Welding Specification
Welding Specification
APPROVED: KA
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Table of Contents
1.0 SCOPE 4
2.0 DEFINITIONS 4
4.0 REGULATIONS 5
4.1 Codes 5
4.2 Standards 6
4.3 Reference ABB Specifications 6
5.0 FABRICATION 6
5.1 Welding Processes and Restrictions 6
5.2 Filler Metals and Flux 8
5.3 General Welding Requirements 12
5.4 Dissimilar Metal Welds 14
5.5 Clad Plate and Overlay Welding 15
5.6 Preheat And Interpass Temperature 16
5.7 Post Weld Heat Treatment 18
5.8 Repair 19
6.0 INSPECTION 21
6.1 Weld Quality and Weld Inspection 21
6.2 General Nondestructive Examination (NDE) 22
6.3 Visual Examination 23
6.4 Magnetic Particle Examination (MT) 23
6.5 Liquid Penetrant Examination (PT) 23
6.6 Radiographic Testing (RT) 23
6.7 Ultrasonic Examination (UT) 24
6.8 NDE of Weld Overlay and Clad Restoration 24
6.9 Hardness Testing 24
6.10 CVN Impact Testing 26
1.0 SCOPE
This specification establishes the minimum requirements for welding, post weld heat treatment, and NDE
of pressure containing equipment including, but not limited to, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, coolers,
towers, columns, tanks (including API tanks), steam generators, fired heater coils, fabricated casings for
pumps, compressors, turbines, and the attachments to the above equipment. The requirements for the
welding, heat treatment, and NDE of ASME B31.1 and B31.3 piping are contained in ABB SW-231. The
requirements for non-pressure containing equipment, repairs to non-pressure castings, and structural
steelwork are outside the scope of this specification.
2.0 DEFINITIONS
Purchaser The Purchaser is defined as PEMEX REFINACION.
Supplier The Supplier is defined as the party with whom the purchase order/subcontract is placed,
as shown on the face of the Purchase Order/subcontract. The Supplier shall ensure that
any and all of their Subcontractors comply with the Purchase Order or subcontract
requirements in full. (Supplier is synonymous with Vendor, Seller)
Owner The Owner is defined as the ultimate user of the equipment. (Owner is synonymous with
Client)
Manufacturer The manufacturer of welding consumable materials.
WPS Welding Procedure Specification.
PQR Procedure Qualification Record.
HAZ Heat Affected Zone.
PWHT Post Weld Heat Treatment
DMW Dissimilar Metal Weld.
NDE Non Destructive Examination (NDE is synonymous with NDT and NDI)
T Base Metal Thickness
t Weld Metal Thickness, less reinforcement
4.0 REGULATIONS
The following documents, including applicable Addenda, constitute a part of this Specification as
described herein. The referenced edition of these documents shall be that which is in effect at the issue
date of this Specification unless otherwise specified in Purchase Order documents.
4.1 Codes
Supplier shall comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local Codes including :
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
E-10 Standard Test Method for Brinell Hardness Test of Metallic Materials
E-23 Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic
Materials
ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
Section II Materials Specification, Part C
Section V Nondestructive Examination
Section VIII Pressure Vessels, Division 1
Pressure Vessels, Division 2
Section IX Welding and Brazing Qualifications
ASNT American Society for Nondestructive Testing
SNT-TC-1A Recommended Practice
Method Code
Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) ASME V, Article 7 and
ASME VIII, Appendix 6
Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT) ASME V, Article 6 and
ASME VIII, Appendix 8
Radiographic Testing (RT)
Complete RT ASME V, Article 2 and
ASME VIII, UW 51
4.2 Standards
Supplier shall comply with the following Standards, when applicable :
API 620 Design and Construction of Large, Welded, Low Pressure Storage Tanks,
API 650 Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage.
5.0 FABRICATION
• Root pass welds made using cellulosic electrodes shall have the hot pass performed
without delay after the root pass weld is completed and cleaned.
• The maximum bead width shall be the smaller of three times the electrode core
diameter or 5/8 in. (16 mm).
5.1.2 Gas Tungsten-Arc Welding (GTAW)
• The maximum bead width shall be 3/8 in. (10 mm).
• The GTAW power source shall be operated using a high frequency arc-starting circuit.
• Autogenous welding (without filler metal) is prohibited.
5.1.3 Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
• Flux used shall be "neutral" and shall not contribute alloying elements to the weld.
• The maximum bead width shall be seven times the electrode diameter.
• For all base materials, except carbon steel, when CVN impact testing is required, the
production welding consumables shall be essential variables for the WPS. In this
case, production SAW consumables are restricted to the same Manufacturer and
Brand as were used for the supporting PQR with supporting CVN data.
• Material for run-on and run-off pads shall be known (or chemically verified) and shall
be the same P-Number as the base metal to be welded.
• Use of SAW flux manufactured from crushed SAW slag (“re-crushed”) is prohibited.
• Production single pass butt welds for pressure boundary joints shall be CVN tested at
MDMT or shall be given a grain refining (austenitization) heat treatment.
5.1.4 Gas-Shielded Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW)
The gas-shielded FCAW may be used for P-1 through P-8 Group 1 materials, subject to
following conditions :
• Welds for pressure containing equipment shall be 100% radiographed or 100%
ultrasonically examined. Welds for API storage tanks are exempt from this
requirement.
• Only electrodes identified by the Manufacturer as multi-pass shall be used.
• The maximum bead width shall be 3/4 in. (19 mm). For weave beads, the range of
transverse motion for the electrode shall be maximum 5x the electrode diameter.
• A shielding gas is employed, and the transfer mode is not short-circuiting.
• The FCAW process shall not be used for the root pass of single side welded joints.
• Production welding positions shall be in strict accordance with the FCAW
classification designation per ASME Sect. II, Part C.
• For all base materials except carbon steel, weld overlay, and weld back cladding, the
production FCA welding consumables are restricted to the same Manufacturer and
Brand as were used for the supporting PQR when CVN impact testing is required.
5.1.5 Gas Metal Arc Welding GMAW (spray, pulse spray transfer modes)
The GMAW process with pulse-spray or spray transfer may be used for P-1 through P-8
Group 1 materials, subject to the following conditions :
• Welds for pressure containing equipment shall be 100% radiographed or 100%
ultrasonically examined. Welds for API storage tanks are exempt from this
requirement.
• The maximum bead width shall be 3/4 in. (19 mm).
5.1.5.1 Pulsed GMAW
• The computer controlled pulsed GMAW process shall use machine settings
for all applied electrical parameters and travel speed that are essentially the
same as those used for PQR. The welding power source and computer control
module shall be considered essential variables for the WPS and shall be the
same as used for PQR.
5.1.6 GMAW – (short circuit or globular transfer mode)
GMAW-S, short circuit transfer, and GMAW-G with globular transfer may be used for
P-1, Group 1, and P-8, Group 1 materials under the following conditions :
• For the root pass of single-sided joint in any thickness, provided the complete weld is
100% radiographed or 100% ultrasonically examined.
• For the root pass of double-sided joint in any thickness, provided the root pass is
100% back-gouged to remove all root weld metal.
• For the fill passes provided the base material thickness of any member does not
exceed 3/8 in. (9.5 mm).
5.1.7 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Plasma-arc welding (PAW) may be used for :
• Hard surfacing, overlaying and fully automatic butt-welding.
• For welding Titanium, Zirconium, Hastelloy, Monel, Duplex stainless steel or other
corrosion-resistant alloys.
5.1.8 Welding processes (e.g.: ESW, EGW, etc.) other than those listed above require specific
written approval from the Purchaser. For ESW and EGW, any single pass butt welds of
pressure boundary joints shall be CVN tested at MDMT or shall be given a grain refining
(austenitization) heat treatment.
5.2 Filler Metals and Flux
5.2.1 General
5.2.1.1 Electrode rods, electrode wires, and fluxes shall be kept clean, dry, and properly
stored in strict accordance with the Manufacturer’s recommendation. For coated
electrodes, cored electrodes, and flux, drying temperatures and times shall comply
5.2.5 FCAW
Use of EXX-T3 or EXXT-G wires (SFA 5.20) is prohibited.
FCAW filler metal for welding of pressure containing equipment made with ferritic
materials, other than P-1 materials, shall have a Manufacturer’s certified diffusible
hydrogen limit of H8 (per AWS A5.20).
When CVN or hardness testing is required by Code or Purchaser Specification, for
pressure boundary welds made with gas shielded FCAW, the filler electrode
Manufacturer’s brand name consumable used for qualification shall be an essential
variable for the WPS.
5.2.6 SAW
Flux used shall be "neutral" and shall not contribute alloying elements to the weld.
Use of SAW flux manufactured from crushed SAW slag (“re-crushed”) is prohibited.
When CVN or hardness testing is required by Code or Purchaser Specification, for
pressure boundary welds made with SAW, the flux and filler electrode Manufacturer’s
brand name consumables used for qualification shall be an essential variable for the WPS.
5.2.7 Stainless Steel
Type 308L filler metal shall be used for welding Type 304L stainless steel.
Type 310 filler metal shall be used only for welding Type 310 to Type 310.
Type 347 filler metal shall be used for welding Type 321 stainless steel.
5.2.7.1 Ferrite Control
Austenitic (300 series) stainless steel welding consumables (except type 310),
including overlay welding and DMW consumables, shall be purchased with
controlled ferrite. Delta ferrite content of weld metal is restricted to minimize
problems of hot cracking during welding and/or sigma phase precipitation during
service. Per the Purchase Order, and as needed to evaluate ferrite content,
Supplier shall submit stainless steel filler metal manufacturer’s CMTR with each
associated PQR for each filler metal heat/lot to be used in production.
The Ferrite content shall be calculated using the diagrams from ASME Sect. II,
Part C, SFA 5.9. Calculation based on the WRC Diagram shall have ferrite
number (FN) in the range of 3-to-11 inclusive, and calculation based on the
DeLong diagram shall have ferrite percent in the range of 2%-to-10% inclusive.
The actual nitrogen content, or an assumed nitrogen content shall be included in
the calculations. Assumed nitrogen contents shall be 0.12% for FCAW filler
metals, 0.08% for GMAW filler metals, and 0.06% for all other filler metals.
With Purchaser approval, these requirements may be relaxed as needed to comply
with impact toughness requirements for very low temperature service applications.
Ferrite content based on magnetic measurement instruments provided the
instruments are calibrated in accordance with AWS A4.2 and provided a ferrite
measurement procedure is provided for review in advance.
* Filler metal acceptable for the higher temperature application may be substituted for
filler metal designated for the lower temperature application
5.2.9 Weld Overlay and Clad Restoration
For weld overlay and clad restoration of welded seams in clad material, filler metals
selected from the following table shall be used, unless other filler metals are specified on
the Purchaser’s equipment data sheet or vessel engineering drawing. The deposited weld
metal composition for alloy elements indicated in the following table shall be verified
using a proven quantitative analytical technique to be approved by the Purchaser.
Alloy Elements
Clad Materials Weld Filler Metals*
To Be Analyzed **
13 Percent-Cr (Type 410S or 405)
Design temperature below Type 309L None
600oF (316oC)
Alloy Elements
Clad Materials Weld Filler Metals*
To Be Analyzed **
• All arc strikes, starts, and stops shall be confined to the welding groove. Arc strikes,
starts, and stops outside the groove shall be dressed by grinding and shall be examined
by magnetic particle or dye penetrant techniques.
• Maximum undercut of the base metal of equipment welds shall be the lesser of the
requirements of 0.0394 in. (1 mm) or t/4 (t is the nominal weld thickness less
reinforcement).
Each SMAW welder shall be equipped with a heated electrode holder. The electrode
holder shall be calibrated at intervals not exceeding six months.
5.3.6 Tack welds shall be made with a filler metal having a similar nominal chemistry to the
filler metal used for root pass welding.
5.3.7 Vertical welds not completely removed by back-gouging shall be performed vertically up
unless specifically approved by the Purchaser in writing.
5.3.8 Weld joints shall be prepared by machining, grinding, or thermal cutting including
plasma-arc cutting.
5.3.9 Double-welded groove joints shall have their root passes back-gouged to sound metal on
the reverse side before proceeding with welding on that side.
5.3.10 Permanent weld backing bars, consumable inserts and non-consumable insert rings are
prohibited for welding of pressure components except for aluminum materials.
5.3.11 Temporary backing bars and temporary rings shall match the chemical composition of the
base metal being welded. After welding is complete, these shall be removed to flush with
the base metal without undercutting.
5.3.12 There are special conditions for [flame or arc] thermal cut weld bevel preparation for
quenched and tempered steels, HSLA steels, steels containing greater than 0.5% by weight
chromium, SA-517 and SA-537 when provided as quenched and tempered, and SA-737
steels: These materials shall not be formed after thermal cutting of bevels unless the
thermal cut surfaces are machined or ground back a minimum of 1/16 inch (1.5 mm). In
any case, thermal cut bevel surfaces shall be ground to smooth, and any stress raisers from
gouging of the bevel surface during the thermal cutting operation shall be removed
immediately after the cutting operation is completed. Thermal cut and machined bevels
shall be 100% finish ground to clean white metal to remove all cutting oil and scale
residues.
5.3.13 Peening and shot peening are prohibited. The use of a needle gun for scale/slag removal is
not considered peening.
5.3.14 Welding Aluminum
• Electrode configuration shall be shown in the WPS and shall be considered an
essential welding variable.
• For all processes, the WPS shall contain a detailed cleaning procedure indicating joint
preparation prior to welding. All full-penetration joints shall be back purged with
argon or helium.
5.4.3 WPS shall indicate that prepared joint surfaces of DMW joints welded with austenitic
stainless steel or nickel alloys shall be chemically cleaned with a non-residue light
chemical solvent immediately prior to welding.
5.4.4 For all weld processes, the WPS shall contain a detailed cleaning procedure indicating
joint preparation prior to welding.
5.4.5 All full-penetration joints shall be back purged with argon or helium.
5.5 Clad Plate and Overlay Welding
5.5.1 Filler metals shall be selected per 5.2.9 of this Specification.
5.5.2 Weld overlay and clad restoration shall consist of at least two layers. For austenitic
stainless steel overlay, type 309L (or 309LMo) filler metal shall be used for the first layer,
and matching electrodes shall be used for subsequent layer(s). The backing plate/joint of
restoration welds shall be welded with matching electrodes, and the weld groove in the
backing material on the clad side shall be filled to not less than flush with the backing
plate surface with a maximum reinforcement of 1/16 in. (1.6 mm). The deposited ferritic
weld metal shall not contact any clad material.
5.5.3 Certain welding procedures may be capable of attaining the required thickness and
chemical composition using a one layer technique. In this case, complete deposit
chemistry testing and metallographic documentation shall be required for qualification,
and prior written approval for use of a one-layer technique shall be obtained from the
Purchaser.
5.5.4 PQR for weld overlay deposits shall include complete chemical analysis of the overlay.
Chemical analysis for qualification shall be obtained by laboratory methods. Specimen
material for chemical analysis shall be taken at a depth of the specified overlay thickness
below the finished deposit surface. This depth shall not be less than 5/64 in. (2.0 mm)
using the prepared surface or side drilling techniques as illustrated in QW-462.5(a).
5.5.5 Chemical verification for production weld overlay and clad restoration of welded seams in
clad material is required. The deposited weld metal chemical composition shall be
measured at a depth of the cladding thickness from the finished deposit surface not less
than 5/64 in. (2.0 mm). Weld metal composition shall be verified using a proven
quantitative analytical technique approved by the Purchaser. If necessary, a repair
procedure shall be submitted to the Purchaser for review and approval.
5.5.6 The frequency of chemical analysis for production clad restoration welds shall be one
analysis for each procedure used and one analysis representative of each seam welded in
production. If any weld sample is deficient, all welds shall be verified. If repair becomes
necessary, a repair plan including WPS & PQR shall be submitted to the Purchaser for
review and approval.
5.5.7 The frequency of chemical analysis for production overlay welds shall be one sample
taken at the beginning of each overlay sequence (for each can section, head, exchanger
section, nozzle) and at least two samples taken during the later part of the overlay
sequence, and these sample locations should be selected by the Purchaser’s Inspector.
5.6.4 The minimum preheat and maximum preheat and interpass temperatures for base metals
shall be per the following table :
Minimum Preheat Maximum Preheat
Base Metal Group (1) Temperature and Interpass
[ F / (C) ] Temperature
[ F / (C) ]
5.7.9 On all equipment subject to PWHT, the item shall be prominently marked with paint on
two sides with white paint in block letters as follows : “PWHT - DO NOT WELD,
HAMMER, OR DEFORM”. The paint used shall not be harmful or detrimental to the
base metal and shall be compatible with both the primer and the finish paint.
5.8 Repair
5.8.1 Major defects in weldments, base materials, casting, and the like, shall not be repaired
until the Purchaser approves a general repair plan. The written plan shall include a
dimensioned detail sketch of defect location and extent, type of defect, how defects will
be removed, how removal will be verified, joint cleaning, the qualified welding procedure
to be used, conditions for subsequent heat treatment, and nondestructive examination
practice.
5.8.2 Repair of minor surface and minor welds defects by chipping, grinding and gouging shall
be permitted provided the thickness is not reduced below required minimum thickness.
Prepared surfaces from removal of defects and removal of attachments shall be verified by
magnetic particle or liquid penetrant examination.
5.8.3 Removal of defects by gouging shall always be followed by grinding to absolutely clean
metal, and grinding shall remove any stress raisers from gouging to a smooth contour.
5.8.4 Magnetic particle or liquid penetrant NDE examination shall be used to verify removal of
defects.
5.8.5 Supplier shall indicate which submitted welding procedures may be used as repair
procedures.
5.8.6 Repair welding shall be performed only by qualified welders using qualified welding
procedures.
5.8.7 Repair Welding after PWHT
Any plan for repair welding after PWHT shall require Purchaser approval in writing.
The plan for weld repair after PWHT without subsequent heat treatment or stress relief
after repair welding shall include the following requirements : [ ref BPVC UCS-56(f) ]
6.0 INSPECTION
6.2.11 Any welder or welding operator having a weld rejection rate exceeding 3% of their
deposited weld length shall be disqualified or shall be subjected to 100% non destructive
examination until the rejection rate reaches a level previously agreed upon between
Supplier and Purchaser's Inspector.
6.2.12 Supplier shall include all production NDE results in the final equipment data package.
6.3 Visual Examination
The Supplier shall visually inspect 100% of weld length after completion. Each weld shall be
uniform in width and size throughout its full length. The cover pass (final weld layer) shall be free of
undercut, course ripples, grooves, overlaps, abrupt ridges, slag, weld spatter and valleys.
The Supplier's inspection personnel responsible for performing visual inspections shall be adequately
trained in both welding and inspection and their visual acuity qualification shall be documented.
• Use of penetrameters other than those specified in the ASME Code, Section VIII (such as
DIN/IIW wires) is permissible. However, the thickness sensitivity and hole sensitivity shall be
equivalent to those required by the ASME Code, and prior written approval shall be obtained
from the Purchaser.
• Single-film viewing shall be used. The film density shall be 1.8-to-4.0 for an X-ray source
and 2.0-to-4.0 for a gamma-ray source. In those instances where the variable thickness makes
a single film impractical, double-film viewing may be used with Purchaser concurrence. For
the double-film technique, the film density shall be in the range of 2.6-to-4.0 for the double-
film combination, with a minimum density of 1.3 for each film.
• Radiography of welds in NPS 2-1/2 or smaller may be performed by the elliptical projection
technique. At least two separate exposures are required at locations 90 degrees apart.
6.9.3.2 Unless indicated otherwise, hardness acceptance shall be per the following table :
Alloy Steel Maximum Hardness for
Acceptance
HB HV HRB
7.4.4 For the case that materials not listed in ASME Sect. IX QW-422 are used in production,
welding qualification shall be performed using the same Manufacturer’s material/product
Specification, grade or class, to be welded in production. PQR using unlisted base
material shall support only WPS using material of the same material/product specification.
7.4.5 When hardness testing is required for production welds, the PQR shall include hardness
test results. Hardness data may be provided in HB, HV, or RHB units or standard
conversions of these per ASTM E-140. The hardness acceptance shall be the same as for
production welds. The hardness test results shall include the weld metal and HAZ
hardness for each P-Number, Group Number, material included in the joint. A minimum
of three readings each in the weld metal and respective heat affected zone shall be
reported.
7.4.6 CVN impact toughness test data is required for PQR when :
• Impact toughness testing is required for production.
• When otherwise required by the applicable Code.
• When required by Purchaser or Owner Specification.
7.4.7 When impact testing is required by the applicable Code, the welding procedure
qualification shall include CVN impact testing of the weld metal and heat affected zone
(as applicable) at the minimum design metal temperature (MDMT) or lower. The impact
test results shall be recorded in the PQR or in an addendum to the PQR.
7.4.8 Note Purchase Order requirements for submission of stainless steel filler metal
manufacturer’s CMTR(s) with each associated PQR, for each filler metal heat/lot to be
used in production. This is needed to evaluate the filler metal ferrite number/percent.
7.4.9 Performance qualification for all welders and welding operators shall be available to the
Purchaser’s Inspector for review.
7.5 Repair Welding Plan
Normally, repair welding documentation only needs to be submitted in the event of major repairs, as
defined per Code, Specification, and/or at the Inspector’s option.
When major repairs are required, the Supplier shall submit a fabrication repair welding plan for
repair of defects in equipment and piping components. As a minimum, the repair plan shall detail the
repair related documentation, defect description, how defects will be removed, how removal will be
verified, joint cleaning, the qualified WPS to be used, the conditions for subsequent heat treatment,
and applied NDE practice.