ASME Section IX Welding Acronyms

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Last updated: May 22, 2017

Getting to know ASME Section IX Terminology and Acronyms 

Summary of CASTI Guidebook to ASME Section IX


Chapter 1

WGR            (Welding General Qualifications)                                   Article I

WPS             (Welding Procedure Specifications)                              Article II

PQR             (Procedure Qualification Records)                                Article II

WPQ            (Welder Performance Qualification)                              Article III

Data             (Welding Data)                                                              Article IV

SWPS          (Standard Welding Procedure Specifications)               Article V

SMAW         (Shielded Metal-Arc Welding)

GTAW          (Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding)

GMAW         (Gas Metal-Arc Welding)

FCAW          (Flux Core-Arc Welding)

SAW            (Submerged-Arc Welding)

Section IX specifies the requirements for the qualification of welders and brazers, and the welding and brazing procedure in accordance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code

Section IX is divided into three parts: (QW) Welding, (QB) Brazing, and (QF) Fusing which are then divided into five and four parts respectively (PG7)

Note: When impact testing is required, supplementary essential variables become additional essential variables

3 basic Step and Documents involved in qualifying welders and welding procedure specs for code: (Pg5)

  1. Requires the code user to prepare the 1st document, a (WPS) which must contain minimum requirements specified by reference code.
  2. Requires the code user to qualify the (WPS) by welding procedure qualification test coupons and must record variables and test used onto the 2nd document the (PQR).
  3. Requires the code user to qualify the performance of the welder by welding performance qualification test coupons and must record variables and test used, and specify the variable ranges qualified, and must certify the tests and tests results on the 3rd document a (WPQ).

Table 1.3 is an outline of Basics for welding (Pg6)

Special Note: (SWPS) are covered in Article V of Section IX and described in Chap 15 they are handled by separate rules of Chapter 15 and Section IX (PG 7)

Foreword (PG 7): the code user should be aware of the foreword in each ASME section it explains that one of the functions of the boiler pressure Vessel committee is to interpret the rules of the code when questions arise regarding their intent

ASME Code Symbol Stamp issued to the manufacturer showing responsibility for “every” requirement of the reference code

R Stamp issued to the organization making a repair “may” or “may not” be required.

Note: SCIX has adopted a mandatory set of standard units for use in equations and a nonmandatory guide for the use of U.S. customary and SI Units in the ASME B&PV Code. These uniform systems are included in Appendix 2, Engineering Data, of the guide

Chapter 2

This chapter discusses the documentation and application of the welding forms found in Nonmandatory Appendix B of ASME Section IX

This guide covers four documents, specifically. The majority of section IX applies to these 4 documents

  • QW-482, Format for the Welding Procedure specification (WPS)  (fig 2.1),
  • QW-482, Format for the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) (fig 2.2),
  • QW-482, Format A for the Welder Performance Qualification Record (WPQ) (fig 2.3)
  • QW-482, Format for the Demonstration Test Record (DTR) (fig 2.5)

Chapter 3

This chapter outlines the first three Articles of Section IX

Welding is dived into five articles

  1. Article I           General                        QW(100)
  2. Article II          Procedure                   QW(200)
  3. Article III         Performance               QW(300)
  4. Article IV         Welding Data              QW(400)
  5. Article V          Standard Welding Procedure Specifications

Note: Section IX does not cover the application, service, or life of the component

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 reviews Section IX Article IV Welding Data commonly known as the 400 section. In the section variables, P-Numbers, S-Numbers, F-Numbers, A-Numbers, the type and number of tests, the weld metal and base metal qualified thickness ranges, pipe diameter ranges, welding and type positions and more are defined.

This section is intended to explain each type of welding data in the order they are found in Article IV.

Note: In every case the Code user must remember that all other variables and details must be considered when evaluating a single change.

P-Numbers are base metals grouped for the purpose of qualification Complete list found in(QW/QB-422)

S-Numbers are a listing of materials which are acceptable for use by the ASME B31 code for Pressure piping, or by selected B&PV code cases. There is no mandatory requirement that S-Number be used (QW-420.1 and QW-420.2) S-Numbers have been removed from the code in 2009

F-Numbers are filler metals often known as “weld metal” each other limits are defined in (QW-432). These and any other filler metal are required to be qualified separately for both the qualification of WPS and the welder’s performance.

Note: There is an exception to this requirement for the performance qualification of a welder, for F-Number 6 filler metals only, in (QW-433)

A-Numbers are defined in (QW-404.5) as the chemical composition of the weld deposit.  A-numbers are applicable only for the ferrous metals for the qualification of the WPS. They are not a variable for WPQ. A partial listing of A-Numbers by type of weld metal analysis can be found in (QW-442)