VISUAL INSPECTION

Visual inspection is probably the most widely used of all inspection methods. It is quick and does not
require expensive equipment. A good magnifying glass (10X or less) is recommended. A great deal
can be learned from the surface condition of a weld, and a careful evaluation of the appearance can
determine the suitability for a given job. The service conditions to which a weldment may be subject
must also be considered.

Visual inspection of the weldment is required before more expensive NDE methods are applied. This
method of inspection should be employed by the welder the welding inspector, and supervisor from
the beginning to the end of the welding job.

PRINCIPAL DEFECT

Every welder should be familiar with the principal defect that contribute to the failure of welded
joint. This will aid the welder in the effort to produce work of the highest quality. It takes little
additional time to inspect a weld, and it often prevents embarrassment when the work is finally
inspected by the shop foreman or inspector. When taking important tests, the knowledge of these
defects and an awareness of the disastrous results that usually follow when defects are present will
increase the chances of the welder to meet the required specifications.

The material to be welded should be inspected carefully for surface defects and the presence of
contaminating materials. The faces and edges of the material should be free of laminations, blisters,
nicks, and seams. Heavy scale, oxide films, grease, paint, and oil should be removed. Pieces of
material that are warped or bent should be corrected or rejected. The material should be checked
for size, edge preparation, and angle of bevel. Make sure that the material is a type suitable for
welding. In setting up or assembling the job, all parts should fit and be in alignment. It is important
to understand the purpose of the design, the use of the weldment, and the welding procedure to be
followed.

The following defects are commonly found in welded steel joints:

 Incomplete penetration
 Incomplete fusion
 Undercutting
 Inclusion
 Porosity
 Cracking
 Brittle welds
 Dimensional defects
INCOMPLETE PENETRATION

This term is used to describe the failure of the filler and base metal
to fuse together at the root of the joint, (Picture 1). The root face
sections of a welding groove may fail to reach the melting
temperature for their entire depth, or the weld metal may not reach
the root of the fillet joint, leaving a void caused by the bridging of the
weld metal from one plate to the other.

Bridging occurs in groove welds when the deposited metal and base
metal are not fused at the root of the joint because the root face has
not reached fusion temperature along its entire depth. Although in a
few cases incomplete penetration may be due to unclean surfaces,
the heat transfer conditions at the root of the joint are a more
frequent cause. If the metal being joined first reaches the melting
point at the surfaces above the root of the joint, molten metal may Picture 1 - Incomplete
bridge the gap between these surfaces and screen off the heat penetration and incomplete
source before the metal at the root melts. fusion thought the backside of a
In arc welding, the arc establishes itself between the electrode and bevel butt joint. This will cause
the closest part of the base metal. All other areas of the base metal failure when the joint is
receive heat mainly by conduction. If the portion of the base metal subjected to load.
closest to the electrode is far from the root of the joint, the
conduction of heat may be insufficient to raise the temperature of the metal at the root to the
melting point.

Incomplete penetration will cause weld failure if the weld is subjected to tension or bending stresses
such as those produced in tensile and bend testing. Even though the service stresses in the
completed structure may not require tension or bending at the point of incomplete penetration,
distortion and shrinkage stresses in the parts during welding frequently cause a crack at the unfused
section. Such cracks may grow as successive beads are deposited until they extend through the
entire thickness of the weld.

The most frequent cause of incomplete penetration is a joint design that is not suitable for the
welding process or the conditions of construction. When the groove is welded from one side only,
incomplete penetration is likely to result under the following conditions:

 The root face dimension is too big even though the root opening is
adequate, (Picture 2). For example, the proper root-face dimension
for V-groove joints in 3/4-inch plate is about 1/16 to 3/32 inch. Root-
face dimensions of 3/16 or 1/4 inch are too big and keep the root
surfaces from melting, thus preventing fusion and penetration from
taking place.
 The root opening is too small, (Picture3). For example, the opening at
Picture 2 – Root
the root of a V-groove joint in 3/8-inch plate should not be less than face dimension
3/32 to 1/8 inch. A root opening of 1/16 inch or less would make it
difficult to melt through to the other side, causing incomplete
penetration.
 The included angle of a V-groove is too small, (Picture 4). For example, the groove angle of
V-groove joints in 3/8 inch plate should be about 60°. An angle of 40° does not allow for
 enough freedom of movement for the electrode to be manipulated at the root of the joint,
causing the root face to be burned away. Fusion also take place on the surfaces of the
groove faces bridging the root gap as shown in Picture 5.

Even if the joint design is adequate, incomplete fusion will result from the following errors in
technique:

 A The electrode is too large. For example, running the root pass in a V-groove joint in
3/8-inch plate in the overhead position should be done with a 1/8 or 5/32 inch
electrode; a 3/16 or 1/4-inch electrode is too large.
 A The rate of travel is too high. Traveling too fast causes the metal to be deposited only
on the surface above the root.
 The welding current is too low. If there is not enough current or if the current setting is
incorrect, the weld metal cannot be forced from the electrode to the root of the joint
and the arc is not strong enough to melt the metal at the root.

INCOMPLETE FUSION

Many welders confuse incomplete fusion with lack of penetration. Incomplete fusion is the
failure of welding process to fuse together layers of weld metal or weld metal and base metal.
(See figs.28-100 through 28-102) in fig. 28-100, note that the weld metal just rolls over the plate
surfaces. This is generally referred to as overlap. Failure to obtain fusion may occur at any point
in the welding groove. Overlap at the toe of the weld, Fig. 28,93, is a form of incomplete fusion.
Very often the weld has good fusion at the root of the joint and the plate surface but because Of
poor welding technique and heat conduction, the toe of the weld does not

fuse.

incomplete fusion is caused by the following conditions:

Failure to raise the temperature of the base metal or the previously deposited weld metal to the
melting point. Reasons for this failure include (1) an electrode that is too small, (2) a rate of
travel that is too fast, (3) an arc length that is too close, and (4) welding current that is too low.

Improper fluxing, which fails to dissolve the oxide and other foreign material from the surfaces
to which the deposited metal must fuse. Incomplete fusion is not common with the SMAW
process unless the surfaces being welded are covered with a material that prevents the molten
weld metal from fusing to them.

With the GMAW-S and GMAW-P modes of metal transfer, the arc must be played out to the toes
of the weld to prevent incomplete fusion or overlap. The molten weld pool will not ensure
complete fusion. The heat directly under the arc is required.
Incomplete fusion is avoided by

-Making sure that the surfaces to be welded are free of foreign material

-Selecting the proper type and size of electrodes -Selecting the correct current adjustment wire-
feed speed, and voltage

-Using good welding technique

The welder does not have to melt away large portions of the side walls of the groove in order to
be sure of obtaining fusion. It is only necessary to bring the surface of the base metal to the
melting temperature to obtain fusion between the base metal and the weld metal.