For butt welds, tensile specimens must be taken transverse to the weld axis, with the weld reinforcement removed flush. Impact specimens, when required, are extracted from the weld metal centerline and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) at predefined distances from the surface. The notch orientation and depth are also specified to ensure consistent fracture behavior.
A common mistake is testing only the weld metal without separate HAZ specimens, which can mask softening or embrittlement in the HAZ. Another is using non-standard specimen dimensions that do not match the thickness range being qualified.
Auditors typically check that the test piece extraction plan matches the WPQR scope. Missing or misaligned specimens can lead to rejection of the entire qualification.
What sampling issues have you encountered during WPQR audits?
Source: ISO 15614-1, 2017