Welding Inspector Interview Question

Interview Questions on Welding QC Engineer

Prepared by: DSc PhD Dževad Hadžihafizović (DEng)

Sarajevo 2024
 SATORP/TR INTERVIEW QUESTIONNARE (WELDING)

1) What is the package number and explain?

 Package one stands for Distillation & Hydro treating unit.
Different units are
 91/92- High Pressure Hydro Desulphurization
 101/102- Low Pressure Hydro Desulphurization
 111/112-Naphtha Hydrotreater Unit
 151/152- Distillation and Hydro treating Hydrogen Unit
 155- Off Gas PSA Unit
 150-Hydrogen storage unit
 011/012- Crude Distillation Unit/ Vacuum Distillation Unit

2) What are the duties & responsibilities of a welding inspector?

 Perform material inspection.
 Perform consumable inspection.
 Application of inspection gauges, instruments and tools.
 Check equipment and accessories.
 Witness procedure qualification test.
 Witness welder qualification test.
 Perform visual inspection.
 Review / witness NDT
 Witness mechanical test.
 Monitor heat treatment
 Observe production and fabrication welding.
 Interpret and assure compliance to Code / Standard / Specification.
 Review technical drawing.
 Witness weld repair.
 Prepare and compile inspection records.

3) What is the formula for heat input?

a. Heat Input (j/cm)= Voltage x Amperage x 60 / Travel Speed(cm/min)

4) What are welder qualification limits?

 Base metal qualification limits. (P no. and Thickness)
  Filler material qualification limits.(F No.)
 Pipe diameter and position qualification limits.
 Weld metal thickness qualification limits.

5) What is WPS?
 The WPS is a written document that provides direction to the welder
for making production welds in accordance with Code/Standard
requirements.

6) How is the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) different from the WPS ?
 Procedure Qualification Record certifies that test welds performed in
accordance with the WPS meet Code requirements and summarizes
the specific test results.

7) What is PQR?
 A record of welding variables used to produce an acceptable test
weldment and the results of tests conducted on the weldment to qualify a
welding procedure specification.

8) What are essential variables?

a. Essential Variable (Procedure) – A change in a welding condition
which will affect the mechanical properties (other than notch
toughness) of the weldment. E.g. – change in P Number, welding
process, F number, electrode, preheat or postweld heat treatment.
b. Essential Variable (Performance) – A change in a welding condition
which will affect the ability of a welder to deposit sound weld metal.
E.g - change in welding process, deletion of backing, electrode, F
number, technique etc.

9) What are supplementary essential variables?

a. The change in a welding condition which will affect the notch
toughness properties of a weldment is known as supplementary
essential variable.

10) Can we use two welding process in a WPS?

 Yes (E.g.: GTAW + SMAW)

11) What is PWHT?

  Postweld heat treatment (PWHT),defined as any heat treatment after
welding, is often used to improve the properties of a weldment.

12) Why we are using PWHT?

 To increase the resistance to brittle fracture and relaxing residual
stresses.

13) Mention the drying temperatures for low hydrogen SMAW electrodes?
 260-430°C for 2 hrs min (A5.1)
 370-430°C for 2 hrs min(A5.5)
 120-250°C for 2 hours minimum. (SS and Non-Ferrous
electrodes)

14) What do you meant by low hydrogen consumables?

 Low hydrogen consumables are defined as less than or equal to 8 ml
of hydrogen per 100 g of deposited weld metal.

15) What are dissimilar metal welds?

 Any weld joint (excluding weld overlays or strip lining) between
ferritic steel and either austenitic stainless steel, duplex stainless
steel, or nickel-based alloys, or Use of stainless steel or nickel-based
filler metals on ferritic steels.

16) Explain about 31.3?

 The piping which is generally found in petroleum refineries, chemical,
pharmaceutical, textile, paper, semi conductor and cryogenic plants, and
related processing plants.
 This section includes
a) Acceptable material specifications and component standards, including
dimensional requirements & pressure temperature ratings.
b) Requirements for design of components and assemblies, including
piping supports.
c) Requirements and data for evaluation and limitation of stresses,
reactions, and movements associated with pressure, temperature
changes, and other forces.
d) Guidance and limitations on the selection and application of materials,
components, and joining methods.
e) Requirements for the fabrication, assembly, and erection of piping.
f) Requirements for examination, inspection, and testing of piping.
19) What are the types of Mechanical tests?
 Tension Tests
 Guided Bend Tests
 Fillet Weld Tests
 Notch Toughness Test
 Stud Weld Test

20) The term used to describe delay in the production schedule to permit
inspection is __________
 Hold Point

21) Equation for Heat Input?

 H = 60EI / 1000S
Where,
 H -- Heat Input (KJ/mm)
 E -- Arc Voltage (volts)
 I – Current (Amps)
 S – Travel Speed (in/min)

22) What is the Procedure Qualification Thickness Limits?

ASME SEC IX QW – 452

i) It is the test coupon < 1¨ - Size welded (Dia)

ii) Thickness always 2T – T – Thickness of Test Coupon
iii) Minimum Thickness Qualified – 1.5mm

23) What are the essential variables for PWHT?

 Heating rate
 Temperature attained
 Choking temperature and
 Cooling rate.

24) What is the gap of socket weld?

 1.5 mm to 3 mm

25) Formulae for carbon equivalent?

 CE = C + (Mn)/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15
26) What do you mean by ITP?
 It is a mandatory item in the Quality Plan to guide and assure
quality in a specific type of work in a specific sequence of QC
activity steps.

27) What is NCR?

 NCR: (Non Conformity report): A record reporting the variation from the
specified requirements.

28) How do you calculate the weld repair percentage?

 % RR = (Lr/Lw) X 100
Where, % RR – Percent repair rate
Lr -- Total length of repair in one week
Lw --Total length of weld radiographed in one week

29) RT % of M, D, Normal and Sever cyclic service?

 D Service : a) if rating is ≥ 1500 lb, 100 % RT
b) If MDT ≤ -29ºC, 5% RT
c) Hydrocarbon service, 100%

 M service : a) if rating is ≥ 600 lb, 100 % RT

b) If MDT ≤ -29ºC, 20% RT
c) Hydrocarbon service, 100%
 HP Service : 100% RT
 SC Service : 100% RT

30) What should be the distance b/w two parallel welds?

 20mm or three times the wall thickness of the joint, whichever is
greater.

31) What factors (give at least four) are taken into account when selecting and
designing a joint for a welding application?
 Strength
 Accessibility for welding
 Minimize distortion
 Cost of welding
 Accessibility for inspection

32) What is the difference b/w stud bolt and machine bolt?
  Machine bolt has a head on one side and nut on other side but stud bolt
have nuts on both sides.

33) Which standard do you refer for the welding equipment calibration?
 BS 7570.

34) What are the tests required for verifying supplementary essential variables?
Notch toughness tests-
 Charpy V- Notch test
 Drop weight.

35) What is the chemical composition of a low hydrogen electrode – E7018?

 E7018 – C 0.15, Mn 1.60, Si 0.75, P 0.035, S 0.035, Ni 0.30, Cr 0.20,
Mo 0.3, V 0.08.

36) What does L stands for 316L and the composition?

 Low Carbon.

37) Mention the drying temperatures for low hydrogen SMAW electrodes?
 260-430°C for 2 hrs min (A5.1)
 370-430°C for 2 hrs min(A5.5)
 120-250°C for 2 hours minimum. (SS and Non-Ferrous
electrodes)

37) What are the different factors that cause HIC?

 A sensitive microstructure
 A sufficient level of hydrogen
 A high level of stress
38) What is the minimum thickness of pipe that requires stress relieving to be
done as per B31.3?
 19 mm

39) What is the function of shielding gas?

 Stabilises the arc roots on the material surfaces.
 Ensures smooth transfer of the molten metal from the wire to weld
pool.
 Forms the arc plasma.

40) If welder is qualified in 3G position in pipes, he can weld all

position?
 3G position in pipe not mentioned in ASME Sec IX,
The pipe positions are 1G, 2G, 5G and 6G as per ASME Sec IX.

41) If Mechanical damage occurred on base metals what will be your course of
action?
If any Mechanical damage found on the base metal, conduct the thickness
measurement and Magnetic Particle Test or Penetrant Test to be conducted, if
it is within tolerance accept it otherwise submit the report to higher authority for
further action.

42) You have observed in the specimen certain defects, why do you consider it as
important and do the report of it, state two planar defects? What are causes for
the occurrence of it and how will you avoid it?
Defects: Is a rejectable one i.e., a discontinuity which exceeds the code limits is
defects. Depending up on the conditions and severity it has to be repaired.

The two planar defects are i) Lack of side wall fusion ii) Undercut.

i) Lack of side wall fusion: Contaminated surface may due to oil, grease, and
rust etc., and too narrow gap, current very low and improper manipulation of
electrodes.

Prevention: Bevel ends shall be thoroughly cleaned and free from detrimental
contaminants, appropriate root gap, welding parameter within the WPS range
and right manipulation of electrodes.

ii) Undercut : Due to excessive current, travel speed too high.

Prevention : Appropriate travel speed, welding parameters under control and

shall be within the WPS range.

43) What is the P No; for CS & SS?

 CS- P1
 SS-P8

44) Buttering or weld build up on the prepared surface shall not exceed
 Exceed the lesser of 1/3rd of base metal thickness or 10mm without the
prior approval of the company.

45) Internal misalignment of Butt joints shall not exceed

 1.5 mm
46) Fillet Weld Profiles
 Convex, Concave, Mitre

47) Explain E 8018

E – Electrode
80 – Tensile Strength
1 –for all Position
8 – Coating

48) The preheat shall be established over a minimum distance of

 75mm on each side of the weld.

49) Electrodes, filler wires, flux which standards to be used?

 ASME SEC II C

50) What equipment will use to determine oxygen level?

 Oxygen Scavenger

51) What is the surface temperature of PT?

 5˚ C to 52˚C

52) What is the F number for the filler wire ER70S?

 6

53) What are the duties of a QC Inspector for Consumable

receiving inspection?

i. Check the Test Certificates (T.C.) of each batch of electrodes for the
conformance of parameters with respect to project requirements.
ii. Check the availability of labels on each package units (Pack or Box) and
completeness of the information in them.
iii. Check the condition of the package and electrode / filler wire. If any
damage found, it is reported for the corrective action.
iv. Check the correctness of the batch No.; Electrode/Filler wire diameter and
other data with respect to the Test Certificate.
a. After inspection, the welding materials are stored in the warehouse or in
the welding consumables control room under ambient temperature.
b. All welding consumables shall be stored in racks, off the floor, in such a
way as to prevent any physical damage or contamination. Consumables
for the use on various types and grades of material shall be clearly
 segregated by type and size to minimize possibility of error in distribution.

54) What is the exposure time for low hydrogen electrode?

 The electrodes may not be exceeded more than four hours, the exposure
may be extended to 8 hours if the electrodes are continuously stored in a
portable oven upto 65˚C minimum.

55) What are the things to be checked in sockolets?

 All fitting bores are to be concentric within 0.76mm for all sizes.
 To prevent cracking of a fillet weld install a 1.5 cardboard washer or
withdraw the pipe 1.5 mm from bottom of the socket before welding.

56) Why post heating is done on some pipe after the welding is over?
 To maintain uniform homogeneous structure.

57) What are weldolets and sockolets? And where they are generally used?
 Weldolets and sockolets are self reinforced fittings.
 Weldolets are used for butt welded branch connections where standard
tee is not available due to size restrictions and the piping is at a
critical/high pressure service.
 Sockolets are used to socket welding branch connection which requires
reinforcing pads.

58) What is the density of steel?

 7.86 kg/m³

59) In 316L, what is the L stands for?

 L stands for low carbon steel

60) If heat input increases what will happen?

 Yield strength decreases
 Tensile strength decreases
 Percent in elongation increases
 Notch toughness slightly increases and then decreases
 Hardness decreases
 Cooling rate decreases ( R  1/ T0H) Where R is the cooling rate, T0 is
the preheat temperature, H is the heat input.

61) What is the cause of porosity?

 The presence of gas pores in a weld caused by entrapment of gas during
solidification is termed as porosity. The pores are in the form of small
 spherical cavities either clustered locally or scattered throughout the weld
deposit. Sometimes entrapped gas give rise to a single large cavity called
Blowholes.
 Cause: -
A. Chemically imperfect welding consumables, for example, deficient
in deoxidiser.
B. Faulty composition of base material or electrode, for example, high
sulphur content.
C. Presence of oil, grease, moisture and mill scale on the weld
surface.
D. Excessive moisture in the electrode coating or submerged-arc flux.
E. Inadequate gas shielding or impure gas in a gas –shielded process.
F. Low welding current or too long an arc.
G. Quick-freezing of weld deposit.

62) How do you calculate concave fillet weld?

 Calculated by throat
 Fillet weld size is the leg length of the largest isosceles right triangle which
can be inscribed within the fillet weld cross section.

63) How do you calculate the convex fillet weld?

 Calculated by Leg size
 Convexity is the maximum distance from the face of convex fillet weld
perpendicular to line joining the weld toes.

64) What is annealing and normalizing process?

 Annealing process is a heat treatment in which a sold state is heated and then
cooled at a slow rate.
 The annealing temperature and the rate of cooling depend on the material and
the purpose of the treatment. Annealing is used to effect any of the following
changes in metal:
 To relieve stress
 Induce softness
 Alter mechanical properties, electrical, magnetic or physical properties.
 Refine crystalline structure
 Remove gases
 Produce a definite microstructure.
 Normalizing process is a process in which a ferrous metal is heated to a suitable
temperature above the transformation range and is subsequently cooled in still
air at room temperature.

65) What are the characteristics of good welding cable?

 Wear and abrasion resistant
 High electrical resistance
 Good heat resistance
 The size of the cable required for a particular application depends on the
maximum amperage to be used for welding, the length of the welding circuit
(welding and work cables combined), and the duty cycle of the welding machine.

66) What are the tests required for analysis of consumables?

 Chemical Analysis ( ASME SEC II C )
 PMI (JERES-A-206)

67) What are the tests required for verifying supplementary essential variables?
 Notch toughness

68) What is an isotope? Different types of isotope? Explain the characteristics of

isotope?
 Atoms of the same element which are identical in their chemical behavior but
different from one another in the number of neutrons contained in their nuclei, and
thus have different atomic weights.
 Isotopes also act as flow tracers for detecting leaks in buried or inaccessible
equipment.
 Isotopes such as cobalt-60, cesium-137, and iridium-192

69) Name the instrument used for measuring density of photographic or

radiographic film?
 Densitometre

70) What are the factors on which the density of radiographic film depends?
The density of radiographic films depends upon the following: -
A. Total amount of radiation emitted by X-ray or gamma ray.
B. Amount of radiation reaching the specimen.
C. The amount of radiation passing through the specimen.
D. Intensifying action of the screen if used.

71) How will you calculate the geometric unsharpness in radiographic film?
Geometric unsharpness of the radiograph shall be determined in accordance
with:
Ug = Fd/D
where
Ug = geometric unsharpness
F = source size: the maximum projected dimension of the radiating source
(or effective focal spot) in the plane perpendicular to the distance D from
the weld or object being radiographed, in.
D = distance from source of radiation to weld or object being
radiographed, in.
d = distance from source side of weld or object being radigraphed to film.
72) What is the welder qualification based on f number?

73) Which markers are used on SS materials?

 Low halogens and Low sulfur less than 200 ppm

74) Define Arc blow?

 The deflection of an arc from its normal path because of magnetic
forces.

75) What are the standards for welding as JER Standard?

 JERES-W-011-Welding Requirements for On-Plot Piping
 JERES-W-010-Welding Requirements for Pressure Vessels
 JERES-W-012-Welding Requirements for Pipelines
 JERES-W-014-Weld Overlays and Welding of Clad Materials
 JERES-W-016-Welding of Special Corrosion-Resistant Materials

76) Write the weld layers?

I. Root
II. Hot Pass
III. Fill
IV. Cap

77) What are the Weldment Terms?

i. Weld Face
 ii. Weld Root
iii. Fusion Zone
iv. Fusion Boundary
v. Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)
vi. Weld Toes
vii. Weld Width

78) Write Small Bore Fittings?

Weldolet
Sockolet
Threadolet
Elbolet
Nippolet

79) Dry developers?

 Can be applied by spraying, flowing pricy solvent can be applied by
electrostatic spray particle should be (-) and high voltage shock all to be
done in a log chamber so we can sauce the 80% of the material

80) Principle of UT.

 Reflection of Sound

81) What is the use of Couplant?

 To remove the air gap between the transducer and object.

82) What is the Welding Process?

a) GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Welding)

b) SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding)
c) SAW (Submerged Arc Welding)
d) FCAW (Flux Coated Arc Welding)
e) GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding)
f) PAW (Plasma Arc Welding)

83) Welding Position

Pipe – 1GR, 2G, 5G, 6G,
 Plate – 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G
PIPE:-
1G: - A Pipe is Horizontal Position and weld beed is a vertical position. The
Pipe will be rotated.
2G: - A Pipe is Vertical Position and weld beed is Horizontal Position
5G: - A Pipe is Horizontal Position and weld beed is Vertical Position
6G: - A Pipe is a 450 Position
PLATE:-
1G: - Plate is Horizontal and weld is Horizontal
2G: - Plate is Vertical and weld is Horizontal
3G: - Plate is Vertical and weld is Vertical
4G: - A Plate is in Overhead Position weld is Horizontal Position

84) What are the preheat requirements as per JERES?

PREHEAT REQUIREMENTS
MATERIAL WALL THICKNESS MIN PREHEAT
Upto 30mm 20*
CS/LTCS 30-50 mm 20**
> 50 mm 100
P 4( P11) ALL 150
P5B( P5, P9) ALL 250
SS ALL 10
* If ambient temp. is below 5˚C, preheat to 40˚C is mandatory.
** 80˚C min, if specified UTS≥ 490 Mpa & heat i/p < 20 KJ
Max interpass temp. for SS( P8) : 177˚C
Max interpass temp. for CS, alloy (P5,P9,P11) :315˚C

85) Why we maintain the interpass temperature?

 The yield and ultimate tensile strengths of the weld metal are both a
function of the interpass temperature.
 High values of interpass temperature tend to reduce the weld metal
strength. Additionally, higher interpass temperatures will generally provide
a finer grain structure and improved Charpy V notch toughness transition
temperatures.

86) What is the difference b/w tensile test & yield test?
  A tensile test is a test to obtain an accurate assessment of the strength and
ductility of a material or a weld, or in an all-weld-metal test, to determine
mechanical properties such as tensile strength, yield strength, elongation,
and reduction in area.
 A yield test is to obtain the strength at some arbitrary amount of extension
under load or a permanent plastic strain (offset).

87) Low hydrogen electrode handling and ovens?

 When containers of low hydrogen electrodes are opened, they will be

immediately placed in an electrode baking oven. The welding material
store shall be a controlled access area. Unauthorized personal
including welder & welding operated shall be prohibited consumables
from out it.
 The maximum electrodes issued shall be for about 5 hours. From
 heating oven, as a good practice, electrodes to be placed below the
electrode still into the holding oven.
 Baking will be done for low hydrogen electrodes e.g. 7018 at
temperature 350O C in accordance with the manufacturer
recommendation.

88) While welding of pipe trunion to pipe/reinforcement pad you have to put a hole
or leave some portion of welding why?
 For venting of hot gas which may get generated due to welding.

89) What is the affect if the quantity of hydrogen induced in weld metal is
more?
 When hydrogen is more in weld metal, it tends to make the material
brittle & subsequently leads to cracking. These cracks are called
hydrogen induced cracking or delayed crack. To avoid this the electrode
before using is backed at 250˚C to 300˚C for one hour in mother oven &
then cooled down to 100˚C in the same oven & finally transferred to
portable oven for use where temperature is maintained at 60˚to 70˚C

90) List 3 disadvantages of RT over other NDT Methods.

 Radiation Safety Precautions, Planar defects not readily detectable,
heavy equipment.

91) Why don’t we take a branch for Cryogenic Service from bottom side though
the fluid is in liquid state?
 There is the chance of Ice formation during normal operation and since
ice flows from the bottom of the pipe it will block the branch pipe
connection.

92) From which side of pipe will you take a branch connection?
 When Fluid is Gas, Air or Steam and Cryogenic Service – Topside.
When Fluid is Liquid – Bottom Side.

93) What are the different types of hardness tests carried out?
 Brinell hardness Test.
Rockwell Hardness Test.
Vicker Hardness Test.

94) What is a theoretical throat?

  The distance from the beginning of the joint root perpendicular to the
hypotenuse of the largest right triangle that can be inscribed within the
cross section of a fillet weld. This dimension is based on the
assumption that the root opening is equal to zero.

95) What is the procedure for application of wrapping and

coating?
 Procedure for application of Coating and wrapping: -
A. Prior to application of wrapping & coating, the surface of pipe should be made
free from all loose Mill scale, dirt, rust, grease, moisture and other foreign
material. This is achieved by blast cleaning to grade Sa 2 ½.
B. The pipe exterior surface or blast surface shall be coated with primer within
four hours of shot blasting. The primer shall not be applied when the pipe surface
temperature is below 7˚C and above 70˚C. When moisture is present on the
surface, the same is heated for sufficient time to dry the surface.
C. The pipe after priming shall be coated with two-flood coat of hot enamel
incorporating the simultaneous application of inner & outer wrapping.

96) How you will measure linear indications and acceptance?

Material thickness size
thk≤16mm ≤ 1.6mm
16mm ≥ thk < 50mm ≤3.2mm
thk≥ 50mm ≤5mm

97) What is a duplex stainless steel?

 The term duplex stainless steel describes steel with microstructure
containing austenite and ferrite in which the lesser phase is at least 30%
by volume. First generation duplex stainless steels (typically 26% Cr, 4.5%
Ni, and 1.5% Mo) were about 5 to 80% ferrite.

98) What is DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODE POSITIVE (DCEP)?

 The arrangement of direct current arc welding leads in which the electrode
is the positive pole and the work piece is the negative pole of the welding
arc.

99) What is DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRODE NEGATIVE (DCEN)?

 The arrangement of direct current arc welding leads in which the electrode
is the negative pole and workpiece is the positive pole of the welding arc.

100) What are grains?

 Groups of crystals presenting metal after it have solidified.
 101) What are the types of gasket?
 Based on construction
A. Full face.
B. Spiral wound metallic.
C. Ring type.
D. Metal jacketed.
E. Inside bolt circle.
 Based on material
A. Synthetic rubber
B. Solid Teflon
C. Compressed Asbestos
D.CS (High pressure fluid)
E. SS (High fluid corrosive)
F. Spiral Wound a) Teflon b) CS c) SS

1) What are the types of flanges?

 Based on pipe attachment
Slip – on. - The Slip-on type flanges are attached by welding inside as
well as outside. These flanges are of forged construction.
Socket Weld. : - The Socket Weld flanges are welded on one side only.
These are used for small bore lines only.
Screwed: - The Screwed-on flanges are used on pipe lines where
welding cannot be carried out.
Lap Joint. : - The Lap Joint flanges are used with stub ends. The stub
ends are welded with pipes & flanges are kept loose over the same.
Welding Neck. : - The Welding neck flanges are attached by butt welding
to the pipe. These are used mainly for critical services where the weld
joints need radiographic inspection.
Blind. : - The Blind flanges are used to close the ends which need to be
reopened.
Reducing. : - The reducing flanges are used to connect between larger
and smaller sizes without using a reducer. In case of reducing flanges,
the thickness of flange should be that of the higher diameter.
Integral. : - Integral flanges are those, which are cast along with the
piping component or equipment.

 Flanges are classified based on pressure temperature ratings as: -

  Flanges are classified based on facing as: -
A. Flat face. (FF)
B. Raised face. (R/F)
C. Tongue and groove. (T/G)
D. Male and female. (M/F)
E. Ring type joint. (RTJ)

 based on face finish as: -

A. Smooth finish.
B. Serrated finish.

102) What is tack weld?

 Tack weld is the temporary weld to maintain joint alignment. All tack welds
shall be made by qualified welders. Recommended tack thickness is 3.2 –
4.8mm & length is 12.5 - 25.4 mm. the minimum number of tack welds for
3.5 inch and below are 3 equally spaced tacks. Above 3.5 inch 4 equally
spaced tacks.

103) What is Schedule ‘Q’?

 Schedule Q stands for Owner’s minimum quality requirements for
Contractor/Subcontractor quality system.

104) What type of cutting used is SS? Types of Grinding wheel and how to
identify them?
 Plasma arc cutting and grinding wheel
 Types for grinding wheel are: Iron oxide, zirconium, Aluminum oxide.
 Identification by color coding.( blue)

105) What are the common welding defects?

A. Lack of penetration.
B. Lack of fusion.
C. Undercut.
D. Slag inclusion.
E. Porosity.
F. Crack.
G. Faulty weld size & profile.
H. Distortion

106) Types of Orifice Plates

 Concentric Orifice
Electric Orifice
Segmetal Orifice

107) What is the Profile Imperfection?

i) Spatter
ii) In Completely filled Groove
iii) Lack of Root Fusion
iv) Incomplete Root Penetration
v) Shrinkage Grooves
vi) Root Concaring
vii) Crater Pipe
viii) Excess Penetration
ix) Burn Through

108) What does sensitivity depends on?

Definition and Control

109) Types of Probe in UT?

Normal probe, Angular probe, triangular probe (45°, 60°, 70°).

110) Hydrophilic emulsifies are?

Water miscible liquids used to emulsify the excess oil fluorescent

penetrant.

111) The discontinuities would be impossible to detect using PT?

Internal inclusions

112) What is an alloy steel?

Iron based alloy- c < 2%, Mn >.25 %, min qualtities of one or more
alloying elements other than Mn, silicon and Cu, that does not specify Cr
content ≥ 10%
 Interview Questions on Welding for Welding,
QC Engineer and Third Party Inspector Jobs

Q1. What is the primary purpose of a welding procedure specification

(WPS)?
1. To outline the qualifications of the welder
2. To specify the welding process and variables
3. To determine the cost of the welding project
4. To schedule welding activities
(Explanation: A Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) is a document that provides the
details of the variables (parameters) such as joint design, base metal details, filler
metal/electrode details, preheat, post heat, PWHT details, current, voltage, heat input
details etc. to the welders or welding operators to create welds as per the requirements.
The variables in the WPS are categorized as Essential Variables, Non-Essential Variables
& Supplementary Essential Variables)
Q2. What is the difference between essential and non-essential
variables in welding?
1. Essential variables are considered to affect the mechanical properties
of the weld (other than toughness properties), while non-essential
variables do not.
2. Essential variables are mandatory, while non-essential variables are
optional.
3. Essential variables are easily adjustable, while non-essential variables are
fixed.
4. Essential variables are related to safety, while non-essential variables focus
on aesthetics.
(Explanation: Essential variables in welding is considered to affect the mechanical
properties (other than toughness properties) of the joint. Therefore, any changes in the
essential variables necessitate the re-qualification of the Welding Procedure
Specification (WPS). This ensures that the welding process maintains its integrity and
meets the required standards for strength, ductility, and other mechanical characteristics
of the welded joint.)
Q3. What distinguishes an essential variable from a supplementary
essential variable in a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)?
1. Essential variables impact the mechanical properties of the joint,
while supplementary essential variables affect toughness properties.
2. Essential variables are optional, whereas supplementary essential variables
are mandatory.
3. Essential variables focus on aesthetics, while supplementary essential
variables ensure safety.
 4. Essential variables require re-qualification of the WPS, while
supplementary essential variables do not.
(Explanation: Essential variables are considered to affect the mechanical properties of
the weld and necessitate re-qualification of the WPS, if changed. On the other hand,
supplementary essential variables primarily affect the toughness properties of the joint.
Hence, If a supplementary essential variable is changed, it will affect the toughness
properties of the joint, heat-affected zone, or base material (toughness property is also a
mechanical property). Hence, Supplementary essential variables become additional
essential variables when referencing code, standard, or specification requires toughness
testing for procedure qualification. Hence, the WPS must be re-qualified. In other words
we can say that the supplementary variables become just as important as essential
variables when rules or standards require toughness testing for the welding process to
be approved.)
Q4. What does the term “preheating” refer to in welding?
1. Heating the base metal before welding
2. Cooling the welded joint after completion
3. Applying heat to the filler material
4. Inspecting the weld visually
(Explanation: Preheating in welding refers to the process of heating the base metal
before starting the welding. This is done to raise the temperature of the base metal to a
level that primarily retards or slows down the cooling rate of the molten weld pool.
Preheating can also help to reduce the risk of thermal stresses and distortion during the
welding process.)

Q5. Which of the below mentioned non-destructive testing method

can be used to detect surface-breaking defects in welds which are not
visible to the naked eye?
1. Iron sulphide testing
2. Ultrasonic testing
3. Magnetic particle testing
4. Visual inspection
(Explanation: Magnetic particle testing (MT) is a non-destructive testing method used to
detect surface as well as sub-surface defects in welds. It involves applying a magnetic
field to the weld, which causes any defects to become visible as magnetic particles
adhere to the defects.)
Q6. What is the purpose of post-weld heat treatment (PWHT)?
1. To cool down the welded joint gradually
2. To relieve residual stresses and improve toughness
3. To accelerate the cooling process of the weld
4. To prevent oxidation of the weld metal
(Explanation: Post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) is a process used to improve the
mechanical properties of a welded joint. It involves heating the welded joint to a specific
temperature and holding it at that temperature for a certain period. PWHT helps to
relieve residual stresses that can cause cracking and other defects in the weld. It also
improves the toughness of the weld, making it more resistant to impact and fatigue.)
Q7. Which welding process uses a consumable electrode that also acts
as a filler material?
1. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
2. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
3. Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
4. Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
5. 1, 2 & 3
(Explanation: In all three cases i.e. GMAW, SMAW, & FCAW, the electrodes used in Gas
Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW), and Shielded Metal Arc
Welding (SMAW) are designed to act as filler materials. The main difference lies in the
type of electrode and shielding gas used in each process:
• GMAW uses a continuous wire electrode that also acts as a filler wire.
• FCAW uses a tubular wire filled with flux at the core.
• SMAW uses a coated electrode that melts and forms a molten pool, which
is then solidified to create a strong joint.
In summary, all three welding processes use electrodes that act as filler materials, but
they differ in the type of electrode and shielding gas used..)
Q8. What is the difference between PWHT and post heat in welding?
1. The need for temperature monitoring
2. The timing of the heat application
3. The type of joint configuration
4. The impact on visual appearance
(Explanation: Post-Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) involves heat treatment applied after
welding to relieve residual stresses and enhance mechanical properties. On the other
hand, post-heat refers to heat applied immediately after a specific welding pass to
control cooling rates and prevent cracking. Understanding the timing of heat application
distinguishes these two practices in welding.)
Q9. What is the significance of interpass temperature control in multi-
pass welding?
1. It ensures uniform heat distribution throughout the weld
2. It prevents excessive heat input and distortion
3. It minimizes the risk of hydrogen-induced cracking
4. It improves the fusion between weld passes
(Explanation: Controlling interpass temperature prevents hydrogen from accumulating
in the weld, reducing the likelihood of cracks. By maintaining specific temperature ranges
between subsequent weld passes, the cooling rate is controlled, reducing the potential
for hydrogen absorption and cracking in the weld metal.)
Q10. What is the purpose of using a back gouging process in welding?
1. To remove surface contaminants before welding
2. To create a beveled edge for welding preparation
3. To inspect internal defects in welded joints
4. To enhance post-weld heat treatment effectiveness
(Explanation: The back gouging process in welding involves removing material from the
root side of a weld joint to create a beveled or grooved edge. This preparation is done to
facilitate proper welding penetration and fusion when joining the two pieces of metal. It
allows for better access to the joint and ensures the welding from root side could be
done in a proper way.)
Q11. What is the purpose of visual inspection of weld joints?
1. To measure the hardness of the weld
2. To assess the weld’s mechanical properties
3. To visually check for surface defects and discontinuities
4. To determine the chemical composition of the weld
(Explanation: Visual inspection of weld joints involves visually examining the welded
joint to identify surface defects and discontinuities such as cracks, porosity, undercut,
incomplete penetration (if joint is accessible from the root side), and other visible
irregularities. While it provides valuable information about the overall quality and
appearance of the weld, it does not measure hardness, assess mechanical properties, or
determine the chemical composition of the weld.)
Q12. What is the purpose of a Charpy V-notch test in welding
inspection?
1. To measure the hardness of the weld
2. To assess the impact toughness of the weld
3. To determine the tensile strength of the weld
4. To evaluate the ductility of the weld
(Explanation: The Charpy V-notch test evaluates how well a weld can absorb energy
under impact, indicating its resistance to sudden loads or shocks. This test helps assess
the weld’s ability to withstand sudden stress without fracturing, providing crucial insights
into its toughness and reliability.)
Q13. What is the purpose of a Dye Penetrant Test in welding
inspection?
1. To measure the hardness of the weld
2. To detect surface-breaking defects in the weld
3. To assess the impact toughness of the weld
4. To determine the chemical composition of the weld
(Explanation: A Dye Penetrant Test is used to identify surface defects like cracks,
porosity, or laps that are not visible to the naked eye by applying a colored dye that
penetrates these imperfections, making them visible for inspection.)
Q14. What does the term “Welding Position” refer to in welding
procedures?
1. The orientation of the welder during welding
2. The location where welding is performed
3. Orientation and configuration of the joint being welded
4. The angle at which the electrode is held during welding
(Explanation: Welding Position describes the specific orientation and configuration of
the joint being welded, such as flat, horizontal, vertical, or overhead, which influences
welding technique and parameters.)
Q15. What is the primary function of a Radiography Test (RT) in
welding inspection?
1. To measure the thickness of the weld
2. To assess the hardness of the weld
3. To detect internal defects in the weld
4. To determine the tensile strength of the weld
(Explanation: Radiography Testing involves using X-rays or gamma rays to examine
internal weld structures for defects like cracks, voids, or lack of fusion etc. that may not
be visible externally.)
Q16. What is the primary purpose that distinguishes Post-Weld Heat
Treatment (PWHT) from post-heat in welding?
1. Improving visual appearance
2. Controlling cooling rates during welding
3. Relieving residual stresses and enhancing mechanical properties
4. Minimizing the risk of thermal distortion
(Explanation: While both PWHT and post-heat involve the application of heat in
welding, PWHT is specifically designed to relieve residual stresses and improve
mechanical properties, setting it apart from post-heat, which focuses on controlling
cooling rates during the welding process.)
Q17. What is the purpose of conducting a Positive Material
Identification (PMI) test on incoming materials?
1. To measure the hardness of the material
2. To verify the chemical composition of the material
3. To assess the tensile strength of the material
4. To evaluate the impact toughness of the material
(Explanation: Positive Material Identification (PMI) inspection is primarily used to
analyze and identify the material grade and alloy composition. The fundamental principle
of PMI involves utilizing analytical techniques like X-ray fluorescence (XRF) or optical
emission spectroscopy (OES) to determine the elemental composition of materials
without causing damage or alteration. This process is crucial for verifying the chemical
composition of metals and alloys quickly and non-destructively, ensuring quality and
safety control in various industries.)
Q18. Why is it important to conduct a Visual Inspection on raw
materials before welding?
1. To determine the mechanical properties of the materials
2. To identify surface defects or contaminants
3. To measure the thickness of the materials
4. To assess the hardness of the materials
(Explanation: Visual inspections help detect any visible defects, such as cracks, rust, or
foreign materials, that could compromise weld quality if not addressed before welding.)
Q19. What does a Material Test Certificate (MTC) provide information
about?
1. Welding procedures used during fabrication
 2. Chemical composition and mechanical properties of materials
3. Welder qualifications for specific projects
4. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) results on welded joints
(Explanation: MTCs provide essential information about raw materials, including their
chemical composition, mechanical properties, and compliance with industry standards.)
Q20. What is the primary purpose of conducting Ultrasonic Testing
(UT) on incoming materials?
5. To measure the thickness of the materials
6. To detect internal defects in the materials
7. To assess the hardness of the materials
8. To determine the chemical composition of the materials
(Explanation: UT is used to identify internal flaws like cracks or voids within material)
Q21. What is the primary objective of conducting a Bend Test on
incoming raw materials?
1. Assessing material hardness and wear resistance
2. Evaluating material corrosion resistance capabilities
3. Determining material ductility
4. Identifying internal defects like cracks in raw materials
(Explanation: Bend Tests help assess how well a material can deform without breaking,
indicating its ductility)
Q22. What is the primary purpose of Raw Materials Inspection in
Quality Control?
1. To check the color of materials
2. To ensure materials meet specified quality standards
3. To count the quantity of materials
4. To verify the weight of materials
(Explanation: Raw Materials Inspection aims to assess whether incoming materials
conform to predetermined quality criteria, ensuring that they meet the required
standards for production.)
Q23. What does MTC stand for in the context of quality control?
1. Material Testing Certificate
2. Manufacturing Technical Checklist
3. Material Traceability Code
4. Material Tolerance Criteria
(Explanation: MTC, or Material Testing Certificate, is a crucial document providing
information on the testing and compliance of materials with applicable standards.)
Q24. Which of the following is NOT a common incoming material
inspection parameter?
1. Dimensional accuracy
2. Chemical composition
3. Material hardness
4. Employee attendance records
(Explanation: Incoming material inspection typically focuses on physical and chemical
properties rather than personnel-related aspects.)
Elements Of A Welding Symbol:

 A welding symbol may include the following elements:

 Reference Line

 Arrow

 Basic Weld Symbol

 Dimensions & Other Data

 Supplementary Symbols

 Finish Symbols
  Tail

 Specifications, Process, Or Other References

Reference Line:

A reference line is a horizontal line with all the other required information drawn on or around it. It
must be placed on the drawing near the joint it describes.

Arrow:

The arrow is the other required part of a welding symbol and is placed at one or the other end of the
reference line and connects the reference line to the joint that is to be welded.

Quite often, there are two sides to the joint to which the arrow points, and therefore two potential
places for a weld. For example, when two steel plates are joined together into a T shape, welding may
be done on either side of the stem of the T.

The weld symbol distinguishes between the two sides of a joint by using the arrow and the spaces above
and below the reference line. The side of the joint to which the arrow points is known as the arrow side,
and its weld is made according to the instructions given below the reference line. The other side of the
joint is known as the other side, and its weld is made according to the instructions given above the
reference line. The below and above rules apply regardless of the arrow's direction.
Basic Symbols:

Each type of weld has its own basic symbol, which is typically placed near the center of the reference
line (and above or below it, depending on which side of the joint it's on). The symbol is a small drawing
that can usually be interpreted as a simplified cross-section of the weld. In the descriptions below, the
symbol is shown in both its arrow-side and other-side positions.
 Fillet Plug
Groove Welds
Weld Weld

Weld All Around & Field Weld:

There are two other elements that may be seen on the reference line that provide information about
the weld. One is a circle around the place where the leader line connects to the reference line and
indicates the weld is “all around”. This means the weld extends all the way around the joint the arrow is
pointing at.

The all around element is only used when it is possible to weld all the way around a single surface (see
below).

The other element seen on the reference line resembles a flag and is located where the leader line joins
the reference line. This element is called a "field weld" and means the weld will be done in another
location. For instance, this weld may be applied at the job site not in the shop. Sometimes clarification
will be given in the welding symbol tail or as a specification on the print.

Field Weld Symbol

Fillet Weld:
The fillet weld (pronounced "fill-it") is used to make lap joints, corner joints, and T joints. As its symbol
suggests, the fillet weld is roughly triangular in cross-section, although its shape is not always a right
triangle or an isosceles triangle. Weld metal is deposited in a corner formed by the fit-up of the two
members and penetrates and fuses with the base metal to form the joint. (Note: for the sake of
graphical clarity, the drawings below do not show the penetration of the weld metal. Recognize,
however, that the degree of penetration is important in determining the quality of the weld.)

The perpendicular (straight up and down) leg of the triangle is always drawn on the left side of the
symbol, regardless of the orientation of the weld itself. The leg size is written to the left of the weld
symbol. If the two legs of the weld are to be the same size, only one dimension is given; if the weld is to
have unequal legs (much less common than the equal-legged weld), both dimensions are given and
there is an indication on the drawing as to which leg is longer.

The welding symbol above shows that the weld is to be done on the other side and the thickness of the
weld is 5/16.

The length of the weld is given to the right of the symbol.

If no length is given, then the weld is to be placed between specified dimension lines (if given) or
between those points where an abrupt change in the weld direction would occur (like at the end of the
plates in the example above).

The Length & Pitch of Intermittent Welds:

An intermittent weld is one that is not continuous across the joint, but rather is a given length of weld
separated by a given space between them. This method of welding may be used to control heat
distortion or where the joint strength requirements allow. Intermittent welding can save time and
money if a long weld is not necessary.

Used more frequently than the length alone, the length and pitch (length first, spacing second) are two
numbers located at the right of the fillet weld symbol.

The length appears first as before followed by a hyphen then the pitch is shown.

The pitch refers to a dimension from the center of one weld to the center of the next weld.

The pitch is not the space between welds but a measurement from center to center of the welds. To get
the spacing for layout subtract the length of one weld from the pitch.

The intermittent welds may be chain intermittent or staggered intermittent. Chain intermittent the
welds on both sides of the joint are opposite each other and resemble a chain. Staggered intermittent
the welds on the opposite side are usually started in the gap between the welds on the first side. The
welds then appear staggered.

If the welds are staggered the fillet weld symbol will be staggered on the reference line.

Contours:

Some welding symbols may show a contour finish that details how the fillet weld shape must be finished
after welding. The contour may be flat or convex (having a surface that is curved or rounded outward)
and the element to describe this is placed above the slope on the fillet weld symbol. A letter to indicate
the method of finish may be given above the finish element.

Groove Welds:
The groove weld is commonly used to make edge-to-edge joints, although it is also often used in corner
joints, T joints, and joints between curved and flat pieces. As suggested by the variety of groove weld
symbols, there are many ways to make a groove weld, the differences depending primarily on the
geometry of the parts to be joined and the preparation of their edges. Weld metal is deposited within
the groove and penetrates and fuses with the base metal to form the joint. (Note: for the sake of
graphical clarity, the drawings below generally do not show the penetration of the weld metal.
Recognize, however, that the degree of penetration is important in determining the quality of the weld.

Groove Weld Size - The groove weld size is given in two dimensions and like the fillet weld it is placed to
the left of the weld symbol. The first size given is the depth of the groove and is the dimension used to
prepare the edge preparation. The depth of groove is measured from the surface of the joint to the
bottom of the preparation.

The depth of groove does not include weld reinforcement or root penetration.

The second size given is the actual weld size and is enclosed in parentheses to distinguish it from the
groove size, or depth of groove.

The actual weld size is again measured from the surface of the groove through the bottom of the groove
but now includes the expected penetration of the weld. On a square groove only the weld size is given.

The weld size does not include face reinforcement or root reinforcement.
Groove Opening & Angle - Two other important elements for preparing and welding the groove are the
root opening and the groove angle. The root opening, when used, dimensions the space between the
joint to be welded and is placed inside the weld symbol. The groove angle is also placed inside the weld
symbol and is given in degrees.

The groove angle for a V groove is given as the included angle so that means the edge bevel or chamfer
for each piece is 1/2 of the degrees given.

For example; A 45 degree included angle means bevel each member at 22 1/2 degrees. J grooves angles
may be detailed elsewhere on the drawing. The root opening and groove angle are separate elements
and may or may not appear together depending on the joint requirements.

On some drawings the root opening or groove angle will be covered in a note or specification on the
drawing for all similar symbols, and does not appear on the symbol.

The Welder must always read all information given on a drawing.

Contour & Finishing - The same contour symbols that apply to fillet welds may be used with groove
welding and are placed above the weld symbol.
Square Groove - The square groove weld, in which the "groove" is created by either a tight fit or a slight
separation of the edges. The amount of separation, if any, is given on the weld symbol.

V-Groove - The V-groove weld, in which the edges of both pieces are chamfered, either singly or doubly,
to create the groove. The angle of the V is given on the weld symbol, as is the separation at the root (if
any).

If the depth of the V is not the full thickness--or half the thickness in the case of a double V--the depth is
given to the left of the weld symbol.
If the penetration of the weld is to be greater than the depth of the groove, the depth of the effective
throat is given in parentheses after the depth of the V.

Bevel Groove - The bevel groove weld, in which the edge of one of the pieces is chamfered and the
other is left square. The bevel symbol's perpendicular line is always drawn on the left side, regardless of
the orientation of the weld itself. The arrow points toward the piece that is to be chamfered. This extra
significance is emphasized by a break in the arrow line. (The break is not necessary if the designer has no
preference as to which piece gets the edge treatment or if the piece to receive the treatment should be
obvious to a qualified welder.) Angle and depth of edge treatment, effective throat, and separation at
the root are described using the methods discussed in the V-groove section above.
U-Groove - The U-groove weld, in which the edges of both pieces are given a concave treatment. Depth
of edge treatment, effective throat, and separation at the root are described using the methods
discussed in the V-groove section.

J-Groove - The J-groove weld, in which the edge of one of the pieces is given a concave treatment and
the other is left square. It is to the U-groove weld what the bevel groove weld is to the V-groove weld.
As with the bevel, the perpendicular line is always drawn on the left side and the arrow (with a break, if
necessary) points to the piece that receives the edge treatment. Depth of edge treatment, effective
throat, and separation at the root are described using the methods discussed in the V-groove section.

Flare V Groove - The flare-V groove weld, commonly used to join two round or curved parts. The
intended depth of the weld itself are given to the left of the symbol, with the weld depth shown in
parentheses.
Flare Bevel Groove - The flare bevel groove weld, commonly used to join a round or curved piece to a
flat piece. As with the flare-V, the depth of the groove formed by the two curved surfaces and the
intended depth of the weld itself are given to the left of the symbol, with the weld depth shown in
parentheses. The symbol's perpendicular line is always drawn on the left side, regardless of the
orientation of the weld itself.

Common supplementary symbols used with groove welds are the melt-thru and backing bar symbols.
Both symbols indicate that complete joint penetration is to be made with a single-sided groove weld. In
the case of melt-thru, the root is to be reinforced with weld metal on the back side of the joint. The
height of the reinforcement, if critical, is indicated to the left of the melt-thru symbol, which is placed
across the reference line from the basic weld symbol.
When a backing bar is used to achieve complete joint penetration, its symbol is placed across the
reference line from the basic weld symbol. If the bar is to be removed after the weld is complete, an "R"
is placed within the backing bar symbol. The backing bar symbol has the same shape as the plug or slot
weld symbol, but context should always make the symbol's intention clear.

Plug & Slot Welds:

Plug welds and slot welds are used join overlapping members, one of which has holes (round for plug
welds, elongated for slot welds) in it. Weld metal is deposited in the holes and penetrates and fuses with
the base metal of the two members to form the joint. (Note: for the sake of graphical clarity, the
drawings below do not show the penetration of the weld metal. Recognize, however, that the degree of
penetration is important in determining the quality of the weld.)

For plug welds, the diameter of each plug is given to the left of the symbol and the plug-to-plug spacing
(pitch) is given to the right. For slot welds, the width of each slot is given to the left of the symbol, the
length and pitch (separated by a dash) are given to the right of the symbol, and a detail drawing is
referenced in the tail. The number of plugs or slots is given in parentheses above or below the weld
symbol. The arrow-side and other-side designations indicate which piece contains the hole(s). If the hole
is not to be completely filled with weld metal, the depth to which it is to be filled is given within the
weld symbol.
 Welding
1. Introduction
 Welding is the process for joining different materials.
 Welding is used for making permanent joints.
 In order to join two or more pieces of metal together by welding process the most essential
requirement is Heat. Pressure may also be employed.
 It is used in the manufacture of automobile bodies, aircraft frames, railway wagons, machine
frames, structural works, tanks, furniture, boilers, general repair work and ship building

2. Welding Defined
 Welding is defined by the American welding Society (AWS) as “a materials joining process
used in making welds”. A weld is defined as “a localized coalescence (the growing together
of the grain structure of the materials being welded) of metals or nonmetals produced either
by heating the materials to suitable temperatures, with or without application of pressure and
with or without the use of filler metal”.

3. Types of Welding
• Plastic Welding or Pressure Welding
The piece of metal to be joined are heated to a plastic state and forced together by external
pressure
Example -Resistance welding
• Fusion Welding or Non-Pressure Welding
The material at the joint is heated to a molten state and allowed to solidify
Example-Gas welding, Arc welding

4. Classification of Welding Processes

 There are about 35 welding processes used by industry today.
 Welding can be classified on the basis of
(i) Source of heat i.e. flame, arc etc.
(ii) Type of interaction i.e. liquid/liquid (fusion welding) or solid/solid (solid state welding)
 In general various welding processes are classified as below
 1. Gas Welding
a) Air acetylene welding c) Oxyhydrogen welding
b) Oxyacetylene welding d) Prussure gas welding
2. Arc Welding
a) Carbon Arc Welding e) Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding
b) Shielded Metal Arc Welding f) Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)
(SMAW) g) Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
c) Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) h) Electroslag Welding
d) Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding
3. Resistance Welding
a) Spot Welding e) Flash Butt Welding
b) Projection Welding f) Percussion Welding
c) Seam Welding i) High Frequency Resistance Welding
d) Resistance Butt Welding (HFRW)
4. Solid State Welding
a) Cold Welding e) Friction Welding
b) Diffusion Welding f) Hot Pressure Welding
c) Explosive Welding g) Roll Welding
d) Forge Welding h) Ultrasonic Welding
5. Thermo-Chemical Welding Processes
a) Thermit Welding b) Atomic Hydrogen Welding
6. Radiant Energy Welding Processes
a) Electron Beam Welding (EBW) b) Laser Beam Welding (LBW)

5. Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications of Welding

Advantages of Welding
1. A good weld is as strong as the base metal.
2. General welding equipment is not very costly.
3. Portable welding equipments are available.
4. Welding permits considerable freedom in design.
5. Welding can be mechanized.
Disadvantages of Welding
1. Welding gives harmful radiations (light), fumes and spatter.
2. Welding results in residual stresses and distortion of the workpieces.
3. Welding heat produces metallurgical changes.
4. Welding joint requires stress-relief heat treatment.
Applications of Welding
1. Aircraft Construction 7. Pipelines.
2. Automobile construction 8. Ships
3. Bridges 9. Household and office furniture
4. Buildings 10. Machine tool frames, cutting tools and
5. Pressure Vessels and Tanks dies.
6. Storage Tanks

6. Welding Positions
1. Flat Position - In this position, the filler metal is deposited from the upper side of the joint
and the face of the weld is horizontal.
2. Horizontal Position - In this position, the filler metal is deposited upon a horizontal surface
and the axis of the weld is horizontal.
3. Vertical Position - In this position, the filler metal is deposited upon a vertical surface and
the axis of the weld is vertical.
4. Overhead Position - In this position, the filler metal is deposited from the under side of the
joint and the face of the weld is horizontal.

Fig. Flat Position

Fig. Horizontal Position

 Fig. Vertical Position Fig. Overhead Position

7. Welding Joints
1. Butt Joint – Parts lying in same plane are joined at their edges.
2. Lap Joint – Two parts are overlapping each other.
3. Tee Joint – One part is perpendicular to the other to resemble letter T.
4. Corner Joint – Parts are joined at corner.

Fig. Butt Joint

Fig. Lap Joint

Fig. T Joint

Fig. Corner Joint

8. Arc Welding
Definition-Is a welding process in which coalescence is produced by heating with an electric arc or
arcs, mostly without the application of pressure and with or without the use of filler metal
depending upon the base plate thickness.

1. Carbon Arc welding

 It can be classified as single carbon arc welding and twin carbon electrode arc welding.
Definition-It is an arc welding process in which coalescence is produced by heating the workpiece
with an electric arc struck between a carbon electrode and the workpiece. Filler metal may or may
not be used.
In twin carbon arc welding the arc is struck between two carbon electrodes produces coalescence.
The workpiece do not form a part of electrical circuit.

Fig. Carbon Arc Welding

Advantages
1. Equipment is simple and easily available.
2. Welding cost is low as compared to other welding processes.

Disadvantages
1. Chances of carbon being transferred from electrode to weld metal.

Applications
1. For welding of steel, aluminium, nickel, copper etc

2. Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)

Definition- In this process coalescence is produced by heating the workpiece between electric arc
setup between a flux coated electrode and the workpiece. The flux covering decomposes due to heat
and performs many functions like arc stability, weld metal protection etc. the electrode itself melts
and supplies the necessary filler metal.

Fig. Shielded metal arc welding

The functions of the core wire include the following

1. To carry the welding current.
2. To serve as most of the filler metal in the finished wells.

The function of the flux covering include the following

1. To provide some of the alloying elements.
2. To serve as an insulator
3. To provide slag cover to protect the weld bead.
4. To provide protective gaseous shield gaseous shield during welding.

Fig. The two parts of a welding electrode

Fig. Effect of shielding gases (Oxygen in the
air burned to form CO2 and other gases that
will not react with the weld)
Welding Currents
The three types of current used for welding are
1. Alternating Current (AC)
2. Direct Current Straight Polarity (DCSP)
3. Direct Current Reverse Polarity (DCRP)

1. Alternating Current (AC) –

 In AC, the electrons change direction every 1/120 of a second so that the electrode and work
alternate from anode to cathode.
 The rapid reversal of current flow causes the welding heat to be evenly distributed on both
the workpiece and the electrode i.e. half on the workpiece and half on the electrode.
 The even heating gives the weld bead a balance between penetration and buildup.

Fig. Alternating current (AC)

2. Direct Current Straight Polarity (DCSP)

 In DCSP electrode is negative and the workpiece is positive.
 DCSP has higher heat on the workpiece and lower heat on the electrode.
 The DCSP weld bead has deep penetration into base metal with little buildup.

Fig. Direct Current Straight Polarity (DCSP), electrode negative (DCEN)

3. Direct Current Reverse Polarity (DCRP)
 In DCSP electrode is positive and the workpiece is negative.
 DCSP has higher heat on the electrode and lower heat on the workpiece.
 The DCSP weld bead has shallow penetration into base metal with high buildup.

Fig. Direct Current Reverse Polarity (DCRP), electrode positive (DCEP)

Advantages
3. It is the simplest of all welding processes.
4. The equipment can be portable and the cost is low.
5. Welding can be carried out in any position with highest weld quality.

Disadvantages
2. In welding long joints as one electrode finishes, the weld is to be progressed with the next
electrode.
3. Because of flux coated electrode chances of flux entrapment is more.

Applications
2. SMAW is used for fabrication, maintenance and repair work.
3. Almost all metals can be welded with this process.

3. Submerged Arc Welding

Definition-It is an arc welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heating the job with an
electric arc or arcs struck between a bare metal electrode and the job. The arc, end of the electrode
and molten pool remain completely hidden and are invisible being submerged under a blanket of
granular flux. The continuously fed bare metal electrode melts and acts as filler rod. No pressure is
applied for welding purpose.
 Fig. Submerged arc welding (SAW)
Advantages
1. High metal deposition rates can be achieved.
2. Very neat appearance and smooth weld shapes can be obtained.

Disadvantages
1. Since the operator cannot see the welding being carried out, he cannot judge accurately the
progress of welding.
2. The process is limited to welding in flat position only.

Applications
1. For Automotive, Aviation, Ship-building, Nuclear power industry, Pressure vessel, Boilers
etc.

4. Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) Welding or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)
Definition-It is an arc welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heating the job with an
electric arc struck between a tungsten electrode and the job. A shielding Gas, argon, helium,
nitrogen etc. is used to avoid atmospheric contamination of the molten weld pool. A filler metal
may be added if required.
 Fig. Schematic of a GTAW setup with a water-cooled torch

Fig. Schematic of a GTAW setup with a air-cooled torch

Tungsten Electrode-
 Pointed tungsten will have less mass near the end to absorb the heat, resulting in high
surface temperatures even with low current settings.
 Rounded end will have large to absorb the heat, which results in lower surface temperature.
 Tapered electrode with a balled end will have the lowest surface temperature.
 Fig. Basic tungsten electrode end shapes
A) Pointed B) Rounded C) Tapered with a balled end

Types of Tungsten’s –
 Pure tungsten has a number of properties that make it an excellent non consumable
electrode for the TIG welding.
 These properties can be improved by adding thoria or zirconia to the tungsten.
 Adding the thoria (thorium dioxide, Tho2) or zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO2) in
small quantities (upto 2%) will improve the electrode resistance to contamination and
increases current carrying capacity.

Types of Welding currents –

 DCSP concentrates about two-third of its welding heat on the workpiece and remaining
one-third of heat on the tungsten electrode.
 DCRP concentrates only one-third of its welding heat on the workpiece and remaining
two-third of heat on the tungsten electrode.
 Alternating current concentrates about half of its heat on the work and the remaining half
of heat on the tungsten electrode.
 Both AC and DC welding machine can be used for TIG welding.
 DC is preferred for welding of stainless steel, nickel, copper and copper alloys.
 DCRP or AC is used for welding magnesium, aluminium and their alloys.
 Fig. Heat distribution between the tungsten electrode and the work with each type of welding
current

Fig. Electrons collect under the oxide layer during DCEP portion of the cycle and lifts the oxides
from the surface
Advantages
1. No flux is used hence there is no danger of flux entrapment.
2. Process can weld in all positions.
3. TIG welding is very much suitable for high quality welding.

Disadvantages
1. Tungsten if it transfers to molten weld pool can contaminate the same.
2. Equipment cost is higher than SMAW welding.
Application
1. Welding of aluminium, magnesium, copper, nickel and their alloys
2. Welding of stainless steel.
3. Welding sheet metal of thinner section.
5. Metal Inert Gas (MIG) Welding or Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
Definition-It is an arc welding process wherein coalescence is produced by heating the job with an
electric arc struck between a continuously fed metal electrode and the job. No flux is used but the
arc and molten metal are shielded by an inert gas, which may be argon, carbon dioxide etc.

Fig. Schematic of a GMAW setup

Fig. MIG welding

Advantages
1. Because of continuously fed electrode, MIG welding process is much faster as compared to
TIG welding.
2. The process can be easily mechanized.
Disadvantages
1. The process is slightly more complex as compared to TIG welding.
2. Welding equipment is more complex, more costly and less portable.
Application
1. For welding of stainless steel, aluminium, magnesium nickel and their alloys.
2. For welding of tool steel and dies.
3. Used in industries like aircraft, automobile, pressure vessel, ship building etc.

6. Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

The addition of a flux to the core of the wire has produced flux cored arc welding (FCAW).
Shielding may be employed either by flux core or shielding gases may be supplied as in GMAW
process.
This is used for steels and stainless steels welding.
High quality welds that are smooth and uniform are produced.

Fig. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

Fig. Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW)

7. Electroslag Welding
 Electroslag welding got originated in Russia
 Later on this process was developed in several European countries and the United States of
America so that it could be used as very effective tool for welding of thick sections.

Definition- Electroslag welding is a welding process wherein coalescence is produced by molten

slag which melts the filler metal and the surfaces of the work to be welded.

Electroslag welding is initiated by starting an arc between the filler metal/electrode and the
work. This arc heats the flux and melts it to form the slag. The arc is then extinguished and the slag
is maintained in molten condition by its resistance to the flow of electric current between the
electrode and the work.
The molten pool remains shielded by the molten slag which moves along the full cross
section of the joint as the welding progresses.

Fig. Electroslag welding process (ESW) Fig. Section through workpiece and weld
during the making of the weld (ESW)
Advantages
1. Thickness upto 450 mm in plain and alloy steels can be welded without difficuilty.
2. Residual stresses and distortion produced are low.
Disadvantages
1. SAW is more economical than electroslag welding for joints below 60 mm thickness.
2. It is difficult to close cylindrical welds.
3. Welding is carried our in vertical position only.
Application
1. Heavy plates, forgings and castings can be butt welded.
8. Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
 Plasma is the fourth state of matter.
 Plasma gas contains mixture of ions, electrons and highly excited atoms.

Definition- PAW is an arc welding process wherein coalescence is produced by the heat obtained
fro a constricted arc setup between a tungsten/alloy tungsten electrode and the water cooled nozzle
(non-transferred arc) or between a tungsten/alloy tungsten electrode and the workpiece (transferred
arc).
The process uses two gases, one forms the plasma arc and the second shields the arc plasma.
Filler metal may or may not be added. Pressure normally is not employed.

Fig. Transferred and Non Transferred Plasma Arc

Fig. Schematic diagram of plasma welding process

Advantages
1. Excellent weld quality.
2. Uniform penetration.
Disadvantages
1. Infra red and ultra violet radiation necessitates special protection devices.
2. The process is complicated and costlier
Application
1. Welding high temperature alloys.

9. Resistance Welding
Resistance welding is defined as a process wherein coalescence is produced by the heat obtained
from the resistance of the workpiece to the flow of electric current.
Pressure is always applied to ensure a continuous electrical circuit and to forge the heated parts
together.
Fluxes and filler metal are not needed for this welding process.

Fig.4 Fundamental resistance welding machine circuit.

Heat
The heat produced in the weld may be expressed in the following manner
H = I2RT
Where, H = Heat
I = Current
R = Electrical resistance to the circuit
T = Duration of the current.
The capacitor stores the welding current until it is used. The required pressure or electrode force is
applied to the workpiece by pneumatic, hydraulic or mechanical means.
Resistance

The total resistance of the system consists of

1. The resistance of the workpiece R1.
2. The contact resistance between the electrodes and the workpiece R2.
3. The resistance between the surfaces of the two metal pieces to be welded together, R3.
In order to obtain the sound weld and to avoid overheating of the electrodes R1 and R2 should be
kept as low as possible with respect to R3
 R1 = Resistance of the workpiece depends nature of the material and its thickness. e.g.
Aluminium requires high currents in order to produce the required welding temperature.
 R2 = Resistance between electrode and the workpiece and it can be minimized by
a. Keeping electrode tip and the workpiece surface properly cleaned.
b. Using the welding electrode of highly conductive material such as Cu-Cd or Cu-Cr
alloys.
c. Controlling the shape and size of the electrode.
 R3 depends on quality of the surfaces. Surfaces that have not been cleaned and possess scale,
dirt or other contaminants on them offer more resistance to the flow of welding current.
Time
Four periods of timings are set up on a resistance welding machine i.e.
1. Squeeze time 3. Hold time
2. Weld time 4. Off time

1. Squeeze time – It is the time between initial application of the electrode pressure on the work
and the initial application of current to make the weld. During this period upper electrode comes
in contact with workpiece and develops full electrode force.
2. Weld time - During this time welding current flows through the circuit i.e. it enters through one
electrode, passes through the work-pieces and goes out from the second electrode.
3. Hold time – The electrode pressure is maintained until the metal has somewhat cooled.
4. Off time – It is the interval from the end of the hold time to the beginning of the squeeze time for
the next welding cycle.
In automatic machines all these segments of times are controlled automatically whereas in
manually operated machines only the weld time is controlled automatically.
1. Spot Welding
Spot welding is the most common of the various resistance welding processes.
Definition – Spot welding is resistance welding process in which overlapping sheets are joined by
the heat obtained by resistance to flow of electric current at the interface between the workpieces
that are held together under force by the two electrodes.

Fig. Heat resulting from resistance of the current through the metal held under pressure by the
electrodes creates fusion of the two workpieces during spot welding.
 Fig. Basic periods of spot welding
Heat balance in spot welding
1. When welding two different thicknesses of the same material use a small tip area on the side of
bigger thickness. This will increase current density on the side of bigger thickness.
2. When welding two dissimilar metal sheets of varying conductivity use smaller tip area on the
side of the high conductivity alloy.

Advantages
1. Low cost.
2. No edge preparation is required.
3. Less skilled worker will do.
Disadvantages
1. Large thicknesses (more than 15 mm) are difficult to spot weld..
Application
1. Automobile and aircraft industry.
2.
2. Seam Welding
 Seam welding is similar in some ways to spot welding except that the spots are spaced so
close together that they actually overlap one another to make a continuous seam weld.
 Seam welding is done by using roller type electrodes in the form of wheels that are 152 mm
(6 Inch) to 229 mm (9 Inch) or more in diameter.
  These roller type electrodes are usually copper alloy discs of 10 mm (3/8 inch) to 16 mm
(5/8 Inch) thick.
 Cooling is achieved by a constant stream of water directed to the electrode near the weld.
 Welding is usually done with roller electrode in motion and the rate of welding varies
between 30 cm to 152 cm per minute.
 Seam welding machines generally operates on single phase AC.

Fig. Schematic illustration of the seam welding process

Advantages
1. It can produce gas tight or liquid tight joints.
2. A single seam weld or several parallel seam weld can be produced simultaneously.
Disadvantages
1. It is difficult to weld thickness greater than 3 mm.
2. Welding can be done only along straight or uniformly curved line
Application
1. Except for copper and copper alloys most of metals of common industrial use can be seam
welded.

3. Projection Welding
 Projection welding is somewhat similar to spot welding.
 Projections are formed on at least one of the workpieces at the points were welds are
desired.
 The projection can be any shape such as round, oval, circular etc.
 Projection can be formed by casting, machining etc.
 When the current is turned on and pressure is applied, since all the resistance is in the
projections, most of the heating occurs at the points were welds are desired.
  There are many variables in this process such as thickness of metal, number of projections
and type of material.

Fig. Projection welding

Advantages
1. A number of welds can be made simultaneously.
2. Projection weld can be made in metals that are too thick to be joined by spot welding.
3. Projection welding locates the weld at desired position
Disadvantages
1. Forming of projection is an extra operation.
Application
1. In automobile industry.

4. Flash Butt Welding

 Fusion is produced at the ends of workpieces by the heat produced from the resistance to
the flow of electric current.
 Pressure is applied after heating is completed.
 The basic steps in flash welding are as follows
a. Clamp the parts together in dies.
b. Move one part towards the other part until an arc is established
c. Parts are pressed together when flashing has caused the parts to reach to plastic
temperature.
d. Cut off the welding current when welding is complete.
 Fig. Schematic diagram of the flash welding process

Advantages
1. Many dissimilar metals with different melting temperature can be flash welded.
2. The process is cheap.
Disadvantages
1. Operator needs to be protected from flying particles.
2. Metal is lost during flashing and application of pressure.
Application
1. For welding of tubing, bars, forgings etc.
2. In automobile and aircraft products, household appliances, refrigerator etc.

5. Resistance (Upset) Butt Welding

 Two pieces of metal having the same cross section are gripped and pressed together and then
current is passed from one piece to another.
 Resistance to the flow of electric current produces heat at the contact surfaces
 It is similar to flash welding except that no flashing occurs in this process.
 As compared to flash butt welding less current is needed in this process.
 This process requires more welding time than flash butt welding.
 Resistance butt welding is largely replaced by flash butt welding.
6. Percussion Welding
 It is actually a variation of flash welding.
 A short application of high-intensity energy instantly heats the workpieces to be joined.
 A rapid heating is immediately followed by a quick blow to make the weld.

Fig. Principle of percussion welding

Advantages
1. Heat treated or clod worked parts can be welded without destroying the heat treatment.
Disadvantages
1. Process in limited to butt welding joints only.
Application
1. In telephone industries, electrical and electronic assembly.

10. Gas Welding

 Gas welding is a fusion welding process. It joins metals using the heat obtained from
combustion of oxygen/air and fuel gas (acetylene, hydrogen, propane, butane etc) mixture.
 The intense heat produced melts the metal to be welded.
 The filler metal is generally added.

Oxy-Acetylene Welding
 When acetylene is mixed with oxygen in correct proportion in the welding torch and ignited,
the flame resulting at the tip of the torch is sufficiently hot to melt and join the parent metal.
 The oxy-acetylene flame reaches a temperature of about 32000c and thus can melt all
commercial metal.
 A filler metal rod is generally added to the molten metal pool.
 No pressure is applied.
Types of Flames
1. Neutral Flame
 Produced when approximately equal volumes of oxygen and acetylene are mixed in the
welding torch and burnt at the torch tip.
 The temperature of the neutral flame is 32600c.
 The flame has nicely defined inner cone which is light blue in color and it is surrounded
by an outer flame envelope which is much darker blue than the inner cone.
 Neutral flame is named so because it effects no chemical change on molten metal and
therefore will not oxidize or carburize the metal.
 Neutral flame is commonly used for welding of
a. Mild Steel d. Stainless Steel
b. Cast Iron e. Copper
c. Aluminium

2. Oxidizing Flame
 After the establishment of neutral flame if the supply of oxygen is further increased, the
result will be an oxidizing flame.
 Oxidizing flame can be recognized by the small white cone which is shorter, much bluer
in color and more pointed than that of the neutral flame.
 Oxidizing flame burns with a decided loud roar.
 The temperature of the oxidizing flame is 34820c
 Oxidizing flame has (O2:C2H2 = 1.5:1)
  Oxidizing flame has limited use in welding as oxygen at high temperature tends to
combine with many metals to form hard, brittle, low strength oxides. e. g. copper base
metal and Zinc base metal.

3. Carburizing (Reducing) Flame

 If the volume of oxygen supplied to the neutral flame is reduced, the resulting flame will
be a carburizing flame.
 Carburizing flame can be recognized by acetylene feather which exist between the inner
cone and outer envelope.
 The outer flame envelope is longer than the neutral flame and is usually much brighter in
color.
 The temperature of the carburizing flame is 30380c
 Oxidizing flame has (O2:C2H2 = 0.9:1)
 Carburizing flame is used in welding of lead and for surface hardening purpose.
Gas Welding Techniques
Depending upon the ways in which welding rod and the welding torch may be used; there are two
usual techniques in gas welding.
1. Leftward technique or Forehand welding method.
 The welder holds the welding torch in his right hand and filler rod in the left hand.
 The welding begins at the right hand end of the joint and proceeds towards left hence the
name leftward technique.
 The welding flame is directed away from the completed weld.
 The filler rod is when used is directed towards the welded part of the joint.
 Welding torch is given small sideway movement while filler rod is moved steadily across
the seam.
 The filler rod is added using backward and forward movement of the rod, allowing the
flame to melt bottom edges of the plate.
 Good control and neat appearance are the characteristics of gas welding.
 Leftward welding technique is usually used for welding relatively thin metals i.e. less
than 5 mm thickness.

2. Rightward technique or Backhand welding method.

 The welder holds the welding torch in his right hand and filler rod in the left hand.
 The welding begins at the left hand end of the joint and proceeds towards right hence the
name rightward technique.
 The welding flame is directed towards the completed weld.
 The filler rod remains between the flame and the completed weld section.
 Since the flame is constantly directed on the edges of V ahead of weld puddle no sidewise
motion of the welding torch is necessary. As a result narrow V groove can be used,
which provides greater control and lower welding costs.
 During welding filler rod is moved in circles (within the puddle) and semicircles (back
and forth around the puddle).
 Weld puddle is less fluid and resulting in a slightly different appearance of weld surface.
The ripples are heavier and spaced further apart.
 Rightward welding technique is usually used for welding thick metals i.e. above 5 mm
thickness because in this technique heat is concentrated into the metal.
Welding Fluxes
 During welding, if the metal is heated / melted in air, oxygen from the air combines with the
metal to form oxides which results in poor quality and low strength welds.
 A flux material is used to prevent, dissolve or facilitate removal of oxide and other
undesirable substances.
 During welding flux reacts with the oxides and the slag is formed that floats and covers the
top of the molten puddle and thus helps to keep out atmospheric oxygen and other gases.
 Fluxes are available in powders, pastes or liquids.
 Flux may be used by applying it directly on to the surface of base metal to be welded or by
dipping the heated end of the filler rod in it.
 After welding, the slag from the welded joint can be removed by chipping, filing or
grinding.
 No flux is used for gas welding of steel.
 Fluxes are used in gas welding of cast iron, stainless steel and most nonferrous metals.
 Fluxes for cast iron – borax, boric acid, soda ash and small amount of sodium chloride.
 Fluxes for stainless steel – borax, boric acid, and fluorspar.
 Fluxes for Aluminium and its alloys – lithium chloride, sodium chloride and potassium
chloride.
 Fluxes for Copper and its alloys – Borax, Boric acid, magnesium silicate , lime etc
 Fluxes for Magnesium and its alloys – Sodium Chloride, Potassium fluoride, Magnesium
chloride, barium chloride etc.
 Fluxes for Nickel and its alloys – Calcium fluoride, Barium fluoride etc.
Advantages
1. Cost and maintenance of welding equipment is low.
2. Welder can control the temperature of the metal in the welding zone.
Disadvantages
1. Heavy sections can not be joined economically.
2. Flame temperature is less than temperature of the arc.
Application
1. For joining thin materials.
2. For joining most ferrous and nonferrous materials.

11.Welding Symbols
 Welding symbols enabled the designer to indicate clearly to the welder the size and type of
weld required to meet design requirements.
 Welding symbols are shorthand language for welder.

Fig. Standard Location of Elements of weld symbol

Basic weld Symbols

Location of the Weld

 When the weld symbol is below the reference line the weld is made on the same side of the
joint as the arrow head i.e. the arrow side.
 When the weld symbol is above the reference line the weld is made on the other side of the
joint apposite arrow head.
 When the weld symbol is on both sides of the reference line the weld is to be carried out on
both sides of the joint.
 When resistance welds are to be indicated, the arrow shall point towards the center line
along which welds are to be made.
Supplementary Symbols
Examples of welding Symbols
12.Welding Defects
• Undercuts/Overlaps

• Grain Growth
• A wide T will exist between base metal and HAZ. Preheating and cooling methods
will affect the brittleness of the metal in this region
• Blowholes
• Are cavities caused by gas entrapment during the solidification of the weld puddle.
Prevented by proper weld technique (even temperature and speed)
• Inclusions
• Impurities or foreign substances which are forced into the weld puddle during the
welding process. Has the same effect as a crack. Prevented by proper
technique/cleanliness.
• Segregation
• Condition where some regions of the metal are enriched with an alloy ingredient and
others aren’t. Can be prevented by proper heat treatment and cooling.
• Porosity
• The formation of tiny pinholes generated by atmospheric contamination. Prevented
by keeping a protective shield over the molten weld puddle.