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Weld Quality Testing

In most welds, quality is tested based on the function for which it is intended. If you are
fixing a part on a machine, if the machine functions properly, then the weld is often
considered correct. There are a few ways to tell if a weld is correct :
Distribution: Weld material is distributed equally between the two materials that were
joined.
Waste: The weld is free of waste materials such as slag. The slag after cooling should peel
away from the project. It should be removed easily. In Mig welding, any residue from the
shielding gas should also be removed with little problem. Tig, being the cleanest process,
should also be waste free. In Tig, if you see waste, it usually means that the material being
welded was not cleaned thoroughly.
Porosity: The weld surface should not have any irregularities or any porous holes (called
porosity). Holes contribute to weakness. If you see holes it usually indicates that the base
metal was dirty or had an oxide coating. If you are using Mig or Tig, porosity indicates
that more shielding gas is needed when welding. Porosity in aluminum welds is a key
indicator of not using enough gas.
Tightness: If the joint is not tight, this indicates a weld problem. In oxyacetylene welding
if using autogenous welding, where there is no filler material, the weld must be tight.Same
for Tig autogenous welding. The gap is not as critical in other types of welds since any
gap is filled in by the filler material.That said, gaps in general indicate a potential quality
problem.
Leak Proof: If you are repairing an item that contains liquid, a leak is a sure fire way (and
obvious way) to see that there is a problem. Same for something that will contain a gas.
One testing method is to use soap bubbles to check for problems (can be easily applied
with a squirt bottle.
Strength: Most welds need to demonstrate the required strength. One way to ensure proper
strength is to start with a filler metal and electrode rating that is higher than your strength
requirement.
Common Weld Faults
1. Incomplete Penetration.
This term is used to describe the failure of the filler and base metal to fuse together at the
root of the joint. Bridging occurs in groove welds when the deposited metal and base metal
are not fused at the root of the joint. The frequent cause of incomplete penetration is a joint
design which is not suitable for the welding process or the conditions of construction. When
the groove is welded from one side only, incomplete penetration is likely to result under the
following conditions.
A. The root face dimension is too big even though the root opening is adequate.
B. The root opening is too small.
C. The included angle of a V-groove is too small.
D. The electrode is too large.
E. The rate of travel is too high.
F. The welding current is too low.
2. Lack of Fusion
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Lack of fusion is the failure of a welding process to fuse together layers of weld metal or
weld metal and base metal. The weld metal just rolls over the plate surfaces. This is
generally referred to as overlap. Lack of fusion is
caused by the following conditions:
A. Failure to raise to the melting point the
temperature of the base metal or the
previously deposited weld metal.
B. Improper fluxing, which fails to dissolve the
oxide and other foreign material from the
surfaces to which the deposited metal must
fuse.
C. Dirty plate surfaces.
D. Improper electrode size or type.
E. Wrong current adjustment.
3. Undercutting
Undercutting is the burning away of the base metal at the toe of the weld. Undercutting may
be caused by the following conditions:
A. Current adjustment that is too high.
B. Arc gap that is too long.
C. Failure to fill up the crater completely with weld metal.
4. Slag Inclusions
Slag inclusions are elongated or globular pockets of metallic oxides and other solids
compounds. They produce porosity in the weld metal. In arc welding, slag inclusions are
generally made up of electrode coating materials or fluxes. In multilayer welding operations,
failure to remove the slag between the layers causes slag inclusions. Most slag inclusion can
be prevented by:
A.
B.
C.
D.

Preparing the groove and weld properly before each bead is deposited.
Removing all slag.
Making sure that the slag rises to the surface of the weld pool.
Taking care to avoid leaving any contours which will be difficult to penetrate fully
with the arc.

5. Porosity
Porosity is the presence of pockets which do not contain any solid material. They differ from
slag inclusions in that the pockets contain gas rather than a solid.
The gases forming the voids are derived form:
A. Gas released by cooling weld because of its reduced solubility temperature drops.
B. Gases formed by the chemical reactions in the weld.
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Porosity is best prevented by avoiding:


A. Overheating and undercutting of the weld metal.
B. Too high a current setting.
C. Too long an arc.
6. Visual Inspection (VT)
Visual inspection is a non-destructive testing (NDT) weld quality testing process where a
weld is examined with the eye to determine surface discontinuities. It is the most common
method of weld quality testing.
Advantages of nondestructive weld quality testing:
A.
B.
C.
D.

Inexpensive (usually only labor expense)


Low cost equipment
No power requirement
Quick identification of defects and downstream repair costs due to issues that weren't
caught early

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