Contents

What is welding defect???

Undercut
Porosity
Incomplete fusion
Overlap
Under fill
Spatter
Excessive convexity
Excessive concavity
Excessive welding reinforcement
Incomplete penetration & excessive penetration
Unacceptable weld profile
 What is Welding defect???
A welding defect is any flaw that
compromises the usefulness of the
finished weldment.
According to the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
welding defect causes are broken down
into the following percentages: 41%
poor process conditions, 32% operator
error, 12% wrong technique, 10%
incorrect consumables, and 5% bad
weld grooves.
 UNDERCUT
undercutting is a defect that
appears as a groove in the
parent metal directly along
the edges of the weld. It is
most common in lap fillet
welds, but can also be
encountered in fillet and butt
joints. This type of defect is
most commonly caused by
improper welding
parameters; particularly the
travel speed and arc voltage.
 POROSITY
Porosity in welding is a result of
dissolved gases or gases released
during the welding process, being
trapped in the metal when there is
insufficient time to escape prior to
solidification. If in the shape of
rounded holes, the gas is called
spherical porosity or just porosity.
 INCOMPLETE FUSION
Incomplete fusion is a lack of
penetration or fusion between the
weld metal and the parent metal of
the piece.
 OVERLAP
The protrusion of weld metal
beyond the weld toe or weld root.
Causes:
Poor manipulative technique
Too cold a welding conditions
(current and voltage too low)
 UNDERFILL
Under fill is a welding defect
that occurs when a joint is not
completely filled with metal,
causing a depressing on the weld
face or root surface that goes below
the surface of the base metal.
 SPATTER
Small particles of
nonmetallic material
that are expelled
during the fusion of
the weld and base
metals. Weld spatter
is considered a
serious discontinuity
if it interferes with
the servicability of
the part or with an
additional operation,
like painting.
 EXCESSIVE CONVEXITY
The distance from the weld face
perpendicular to a line joining the
weld toes that arcs out and away
from the weld joint. Excess
convexity has a greater potential for
weld failure, causing longitudinal
cracking and crater cracking.
 EXCESSIVE CONCAVITY
The distance from the weld face
perpendicular to a line joining the
weld toes that arcs in and toward
the weld joint.
 EXCESSIVE WELD
REINFORCEMENT
The use of more weld metal than
is required to fill a groove weld
joint. Excessive reinforcement
creates high concentrations of
stress at the weld toes.
 INCOMPLETE PENETRATION
&
EXCESSIVE PENETRATION
Incomplete penetration is defined
as a weld where penetration of the
weld metal into the joint is
insufficient compared to what is
specified for the joint according to
the welding symbol.

A discontinuity characterized
by an excess of weld metal on
the back side of the joint.
Excessive heat, slow movement,
and poor joint alignment can
cause excessive penetration.
 UNACCEPTABLE
WELD PROFILES
Unacceptable weld profiles
can cause problems associated
with a reduction in base
material thickness, a reduction
in the affective weld size, or
provide stress concentrations on
the weld or plate surface.