The moment the welding inspector reaches the site, three acronyms repeat in every conversation: WPS, PQR and WPQR. They define how to weld, prove the procedure works and guarantee traceability. Without them, no run passes inspection.
WPS — the procedure specification
The WPS (Welding Procedure Specification) is the technical recipe: it states how to weld a given joint —process (111, 141, 135…), base material, shielding gas, current, voltage, travel speed, position, number of passes and heat treatment—. Before it is validated it is called a pWPS (preliminary WPS).
PQR — proof the recipe works
The PQR (Procedure Qualification Record) validates the WPS to EN ISO 15614: a coupon is welded with those parameters and put through destructive testing, radiography or NDT (RT, UT, PT, MT). The resulting report is the PQR, the experimental proof of the procedure.
WPQR — the welder's qualification
Unlike the WPS (procedure) and the PQR (validation), the WPQR (Welder Performance Qualification Record) qualifies the person to run that procedure. It is what UNE-EN ISO 9606 issues when the welder passes the practical exam.
How it all fits
- The joint is defined and a pWPS is drafted with the proposed parameters.
- A coupon is welded and the PQR is generated, turning the pWPS into a validated WPS.
- Every welder using that WPS must hold a WPQR to ISO 9606 for the process, position and material.
- On site, every joint is logged with the applied WPS and the welder's stamp.
Why it matters to the client
In the quality audit, the inspector demands the full trio: WPS, PQR and each welder's WPQR. Without the pack, the run can be rejected even if the bead looks flawless to the naked eye.
At Iron Pulse we deliver the complete documentation dossier as part of the mobilization. See our quality and documentation services or talk to the team.
