The engineering welding symbols and standard
There are 2 major welding standards recognized in the welding industry. The first one is European Standard (EN 2553 – Welded – Brazed and Soldered Joints – Symbolic Representation on Drawings) and the second is American Standard (AWS A2.4 – Standard Symbols For Welding, Brazing and Nondestructive Examination). Different jobs require different types of welding joints, as in different applications it will need to stand up to different needs and forces. There are basically five types of welding joints to bring the two metal parts together.
Basic Welding Joints Symbol
in American standard (AWS-A2.4-2012), there is a distinction between the terms of weld symbol and welding symbol. The weld symbol indicates the type of weld and, when used, is a part of the welding symbol. In the present system, the joint is the basis of reference. The arrow side is the side of the joint to which the arrow of the symbol points. The other side is the side of the joint opposite the arrow side. Weld symbols shall be as shown in Figure 1. The symbols shall be drawn in contact with the reference line.
The reference numeral for a weld – often simply referred to as a welding symbol – is essential for the dimension of a weld or a welding drawing . The symbol can be used to define all the important properties of the weld in the technical drawing. Like other aspects of drafting, there’s a set of symbols for welding to simplify the communication between designer and the welder. This language may seem a little strange at first, so it’s best to learn it one symbol at a time.
Information on the welding process
To provide detailed information on the welding process, the reference line is extended at its end with a fork. Information that can be entered here are, for example, the welding process, the rating level, the position, etc. The following standards apply:
- Process (abbreviation or number according to ISO 4063)
- Evaluation group (eg according to ISO 5817 and ISO 10042)
- Working position (eg according to ISO 6947)
- Additional materials (eg ISO 544, ISO 2560 and ISO 3581)
The individual details are delimited by slashes. In the welding drawing, company-specific welding instructions can also be specified in a closed fork.
Welding map
The welding map is the equipment drawing that contain the welding seams and information what welding procedure specification (WPS) shall be used for specific welding seam.
Usually the welding procedure specifications (WPS’s) are provided by the manufacturer to the customer for approval. The weld procedures provided to customer alongside vessel or equipment drawings and design calculation.
The customer welding SME (subject matter expert) reviews the welding procedures and comment or approve them.
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Welding procedure specification