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Up Topic Welding Industry / Processes / WPS requalification
- - By welderkevin Date 12-13-2016 13:20
Would I have to re-qualify a WPS/PQR from SA GMAW to RO GMAW? Is manual welding considered a different process than robotic welding?

Kevin
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-13-2016 15:25 Edited 12-13-2016 15:28
Hi Kevin,

Assuming AWS D1.1

If I understand your question correctly...  You have a manual (semi-automatic) GMAW procedure and you want to know if it could be used with an automated system (robotic)

If my assumption is correct, the answer is a qualified "Yes".

However,   Typically when GMAW is automated it is to gain efficiency... Robots can weld much faster than humans...  Meaning, typically travel speeds, wire feed speeds (current) and voltage are increased in automated GMAW to gain productivity.  

If you keep to your procedure's essential variables (Table 4.5),  moving the production to automation does not require requalification of the WPS

Edit:
Also,   If you are subject to 3rd party auditing you may wish to "revise" your WPS or write a separate one for your new robot operation if a part of it's current formatting states that the welding is semi-automatic.   Some auditors may have heartburn if the wrong little box is checked.  Even if that little box is not an essential variable.
Parent - By welderkevin Date 12-13-2016 15:49
Thank you
- - By 803056 (*****) Date 12-13-2016 17:55
What welding standard are you working too?

Al
Parent - By welderkevin Date 12-15-2016 11:34
I work mainly with D14.3 but also work with D1.1 and D1.3.
- - By David Ornelas Date 05-16-2019 22:16
Hi, I am working on a WPS, and I am confused in regards Base Metals (QW-403) Thickness Range. It is not clear to me how to determine the range for what I need. Can someone help?
Parent - By 803056 (*****) Date 05-17-2019 13:11 Edited 05-17-2019 13:22
I'm confused as well. Exactly what is it you are struggling with.

For starters T = the thickness of the test coupon and the total thickness qualified for production.

t = the thickness of the weld deposited with particular welding process. This comes into play if electrodes having different f numbers are used or if multiple welding processes are used. Thus, if the root is deposited with GTAW, one must record the thickness of the weld deposited. If the remainder of the groove is deposited with FCAW, a second process, the thickness deposited must be recorded separately from the root.

The final thickness qualified is separate for the GTAW and FCAW (t1 and t2). The thickness used for production welds is typically the sum of both the ranges qualified for t1 and t2. However, if the processes are used separately (not in combination) the thickness T qualified is that qualified for t1 or t2.

Take a look at the graphic I have attached. It shows a test assembly welded with two different SMAW filler metals (w/ different F numbers) and a second process (could be GTAW, FCAW, GMAW, etc.). It may clarify the ranges for which the WPS can be qualified. In this case, each filler metal or each process can be used individually thereby reducing the total thickness range qualified for production to the deposited thickness range of each F number/process. The thickness range can be increased by combining the processes or the filler metal F numbers to get the full range.

Al
Up Topic Welding Industry / Processes / WPS requalification

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