AWS D1.1 PREQUALIDFIED PROCEDURES

sources : Eng Tips

There are many discussions regarding procedure qualification on this fine Forum,which I have studied over and over but I still have some confusion on my situation.Our shop has been mainly devoted to Mil spec welding requirements (mostly Navy). There has been a growing trend in the engineering drawings that are coming in to apply the AWS (D1.1, D1.6) requirments. Can I use our qualified and fully matured Mil and NAVSEA welding procedures as "prequalified" procedure and write up an AWS procedure (providing of course that all materials, essential/non-essential variables are identical) and go into production w/o qualifying the AWS procedure or retesting welders? As I see it, the Mil spec and the AWS procedures will be clones.All clarifications on what I must do are welcomed.Thankyou in advance.
SJones (Petroleum)
3 Feb 07 0:46

There is nothing stopping you doing what you propose. All you have to do is ensure that all the variables, test standards, and acceptance criteria meet or exceed the D1.1 requirements.
Steve JonesMaterials & Corrosion Engineerhttp://www.pdo.co.om/pdo/

metengr (Materials)
3 Feb 07 10:31

AWS B2.1 -2005 "Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification" specifically allows what you describe above under 2.1.3 Procedure Qualification.

gtaw (Structural)
4 Feb 07 22:44

AWS D1.1 and D1.6 have provisions for prequalified WPSs. You can write the WPSs without the need to have them supported by PQRs.You will have to compare the welding variables and essential variables of your existing military WPSs against the requirements of AWS. You may encounter some problems with the details of the weld grooves you use. Again, you will have to compare the details of the grooves to those of the prequalified groove details of D1.1 and D1.6. You will also run into problems with the filler metals. You may be listing military filler metals on the existing military WPSs. You will have to specify the filler metals using AWS specification numbers and classification numbers. If you are using SMAW, you will have to replace the A group numbers with AWS F numbers.It may be much easier to simply develop new prequalified WPSs rather than do a detailed revision of the existing WPSs and catching each and every detail.
Best regards - Al

tc7 (Mechanical)
5 Feb 07 8:57

Thanks all for your advice.GTAW- the Navy and other Mil specs do already call out selections of AWS A5.10 fillers, so I think I'm in good shape there.Great! Thanks again for your responses.Regards,tc