use.

Prior to the start of production welding, theinspector should review the qualifications ofwelders and welding operators that will workon the project. It may be desirable, dependingupon the contract, to review the fabricatorsprocedures for qualification of welders andwelding operators. Some contractsmay requirethis, and also require that the procedure beapproved. The welding inspector should besure that (1)only approved welding proceduresare used on the applicable contract, and (2)welders and welding operators are qualified.The contract should specify the requirementsas to how this may be accomplished.Additionally, the welding inspector shouldbe alert to changes of variables in any weld-ing procedure. Changes or deviations in theprocedural requirements should be brought tothe attention of the proper personnel. Revi-sions should be qualified by tests whererequired and distributed to welders and weld-ing operators performing the work. New per-formance qualifications may be required if

the revised procedures exceed the welder orwelding operators limitations of variablesdefined in the applicable specification orcode.The chapters on Qualification of WeldingProcedures and Qualification of Weldersand Welding Operators contain sample qual-ification requirements and examples wherewelders may not be working within the limitsof their qualifications.The objective of a welding procedure quali-fication test is to determine the mechanicalproperties of the welded joint. The objectiveof performance qualification is to determinethe ability of an individual to deposit soundweld metal with a previously qualified weld-ing procedure.As with welder and welding operator quali-fications, inspection personnel should also be

qualified prior to the start of the inspection ofproduction welds. The fabricator shouldensure that only qualified personnel areallowed to perform inspection operations. Itmay be desirable or a requirement, dependingupon the contract, to have a procedure detail-COPYRIGHT 2003; American Welding Society, Inc. Document provided by IHS Licensee=Shell Services International B.V./5924979112,

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Welding Inspection Operationd21

ing qualification methods. Some contractsmay require the procedure to be approved.

4.4 Verification of ApprovedProcedures for QualifyingWelding and InspectionPersonnelAlthough welding and inspection personnelare qualified in accordance with approvedprocedures, verification is nonetheless neces-

sary to provide added assurance that proce-dures are applied properly and competently.To a large extent, the quality of welding andthe quality of inspection depend upon theapplication of the correct inspection proce-dures. The welding inspector should verifythat procedures specifically approved oragreed upon for the job are being used. Thewelding inspector may nd it advantageous toprepare a checklist for each inspection proce-dure to use as a guide for performing therequired duties. Various recognized inspec-tion methods and tests are described in Chap-ters 13, Destructive Testing of Welds, 14,Proof Tests, and 15,Nondestructive Exam-ination Methods.

In general, inspection processes should beperformed in sequence with the manufactur-ing operations, as established by the fabrica-tor. There are good reasons for doing this,some of which are the following:(1) Interference between inspection andproduction is kept to a minimum.(2) Inspection operations required at a par-ticular stage of fabrication can be completed(such as when performance of the next manu-facturing step would make inspection of thepreceding step impossible).(3) In-process inspection permits earlydetection and correction of deficiencies,

improving economics and efficiency.The following sequence of welding andinspection operations is offered as a generaloverall guide. It should be understood that theactual operations and the order in which they

of weldment, the method of manufacture, andthe requirements of the governing contract.The inspector may want to establish witnessor hold points to verify one or more of theitems shown in Table 4.1.

4.5 Selection and Examination ofProduction Test SamplesIn many types of welded assemblies, cer-tain inspections of the finished product maybe performed on samples selected by the

welding inspector from the production line.These samples may be selected at random, orin accordance with established criteria. Ineither case, the selection and the witnessingof the testing of these samples are among theimportant duties of the welding inspector. Insome cases, selection of samples is left to thejudgment and discretion of the weldinginspector, rather than prescribed by specifica-tion or code. In such cases, the number ofsamples should not be more than is needed toreasonably determine conformance to therequired standards. It is common practice formost contracts to mandate a specific samplingplan and, further, to require additional sam-pling be performed for each unsatisfactorysample until workmanship standards are con-firmed.

Certain tests or treatments may be pre-scribed for the samples selected by thewelding inspector. These may include radiog-raphy, hydrostatic tests, trepanning, metallur-gical examination, mechanical testing todestruction, or other detailed examinations.The welding inspector should determine thatsuch work, as prescribed, is properly carriedout. Various sampling, testing, and inspectingmethods are described in this handbook.

4.6 Evaluationof Test ResultsIt would be impractical for the weldinginspector to perform or witness all tests madein connection with some weldments. Whereare accomplished will depend upon the type the job requires, however, the welding inspec-

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Table 4.1Sequence of Welding and Inspection Operations

Prior to WeldingMaterial Identification- hemical analysis-Mechanical propertiesBase Metal Conditions- reedom from internal and

surfacediscontinuities- latness, straightness,dimensional accuracyJoint Condition- dge Shape- imensional accuracy- leanliness- oot opening-Alignment- acking- ack weldsSpecial Assembly/FabricationPractice-Adequacy and accuracyofjigging, bracing, orfixturingof pre-stressing orprecambering

-Application and accuracy

During WeldingPreheat and interpasstemperatures- ontrols-Measurement methods

9 FillerMetal- dentification- ontrol- andling- ontour- oundnessRoot preparation prior towelding second sideCleaning between passesAppearance or passes(sometimes in comparisonwith workmanshipstandard)In-processNDE asrequiredor specifiedConformance to approvedwelding procedure

RootPass

After WeldingPostheat treatment requirementsAcceptance inspectionMethodof cleaning for

* Nondestructive examinationinspection-Visual examination- urface contour and finish- onformityof welds with-Magnetic particle- iquid penetrant examination- adiographic examination- ltrasonic examination- roof testing- ther suitable methodsDestructive testing- hemical- echanical-Metallographicrejection

of weldsdrawings

Marking for acceptanceorRepairsinspection after repair

tor should witness or observe sufficient testprocesses to assure that the tests are beingperformed in the proper manner and that theresults are accurate. Evaluation and final dis-position of test results will usually require thewelding inspector to carefully consider theattributes of the entire process.

From time to time, the welding inspectorwill review test or inspection results that donot meet the required standards for accep-tance in every detail. The final disposition ordecision will require careful judgment byappropriate technical personnel as to whetherthe product meets the intent of the specifica-tion requirements. In such cases, the results ofthe test should be carefully evaluated. in someinstances, such as inadvertent inspection of

work not intended to be or not required to beinspected, or when the work has borderlineacceptability, an engineering judgement byappropriate technical personnel should bemade as to the acceptability of the product.Engineering judgements should be performedonly where the specification or contractallows and only when sufficient informationis available from which to exercise soundjudgment.

4.7 Preparationof Test Reportsand Maintenance of RecordsAny work performed under a specification

or code that requires inspection or tests willalso require records. However, whetherCOPYRIGHT 2003; American Welding Society, Inc. Document provided by IHS Licensee=Shell Services International B.V./5924979112,

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required or not, the welding inspector shouldkeep adequate records. Records provide doc-umentation for the welding inspector shouldquestions arise at some later time.It is also the welding inspectors duty tocheck hisher records for completeness andaccuracy in accordance with specifiedrequirements and to make certain that they areavailable when needed.Any records that require the fabricatorssignature should be prepared by the fabricatorrather than by the welding inspector.Records should contain as much detail as

necessary. It is desirable that the weldinginspector comment on the general characterof the work, how well it stayed within pre-scribed tolerances, difficulties that wereencountered, and whether any defects werenoted. All repairs should be explained. Copiesof these records should go to all persons enti-tled to receive them, and the welding inspec-tor should keep a copy on file.

4.8 Observance and Monitoringof Recommended SafetyGuidelinesAnother of the welding inspectors duties isto recognize a safety hazard that could resultin injury to welding and inspection personnel.For more information, refer to Chapter 5 ,Inspection Safety Considerations or ANSIZ49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and AlliedProcesses. Well versed welding inspectorsshould be able to recognize problems such aspoor ventilation, which could cause dizziness

and cause injury to the welder.When welding is being performed it is agood idea to assure that all aspects of weldingsafety procedures are being followed. This istrue not only for proper welding quality, but tomake the shop a safe place to work. Thesepractices do not only show up in good weldquality, but result in money saved in the pre-vention of down time due to accidents.

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