Welding qualification coverage

[HotStab]

I would appreciate a help to clarify a basic issue.
I work for a multinational company, with many sites all around the world, manufacturing the same product portfolio. The engineering and manufacture documents are in a global system, which is accessible for anyone inside the company on-line.
Is there any restriction (in ASME code, AWS code or API code) for the usage here of a welding procedure that was qualified in another site in the other side of the globe?
Formally, is any additional test required?
Many thanks.

 

[Mr168]

It does not matter where the procedure was qualified to the governing code, as long as it is that company's procedure and meets all code requirements. If it is the same procedure being used under the same conditions as one of the other sites, then no additional testing should be required other than your welder qualification tests.

Our ASME nuclear procedures come out of our Stoughton, Mass. office and are used in China, Europe, etc.

 

[HgTX]

For D1.5, the qualification test needs to be performed by "the Contractor" (meaning the fabricator and not some third party must do the welding). One interpretation I've heard is regarding multiple plants belonging to the same company is that if they're audited separately by AISC, they need separate WPS qualification.

I couldn't find anything in D1.1 about who needs to do the testing.

Hg


Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[metengr]

Is there any restriction (in ASME code, AWS code or API code) for the usage here of a welding procedure that was qualified in another site in the other side of the globe?
Formally, is any additional test required?

From an ASME Section IX perspective, as long as the company letterhead is on the WPS and the PQR supports the WPS, it can be qualified anywhere and used anywhere by the organization.

 

[Mr168]

I can see D1.5 being the odd man out, but would still be skeptical of that for anything other than subcontract work. With subcontractors, the rules become more restrictive.

Our D1.1 procedures, D1.3, and D9.1 procedures are all from a central "database" that our company uses globally, which we also make available on a company intranet. We even use WPSs in various formats, as some come from companies we've acquired, we just acknowledge that their use is acceptable in our general procedure. Some of the PQR's that support these procedures are old as dirt, and the companies that qualified them originally no longer exist after a long line of mergers and acquisitions. They're still perfectly valid.

 

[JoeTank]

To add to the response by metengr... I believe that the multiple-site use of a WPS must also be addressed in the company's written QA/QC program.

Joe Tank

 

[HotStab]

Mr168, HgTX, metengr and JoeTank:
I really appreciate your help.
All you said complies with what I had in mind.
Thanks a lot.