AEROSPACE WELDING

1 PURPOSE & APPLICATION

1.1 This procedure defines the process for performing Aerospace
Welding.
1.2 This procedure applies to all employees involved in Aerospace
Welding.
1.3 This procedure meets at a minimum AWS D17:2001 Specification
for Fusion Welding for Aerospace Structures.

2 RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1

The Quality Director

2.1.1 Oversees personnel certification and audits the process.
2.2 The Production Manager
2.2.1 Coordinates employee training and certification.
2.3 The Welder
2.3.1 Completes the certification process in the time frame
established by the Production Manager.
2.3.2 Keeps the work area clean and free from objects that are
detrimental to the process.

3 PROCEDURE
3.1

Weld Classifications
3.1.1 Classifications will be Class A, Class B, or Class C.
3.1.2 Classifications refer to the level of inspection required and to
the acceptance criteria in MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.2 Welding Consumables
3.2.1 Consumables used in welding (bare welding wire and welding
rods, electrodes, inserts and fluxes) will be identified with at least the
material, specification procured, and size.
3.2.2 If the identification marking is destroyed or missing, the
consumable will be disposed in accordance with Nonconforming
Material Control MQ-05-05-00-00.
3.2.3 When required traceability of the consumables must be
maintained throughout the welding process.
3.2.4 Welding filler materials shall be stored in a clean and dry
environment, such that each material are segregated by size and
material to prevent contamination of materials.

Aerospace Welding
MQ-04-42-00-00 rev 01

3.2.5 Heating may be employed as necessary to prevent moisture

accumulation.
3.2.6 Low Hydrogen SMAW and FCAW electrodes will be handled
and stored in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations.
3.2.7 Fluxes shall be labeled and segregated by type and /or by
their particular application.
3.2.8 Fluxes will be stored in sealed containers to prevent moisture
pickup.
3.3 Welding Gases
3.3.1 The shielding gases shall be procured to the following
requirements unless otherwise required by the customer.
Gas Requirements
Gas

Specification

Argon
Helium
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Hydrogen
Acetylene
Carbon Dioxide

MIL-A-18455
BB-H-1168
B-O-925, Type I or II
A-A-59503, Type I or II, Class I, Grade B
BB-H-886, Type I or II
BB-A-106, Grade B
BB-C-101, Grade B

3.3.2

Alternate
Specification
CGA G-11.1
CGA G-9.1
CGA G-4.3
CGA G-10.1
CGA G-5.3
CGA G-1.1
CGA G-6.2

Recommended Shielding Gases

Recommended Shielding Gases for Welding

Gas
Material
Ar He Ar-He Ar-O(1) Ar-H N CO2
Aluminum
X
X
X
Cobalt
X
X
X
X
Copper
X
X
X
Magnesium
X
X
X
Nickel
X
X
X
(3)
CRES(2)
X
X
X
X
(4)
Plain Carbon Steel X
X
X
X
Low Alloy Steel
X
X
X
X

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Ar-CO2

(4)
(4)

Date Printed
Oct 25, 2010

Titanium

3.6

Note: (1) 8% Oxygen Maximum (2) CRES=Corrosion resisting steel (3) Allowed for backing only
(4) Only recommended on plain carbons steels or low alloy steels with a max .25% nominal C

3.4

Welding Equipment
3.4.1 Equipment (welding machines, welding torches, regulators,
filler material feeders, etc) shall be capable of producing welds that
meet the acceptance criteria of MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.4.2 Gas flow meters and pressure gages are for reference only.
They do not require calibration.
3.4.3 Austenitic stainless steel wire brushes or carbon steel wire
brushes may be used on carbon or low alloy steels.
3.4.4 Only austenitic stainless steel wire brushes may be used on
all other materials.
3.4.5 All wire brushes, once used, will be permanently marked a
minimum of all the way around the bottom of the handle in the
following colors for each material.

Wire brush marking colors

Material
Aluminum and its Alloys
Cobalt and its Alloys
Copper and its Alloys
Magnesium and its Alloys
Nickel and its Alloys
CRES Alloys(1)
Carbon and low Alloy Steels
Titanium and its Alloys

Color
Green
Orange
Blue
Purple
Yellow
Red
Black
White

Note: (1) CRES = Corrosion resisting steel

3.5

Preweld cleaning and other preparation

3.5.1 All surfaces to be welded and surfaces that may affect quality
of the resulting weld (ex. Welding filler materials and fixtures) shall
be free from slag, surface oxides, scale, protective finishes, oils,
grease, dirt, or other contaminants.
3.5.2 Chemical methods (ex. Alkaline cleaning, solvent wipe, or
etching) or Mechanical methods (ex. Wire brushing, scraping,
abrasive blasting, or machining) shall be used before welding, as
needed.
3.5.3 Previously cleaned surfaces shall be protected from
contamination. If contamination is suspected, the surface shall be
cleaned again per Paragraph 3.5.2.

Aerospace Welding
MQ-04-42-00-00 rev 01

Preweld joint preparation and fit-up

3.6.1 The edge of each joint member shall be prepared as
specified on the Engineering drawing.
3.6.2 The gap between joint members being welded and between
backing strips (when used) and joint members being welded shall be
in accordance with the Engineering drawing.
3.6.3 Flange joint fit-up shall be in accordance with the Engineering
drawing.
3.7 Preheating and Interpass temperature shall be established for
materials susceptible to cracking during or after welding and be included
in the Production router.
3.8 Filler material for tack welds shall be the same as that used for
subsequent welding unless otherwise specified on the engineering
drawing.
3.8.1 Tack welds shall be consumed during subsequent welding
unless removed in other processing.
3.8.2 The requirements of section 3.6 and 3.7 should be
considered during tack welding operations.
3.9 Weld start and run-off tabs, when used, shall be composed of the
same alloy as the joint members. They shall be welded with the same
filler materials as specified on the Engineering drawing.
3.10 The weld and the heat-affected zones (incl deposited weld metal
behind the weld pool in reactive materials, such as titanium) shall be
protected from oxidation during welding. The shielding method and the
shielding gas shall be included in the Production router.
3.11 Tungsten electrodes, when required shall be in accordance with
AWS A5.12.
3.12 Filler materials used shall be the ones specified on the Engineering
drawing and listed on the Production router.
3.13 Interpass cleaning shall be performed in accordance with
paragraph 3.5.
3.13.1 Interpass cleaning of titanium or titanium alloy parts shall only
be performed following a visual inspection and acceptance of the
surface discoloration requirements of AWS D17 Section 6.
3.14 Welding
3.14.1 The welding arc shall not be struck on any portion of the base
metal away from the surfaces to be joined. When indication of an
arc strike or an arc burn is present in an area other than the
deposited weld metal, the weldment shall be rejected as required in
AWS D17 Section 6.
3.14.2 In process correction

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Date Printed
Oct 25, 2010

3.14.2.1 Any correction made by the welder before submitting

the weld for acceptance inspection is and in-process correction.
3.14.2.2 The correction shall not change the metallurgical or
physical condition of the base metal.
3.14.2.3 The correction shall occur before any heat treating
operations. (Note: for the purpose of this requirement a thermal
stress relief operation is not considered to be a heat treat
operation.)
3.14.2.4 Before initiating an in-process correction the surfaces
to be welded shall be cleaned in accordance with paragraph 3.5.
3.14.2.5 One in-process correction attempt is allowed in each
individual flaw location. When the in-process correction requires
more than one attempt at the same flaw location the Production
router must me changed to accommodate and document this
correction.
3.14.3 Weld reinforcement removal shall be accomplished using
methods that do not reduce the thickness of the base metal and
may only be removed for one or more of the following reasons.
3.14.3.1 When specified on the Engineering drawing.
3.14.3.2 When necessary to aid in the interpretation of nondestructive inspection indications. Remaining reinforcement
must be visually evident above the surface plane of the adjacent
joint member and extend throughout the weld bead width. The
weld toe area shall comply with the requirements of MQ-04-4202-00. When fit or function of the final assembly dictate material
removal. Remaining reinforcement must be visually evident
above the surface plane of the adjacent joint member and extend
throughout the weld bead width. The weld toe area shall comply
with the requirements of MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.15 The completed weldment shall be free of spatter, flux, scale, slag,
or other foreign material. Removal of such material shall not reduce the
weld bead size or base metal thickness below the Engineering drawing
requirements.
3.15.1 Postweld cleaning of welded titanium parts shall only be
performed after completion of a visual inspection and acceptance of
the surface discoloration in accordance with MQ-04-42-02-00.
3.16 Welder certification will be in accordance with MQ-04-42-01-00.

Aerospace Welding
MQ-04-42-00-00 rev 01

4 REVISION HISTORY Authored by Travis Mcilnay, approved 4

December 2006.
4.1 Added reference to Inspection Instruction MQ-04-42-02-00.
Authored by Travis Mcilnay, approved 9 December 2006.

Approvals

Document Custodian

9 Dec 2006
Date

Quality Director

9 Dec 2006
Date

President or Vice President

9-Dec 2006
Date

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Date Printed
Oct 25, 2010