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CWE: Part B - Practical: WPS/PQR Application, Inspection Tools, and Executing Required Welds

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Part B - Practical: WPS/PQR Application, Inspection Tools, and Executing Required Welds

Part B tests whether you can turn a qualified procedure into a conforming weld: verify the WPS/PQR relationship, select and use inspection tools correctly, and execute fit-up, preheat, passes, and finishing without violating essential variables.

Core rules and concepts

  • WPS versus PQR: the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) documents the qualification test; the Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) is the production instruction derived from it. The WPS must be available at the workstation and under revision control.
  • Essential variables: process, base-metal thickness/group, filler classification, position, preheat/interpass, heat input, current type/polarity, and joint design. A change outside the qualified range requires requalification or a new WPS.
  • Prequalified WPS: AWS D1.1 prequalified joints still require a proper WPS, variables within limits, and workmanship compliance. Prequalification is not a free pass.
  • Inspection tools: fillet gauge, undercut gauge, hi-lo gauge, V-WAC, bridge cam, magnifier, calipers, and thermometer. Verify the tool is zeroed or correctly scaled, and use the dimension the code actually limits.
  • Execution: fit and tack per the WPS; clean the joint; apply preheat; maintain interpass temperature; sequence passes to control distortion; store low-hydrogen electrodes such as E7018 per manufacturer’s requirements; remove slag between passes; document repairs.

Worked example

The WPS calls for E7018, 5/32 in, DCEP, 220–260 A, a 1/4 in fillet, and minimum preheat 200°F. A candidate sets 180 A because it “sounds smoother,” and the base metal is measured at 150°F. Both conditions are nonconforming: current is below the WPS range and preheat is below the minimum. Stop, heat the joint to at least 200°F, verify with a calibrated thermometer, set the machine within 220–260 A, and confirm DCEP polarity. If the base-metal thickness or joint detail moves outside the PQR-qualified range, do not proceed on this WPS; a new qualification is required.

Traps

Do not use the PQR as a working procedure. Do not ignore the WPS revision or a superseded page. Do not assume a prequalified WPS covers every thickness and position. Do not measure a fillet with a ruler when a fillet gauge is specified. Do not skip the interpass maximum after a long run. Do not take E7018 from an open, unheated box without checking storage and re-drying requirements.