Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi All

I have a job coming up which will be using 321SS, in looking in AS1554.6 clause 4.12.2.3 (iv) states that welders qualified to Austenitic grades can weld other Austenitic grades but Table 4.11(A) (b) states that change in filler classification requires retest and the procedure I want to use was tested with 316SS material. Can you please offer some assistance on this one.

Hi Dave
Are you asking if the 316 filler is in a different classification then 321, and if so you'd have to qualify using the 316?

I’m not sure where 321 falls on the charts but I know 70s2 fall in the same class as 316.

Looking at the American systems, I would argue that 316 and 321 fall under the same classification (AWS A5.9/ASME SF A5.9), and this would not constitute a "change" in classification as you mentioned in your req.

But looks like you may be using an Australian system....so I have no idea. But probably similar.

There's a difference between between welder qualification and welding procedure.
If you are qualified to weld austenitic stainless steel, you can can weld all of them 304,316,321 etc. No worries.

If a welding procedure has been qualified under AS1554, you have weld exactly what the procedure says. AS1554 stipulates that the qualified filler is an essential variable which means if you want to use a different filler than what's in the wps, the procedure has to be requalified.