Welder Qualification & Welding Procedure Qualification
VSP provides laboratory testing for qualification of welders and weld procedures. We offer these services at an affordable rate with a rapid turnaround. In today’s environment, there is an increasing emphasis placed on the need for weld quality and safety. Welder qualification to a specific code certifies that welders and welding operators have the ability to make sound welds. Organizations qualify welders or welding operators for each welding process used in production or construction welding. VSP helps facilitate this process by providing the testing requirements for submitted weld coupons.
Full Service NDT & Mechanical Testing
VSP is a full-service weld procedure and welder qualification provider with complete in-house NDT and mechanical test resources to step you through the qualification process. Our staff includes Certified Weld Inspectors and materials engineers to help investigate weld defects. There are typically three steps involved in qualifying welders and welding procedure specifications. First, a weld procedure (WPS) must be developed which contains the minimum requirements specified in the welding code. Second, the user must qualify the WPS by submitting weld test coupons. Finally, each individual welder is qualified by creating weld coupons according to variables established in the WPS. Without internally developed code requirements, many organizations use code established by the American Welding Society (AWS) typically dealing with structural codes for buildings and bridges and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for boiler and pressure vessel codes
Capabilities For Weld Properties
♦ Tensile tests (Transverse Welded Joint, All Weld Metal)
♦ Toughness testing (Charpy, Izod)
♦ Hardness tests (Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers)
♦ Bending
♦ CTOD (Crack Tip Opening Displacement)
Specification
♦ ASME
Sample Requirements
♦ Weld coupons developed per specification
Capibilities For Weld Quality
♦ Macroetch testing
♦ Fillet weld fracture testing
♦ Butt weld nick-break testing
♦ NDE (VT, PT, MT, RT, UT)
♦ Ferrite Exam
♦ Chemical Composition
Conducting radiography (X-ray and Gamma ray), ultrasonic inspection, magnetic particle inspection, liquid penetrant inspection, visual inspection, and other NDT tests as per the required codes and standards.
Analyzing mechanical and metallurgical tests to ensure compliance with welding standards.
Preparing Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) in line with applicable codes and standards.
Preparing Welder Performance Qualifications (WPQ).
Preparing Welding Procedure Qualification Records (WPQR).
Performing third-party inspections and witnessing welder qualification tests.
Expertise in AWS, API, and ASME testing procedures for welding procedure qualifications.
Some of the standards followed at VSP Testing and Calibration Laboratory include:
♦ ASME SEC IX: ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
♦ AWS D1.1: Structural Welding Code – Steel
♦ AWS D1.2: Structural Welding Code – Aluminum
♦ AWS D1.3: Structural Welding Code - Sheet Metal
♦ AWS D17.1: Specification for Fusion Welding of Aerospace Applications
♦ BS EN ISO 15614-1: Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials – Welding Procedure Test
♦ BS EN ISO 15609-1: Specification and Qualification of Welding Procedures for Metallic Materials – Welding Procedure Specification
♦ BS EN ISO 9606-1: Qualification Test of Welders – Fusion Welding – Steels
♦ BS EN ISO 287-1: Qualification Test of Welders – Fusion Welding – Steels