FORCE Technology may assist your company in qualifying welding procedures for welding on e.g. pressure systems and steel structures.

You are thus equipped to perform welding tasks and to meet required welding procedures according to standards and specifications.

Steps in qualification of welding procedures

Welding procedures are usually qualified at the company’s own workshop, as the company will then show that they have the necessary facilities, qualified personnel and the appropriate organisation. Such qualification shall be performed according to standards dealing with materials, welding methods and scope. 

Qualification will take place step by step as follows:

  • Preparation of pWPS based on the requirements according to standards and specifications (the pWPS is a preliminary work description of the weld, and pWPS is short for preliminary Welding Procedure Specification and it may be prepared by the company or by FORCE Technology – Link to WPS’s )
  • Welding of test specimen(s) with registration of weld data with the assistance of welding personnel from FORCE Technology 
  • The welder welding the test specimenwill usually get a certificate, issued based on the actual welding work (Link to Certification of welders)    
  • Non-destructive (NDT) and mechanical testing of the sample with FORCE Technology 
  • At satisfactory results of the testing, a WPQR according to standards and specifications will be issued by welding personnel from FORCE Technology (the WPQR is a certificate for the procedure testing, and WPQR is short for Welding Procedure Qualification Record with the registered welding data and results of the testing)
  • If the company so wishes, FORCE Technology shall prepare the final WPS, to be applied during the actual welding work (Link to WPS’s)

Issuance of WPQR

WPQR’s are issued with the DANAK logo since FORCE Technology is accredited by DANAK to performing non-destructive (NDT) and mechanical testing. 

Welding personnel that supervises the test and prepares WPQR’s has been approved internally by FORCE Technology, and is trained within the international welding training programs EWF/IIW or similar, which guarantees you that the issued WPQR meets European/international requirements and customer requirements, if any. 

Testing and issuance of WPQR usually takes place within 5 – 10 work days. 

The actual testing is performed locally in your own workshops and laboratories with the same contact person from start to end, and, if so required, in cooperation with classification societies. 
The WPQR is issued on paper with the DANAK logo and that of the company. 

Standards for welding procedures

Welding procedures are qualified according to European and international standards:
  • DS/EN ISO 14555 Arc stud welding of metallic materials
  • DS/EN ISO 15620 Friction welding of metallic materials
  • DS/EN ISO 15612 Qualification by adoption of a standard welding procedure
  • DS/EN ISO 15613 Qualification based on a pre-production welding test
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-1 WPQR for arc welding of steel and nickel
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-2 WPQR for arc welding of aluminium
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-3 WPQR for fusion welding of cast iron
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-4 WPQR for finishing welding of aluminium castings
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-5 WPQR for arc welding of titanium and zirconium
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-6 WPQR for arc and gas welding of copper
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-7 WPQR for overlay welding
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-8 WPQR for welding of tubes to tube-plate joints
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-10 WPQR for hyperbaric dry welding
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-11 WPQR for electron and laser beam welding
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-12 WPQR for spot, seam, and projection welding
  • DS/EN ISO 15614-13 WPQR for resistance butt and flash welding.
Welding procedures may also be qualified according to other standards. Below please find some examples:
  • Banenorm BN2-63-1f Procedure approval of rail track welding processes
  • DS/EN 14730-1 Railway applications – Track – Aluminothermic welding of rails – part 1: Approval of welding processes
  • ASME IX Welding, Brazing, and Fusing Qualifications 
  • AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel
  • AWS D1.2 Structural Welding Code - Aluminium
  • AWS D1.6 Structural Welding Code – Stainless Steel
  • DS/EN 13134 Brazing/hard soldering – procedure approval.
 There may be supplementary specifications from customers. Below please find some examples in which the requirements will be included in the WPQR’s:
  • Maersk Oil MOTS 12 Welding and NDE of welds
  • Energinet.dk Welding of Pipelines and Welding of Piping in Plants
  • "Danske Kraftværkers Fællesbetingelser for svejsearbejde på rørsystemer"
  • NORSOK M-101 Structural steel fabrication (www.standard.no)
  • NORSOK M-601 Welding and inspection of piping (www.standard.no)
  • DNV Regelsæt (www.dnvgl.dk)
  • PED Pressure Equipment Directive.

Pressure systems 

If so required in the PED, welding of the test sample must be verified by a third party body. FORCE Certification A/S with registration number 0200 is such a notified body, which ensures you that the WPQR may be used for pressure equipment.

In addition to the WPQR, an AOPJ, Approval Of Permanent Joining may be prepared. This indicates the range of validity/scope of the WPQR’s essential variables.