Weld procedure qualification, explained for buyers

A welded assembly arrives with three kinds of paperwork, and buyers are often sent only one of them. Here is what each one proves.

WPS, WPQR and welder qualification

• The WPS is the recipe: process, filler, preheat, heat input and position
• The WPQR is the proof: a test weld made to that recipe, cut up and tested by a third party
• The welder qualification shows that the person holding the torch can make that weld

For EN 1090 EXC3 work we send all three with the weld map, so every joint on the drawing can be traced to a procedure and a welder.