From handrails to overhead piping, it is fascinating how many welded products loaded with weld faults are in service all around us every day. Often, weld faults that I would consider unacceptable in my line of work are completely acceptable in others. As the saying goes, there are “no perfect welds”, that is, weld faults are inevitable in welded products.How many are too many? Why are some weld faults permitted in some cases and not in others? For weld faults that can be measured, why is the acceptance criteria different from one standard to another? Who is right and who is wrong? When is a weld good enough? This presentation is designed to provide an overview of the key difference between a weld defect and weld discontinuity. Using a technical perspective, common weld faults will be examined to draw a connection between the welded product service requirements and the weld fault acceptance criteria applied to the product. The technical approach used in this presentation will also be applicable to marking criteria for welding students in both secondary and post-secondary education.

Presented by Josh Brewster, Academic Chair- Welding Engineering Technology/Non-Destructive Testing, SAIT