BSI welding and allied processes standards cover specifications, procedures, and tests for use by welders, quality controllers, and manufacturers.

Welding is a process that needs specific controls in order to achieve the required quality. The safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of welded products require the welds to be of adequate quality. Failing to control welding correctly can result, in the worst-case scenario, in catastrophic failure, and loss of life, and at the least, delays, related costs and contractual issues, etc.

BSI publishes welding standards, guidelines, and specifications to help companies meet welding requirements. These publications cover a wide range of welding disciplines and areas including welder qualification and procedures, welding equipment, consumables, NDT, and much more.

To explore the full catalog of welding and allied processes standards, download our brochure here.

BS EN ISO 15614

BS EN ISO 15614 Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials. Welding procedure test. Arc and gas welding of steels and arc welding of nickel and nickel alloys.

This welding standard provides preliminary welding procedure tests designed to ensure that a given weld will perform as required. This part covers arc and gas welding of steels and arc welding of nickel and nickel alloys. It defines how the welding procedure test should be conducted and the range of acceptable results.

Why should you use this welding standard?

Because it applies to production welding, repair welding, and build-up welding and specifies how a preliminary welding procedure specification is qualified by welding procedure tests. The main purpose is to demonstrate that the joining process proposed for construction is capable of producing joints having the required mechanical properties for the intended application

BS EN ISO 2553:2019

BS EN ISO 2553:2019 Welding and allied processes - Symbolic representation on drawings - Welded joints defines the rules on symbolically representing welded joints in technical drawings.

This important international standard is widely used throughout the industry to provide clear, unequivocal, and standardized requirements on joint type, geometry, dimensions, and other complementary information. Its use minimizes inaccuracies that can arise if drawings are misinterpreted.

Why should you use this welding standard?

When technical drawings use consistent welding symbols it helps avoid inaccuracies caused by misinterpretation. This is particularly important when drawings form part of contractual documentation. Symbols should provide unequivocal and standardized requirements on joint type, geometry, and dimensions, as well as other complementary information.

This international standard, therefore, defines the rules to be applied to the symbolic representation of welded joints on technical drawings. This can include information about the geometry, manufacture, quality, and testing of the welds.

The principles can also be applied to soldered and brazed joints.

BS EN ISO 17640:2018

BS EN ISO 17640:2018 specifies techniques for the manual ultrasonic testing of fusion-welded joints in metallic materials thicker than or equal to 8mm which exhibits low ultrasonic attenuation.

The standard’s guidelines detail specific testing techniques for metals that show weakened ultrasonic levels at temperatures of up to 60⁰C. It’s mainly designed for full penetration weld joints where both the welded and parent material are ferritic. It specifies ultrasonic values based on steels with an ultrasonic sound velocity of (5 920±50) m/s for longitudinal waves and (3 255±30) m/s for transverse waves.

Why should you use this welding standard?

It specifies four testing levels, each corresponding to a different probability of detection of imperfections. Guidance on the selection of testing levels A, B, and C are given in Annex A.

The requirements of testing level D, which is intended for special applications, are in accordance with general requirements, although test level D can only be used when defined by the specification. This includes tests of metals other than ferritic steel, tests on partial penetration welds, tests with automated equipment, and tests at object temperatures outside the 0⁰C to 60⁰C range.

BS EN ISO 3834 Series

This series comprises four standards:

• BS EN ISO 3834-1:2005 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 1: Criteria for the selection of the appropriate level of quality requirements

• BS EN ISO 3834-2:2021 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 2: Comprehensive quality requirements 

• BS EN ISO 3834-3:2021 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 3: Standard quality requirements

• BS EN ISO 3834-4:2021 Quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials - Part 4: Elementary quality requirements

The way the series works is that manufacturers should select one of either Part 2, Part 3, or Part 4 of BS EN ISO 3834 depending on which is the most appropriate for the level of quality required. Part 2 is the most exacting level, hence “comprehensive quality requirements”; with Part 3 giving “standard” requirements, and Part 4, “elementary quality requirements”. Part 1 of the series deals with selecting the appropriate level of quality requirements.

Why should you use this welding standard series?

It’s important to specify quality requirements for welding processes because the quality of these welds can’t be readily or economically validated in other ways. The use of this series ensures sound, effective and efficient manufacture. Therefore, the standards are used to; specify welding quality requirements in contracts, by manufacturers to establish and maintain weld quality and by third parties to assess welding quality performance.

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Ensure you are working to welding best practices by adding these key welding and allied processes standards to your collection today.