19.4 Chapter Conclusion
David Colameco, M.Ed.
Summary
This chapter presented common weld defects and discontinuities along with the different nondestructive and destructive tests performed on welds as part of inspections. All welders who are manually welding visually inspect their welds while welding to ensure the weld puddle is the correct size and is being placed in the intended location. The visual inspection section displayed common weld defects and discontinuities that you will encounter during your welding career. As a welder it is important to know which inspection techniques are going to be used to inspect your welds so the proper preparation of the weldments can be made, such as removing spatter before ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing.
Inspectors can be limited in what they can discuss with you, such as not being able to give advice on how to weld, but they will usually answer your questions to the best of their ability. If you are interested in weld inspection, speak with the welding inspectors you encounter (including your welding instructors) about becoming an inspector. Welding tends to be a physically demanding profession and becoming an inspector later in your career may allow you to continue your career in welding but without all of the physical demands of actual welding.
Review Questions
- Who inspects welds? Select all that apply
- Welders
- Welding Inspectors
- Welding Supervisors
- Customers
- Why are arc strikes outside of the weld joint not acceptable?
- They don’t look professional
- They waste electrodes
- They create brittle martensite on mild steel
- Arc strikes are ok
- What is a Safety Data Sheet?
- A daily safety checklist for the job site
- A way that chemical manufacturers, distributors, and importers communication with users about the hazards of their products
- A form needed to become a certified welder or welding operator
- A document that only government employees and government contractors use to identify safety hazards
- What is overlap?
- A cosmetic defect that can be painted over
- Molten weld bead that covers base material without fusing to it
- When one weld bead is welded to a bead underneath it
- What a welder does when tying one weld bead into another
- What is porosity?
- Empty round or elongated regions with rounded ends within a weld bead caused by trapped gas in the solidifying weld bead.
- The ability of weld bead to pour into the weld joint
- A cosmetic flaw only
- Typically long and relatively narrow openings compared to their length with sharp pointy ends
- What are slag inclusions?
- Time set aside during fabrication planning for the removal of slag
- The collection of impurities that float to the surface of a weld bead
- Slag that is not removed after a weld bead is deposited that is then covered up by the next weld bead in the weld joint.
- Slag always floats to the surface of a weld bead and is never included in the weld joint
- What are cracks?
- A cosmetic defect only that can be painted over
- An expected occurrence that happens during the cooling process of all weldments
- Typically long and relatively narrow openings compared to their length with sharp pointy ends
- Cracks do not occur in welds due to the plastic nature of weld metal
- What is spatter?
- The compound used on the gas nozzle of a GMAW welding gun
- Droplets that fall to the floor or get on clothing when painting weldments
- Small pieces of metal that are ejected from a grinding disk when grinding
- Small pieces of molten metal that are ejected from the weld pool and usually land near the weld joint
- Where can you find the type of NDE that will be used on your weld?
- Next to the root opening value on a welding symbol
- NDE is done at random, the type of NDE is not known ahead of time
- The welder tells the inspector which NDE to use based on the difficulty of the weld
- Tail of a blueprint welding symbol
- What defects does Liquid Penetrant (PT) look for?
- Incomplete fusion of interpass weld beads
- Surface cracks and pores
- Welds made in the wrong direction
- Incorrect filler metal used
- For which examination methods is it important to remove spatter? Select all that apply.
- Bend Tests
- Magnetic Particle Tests
- Ultrasonic Testing
- Visual Inspection
- Which examination method uses X-rays?
- Magnetic Particle Testing
- Radiographic Testing
- Liquid Penetrant Testing
- Bend Testing
- How is ALARA achieved?
- Decreasing Distance and Increasing Time near a radiation source
- Increasing Distance and Decreasing Time near a radiation source
- Decreasing Distance and Decreasing Time near a radiation source
- Increasing Distance and Increasing Time near a radiation source
- What is an IQI?
- Intelligence Quotient Indicator
- Image Quality Indicator
- I Question Inspectors
- Image Quantity Indicator
- Which examination method uses sound waves?
- Magnetic Particle Testing
- Radiographic Testing
- Ultrasonic Testing
- Charpy V-Notch Testing
- Which examination method uses capillary action?
- Magnetic Particle Testing
- Liquid Penetrant Testing
- Radiographic Testing
- Ultrasonic Testing
- What test uses a strain gauge?
- Magnetic Particle
- Bend Test
- Macroetch Test
- Tensile Test
- Where can you find the requirements for qualifying welders and welding operators?
- This information is kept secret from welders
- The code or standard being used to qualify welders and welding operators
- The inspector chooses criteria and informs you before inspection
- The welders choose the criteria
- What are three destructive tests that are used to qualify procedures or welders and welding operators?
- Bend Tests, Tensile Tests, and Charpy V-Notch Tests
- Liquid Penetrant, Bend Tests, and Tensile Tests
- Magnetic Particle, Liquid Penetrant, ALARA
- Charpy V-Notch Test, Magnetic Particle, and Liquid Penetrant
- Which destructive test is used to visually examine the grain structure, heat affected zone and weld beads?
- Bend Test
- Tensile Test
- Charpy V-Notch Test
- Macroetch Test