Post-weld Operations, Finishing and Documentation
This domain covers what happens from the last arc to hand-over: cleaning, finishing, marking and the records that prove the weld met specification.
Cleaning and finishing
Chip and brush slag as soon as the weld cools enough - FCAW slag is thin, glassy and sometimes self-peeling, so missed patches show up later as false indications or coating defects. Remove spatter from parent metal. Grind only where the drawing requires it: flush caps, blended toes, or repair excavation. Do not grind below the required throat or section; keep the heat low and avoid gouging the parent metal.
Post-weld treatments
Post-weld heat treatment where the WPS calls for it, with recorded chart. Straightening by controlled heat or press, never by hammering a weld. Re-instatement of coating on ground areas. Marking and weld identification.
Documentation
A weld package normally contains: WPS and PQR, welder qualification records and their range of validity, consumable certificates, heat or lot numbers, preheat and interpass records, NDT reports, dimensional reports, weld maps linking each joint to the welder identification, nonconformance and repair records, and the final release or as-built drawing.
Worked example
A contractor grinds the cap of a complete-joint-penetration column splice flush and paints it the same day. Question: what has gone wrong? Answer: the CJP weld requires volumetric NDT before finishing, and grinding plus painting removes both the visual evidence and traceability. The correct sequence is weld, clean, visual, UT or RT, record the result against the weld map and welder ID, then grind and coat.
Traps that cost marks
Grinding below the required throat. Painting over uninspected welds. Missing welder identification stamps. A WPQ on file that does not cover the position or thickness being welded. No chart for the post-weld heat treatment.