Welding Procedure Specification

Hiring a contract company to perform welding tasks on a process covered ammonia refrigeration system is a common practice that occurs at many facilities.

Often, the welding crew will be issued a Hot Work permit and will then be allowed to perform the contracted work with no further verifications, with the assumption that they know what they're doing considering that they're an approved contract company. However, there are important verifications that should be completed prior to allowing them to conduct their welding tasks such as….

Does the company have a welding procedure specification? Companies that provide welding services should have a Welding Procedure Specification, known as a WPS. The WPS is a formal document describing the welding procedures. It is an internal document used by welding companies to instruct welders on how to achieve quality production welds that meet all relevant code requirements. Each company typically develops their own WPS for each material and for each “welding type” that will be performed. Specific codes and/or engineering societies such as the American Welding Society (AWS) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) are often the driving force behind the development of a company's WPS. This document should be reviewed in detail to ensure that it aligns with the work that is to be performed. 

Have the welders been trained and qualified for the WPS? A WPS is supported by a Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) or a Welding Procedure Qualification Record (WPQR), which is a formal record of a test weld performed and rigorously tested to ensure that the procedure will produce a good weld. Individual welders are certified with a qualification test documented in a Welder Qualification Test Record (WQTR) that shows they have the understanding and demonstrated ability to work within the specified WPS.

Do the welders have an AWS or ASME certification for the welds that they will be performing? Welder certification, also known as welder qualification, is a process which examines and documents a welder's capability to create welds of acceptable quality following a well-defined welding procedure. Normally there are six welding positions with certain numbers and letters such as, 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and 6G. All the positions are used in various angles and shapes while performing welding. 

Do the welders have their certification stamp or will a “weld map” be provided? Upon certification, each welder is issued a unique stamp with letters, numbers, and symbols that identify that welder. The welder is required to identify their welds using this stamp. In lieu of the stamp, a weld map may be generated to identify which weld was performed by a particular welder. If a weld does not pass an inspection or pressure test, it is vital to know which welder performed the failed weld joint. If a particular welder has many failed weld joints, recertification may be required.

Conducting these additional verifications will help ensure that quality welds are being provided on the process covered ammonia refrigeration system.

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Welding Procedure Specification