ASME Sec IX 2025

ASME Sec IX 2025 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
ð25Þ QG-100 SCOPE
(a) This Section contains requirements for the qualification
of welders, welding operators, brazers, brazing
operators, plastic fusing operators, and the materialjoining
processes they use during welding, brazing, and
fusing operations for the construction of components
under the rules of the ASME Boiler and Pressure
Vessel Code, the ASME B31 Codes for Pressure Piping,
and other Codes, standards, and specifications that reference
this Section. This Section is divided into four parts.
(1) Part QG contains general requirements for all
material-joining processes.
(2) Part QW contains requirements for welding.
(3) Part QB contains requirements for brazing.
(4) Part QF contains requirements for plastic fusing.
(b) Whenever the referencing Code, standard, or specification
imposes qualification requirements different
than those given in this Section, the requirements of
the referencing Code, standard, or specification shall
take precedence over the requirements of this Section.
(c) Some of the more common terms relating to material-
joining processes are defined in QG-109. Whenever
the word “pipe” is used, “tube” shall also be applicable.
(d) New editions to Section IX may be used beginning
with the date of issuance and become mandatory 6 months
after the date of issuance.
(e) Code Cases are permissible and may be used, beginning
with the date of approval by ASME. Only Code Cases
that are specifically identified as being applicable to this
Section may be used. At the time a Code Case is applied,
only the latest revision may be used. Code Cases that have
been incorporated into this Section or have been annulled
shall not be used for new qualifications, unless permitted
by the referencing Code. Qualifications using the provisions
of a Code Case remain valid after the Code Case
is annulled. The Code Case number shall be listed on
the qualification record(s).
(f) Throughout this Section, references are made to
various non-ASME documents. Unless a specific date is
referenced, the latest edition of the reference document
in effect at the time of performance or procedure qualification
is to be used.
(g) This Section does not fully address tolerances.
When dimensions, sizes, or other parameters are not
specified as maximums, minimums, or with tolerances,
the values of these parameters are considered nominal,
and allowable tolerances or local variances may be considered
acceptable when using standard practices based on
engineering judgment.
QG-101 PROCEDURE SPECIFICATION
A procedure specification is a written document
providing direction to the person applying the material-
joining process. Details for the preparation and qualification
of procedure specifications for welding (WPS),
brazing (BPS), and fusing (FPS) are given in the respective
Parts addressing those processes. Procedure specifications
used by an organization (see QG-109.2) having
responsibility for operational control of materialjoining
processes shall have been qualified by that organization,
or shall be a standard procedure specification
acceptable under the rules of the applicable Part for
the joining process to be used. Procedure specifications
shall be available for reference and review at the fabrication
site.
Procedure specifications address the conditions
(including ranges, if any) under which the materialjoining
process must be performed. These conditions
are referred to in this Section as “variables.” A procedure
specification shall address, as a minimum, the specific
essential and nonessential variables that are applicable
to the material-joining process to be used in production.
When the referencing code, standard, or specification
requires toughness qualification of the material-joining
procedure, the applicable supplementary essential variables
shall also be addressed in the procedure specification.
QG-102 PROCEDURE QUALIFICATION RECORD
The purpose of qualifying the procedure specification is
to demonstrate that the joining process proposed for
construction is capable of producing joints having the
required mechanical properties for the intended application.
Qualification of the procedure specification demonstrates
the mechanical properties of the joint made using a
joining process, and not the skill of the person using the
joining process.
The procedure qualification record (PQR) documents
what occurred during the production of a procedure qualification
test coupon and the results of testing that coupon.
ASME BPVC.IX-2025
1QG-106.1 Procedure Qualifications. Each organization
is responsible for conducting the tests required by
this Section to qualify the procedures that are used in
the construction of components under the rules of the
Codes, standards, and specifications that reference this
Section.
(a) The personnel who produce test joints for procedure
qualification shall be under the full supervision and
control of the qualifying organization during the production
of these test joints.
(b) Production of qualification test joints under the
supervision and control of another organization is not
permitted, except as permitted in QG-106.4. However,
it is permitted to subcontract any or all of the work necessary
for preparing the materials to be joined, the subsequent
work for preparing test specimens from the
completed test joint, and the performance of nondestructive
examination and mechanical tests, provided the organization
accepts full responsibility for any such work.
(c) If the effective operational control of procedure
qualifications for two or more companies of different
names exists under the same corporate ownership, the
companies involved shall describe in their quality
programs the operational control of procedure qualifications.
In this case, separate procedure qualifications are
not required, provided all other requirements of this
Section are met.
QG-106.2 Performance Qualifications. Each organization
is responsible for the supervision and control of material
joining performed by persons for whom they have
operational responsibility and control. The organization
shall conduct the tests required by this Section to qualify
the performance of those persons with each joining
process they will use for the construction of components
under the rules of the Codes, standards, and specifications
that reference this Section. This requirement ensures that
the qualifying organization has determined that the personnel
using its procedures are capable of achieving the
minimum requirements specified for an acceptable joint.
This responsibility cannot be delegated to another organization.
(a) The personnel who produce test joints for performance
qualification shall be tested under the full supervision
and control of the qualifying organization.
(b) The performance qualification test shall be
performed following either a qualified procedure specification
or a standard procedure specification acceptable
under the rules of the applicable Part for the joining
process. The Part addressing any specific joining
process may exempt a portion of the procedure specification
from being followed during production of the
performance qualification test coupon.
(c) Production of test joints under the supervision and
control of another organization is not permitted. It is
permitted to subcontract any or all of the work necessary
for preparing the materials to be joined in the test joint,
and the subsequent work for preparing test specimens
from the completed test joint, and the performance of
nondestructive examination and mechanical tests,
provided the organization accepts full responsibility
for any such work.
(d) The performance qualification test may be terminated
at any stage, whenever it becomes apparent to the
supervisor conducting the tests that the person being
tested does not have the required skill to produce satisfactory
results.
(e) When a procedure qualification test coupon has
been tested and found acceptable, the person who
prepared the test coupon is also qualified for the
joining process used, within the ranges specified for
performance qualification for the applicable process(es).
(f) Persons who are successfully qualified shall be
assigned an identifying number, letter, or symbol by
the organization, which shall be used to identify their
work.
(g) If effective operational control of performance
qualifications for two or more companies of different
names exists under the same corporate ownership, the
companies involved shall describe in their quality
programs the operational control of performance qualifications.
In this case, requalification of persons working
within the companies of such an organization are not
required, provided all other requirements of this
Section are met.
QG-106.3 Simultaneous Performance Qualifications.
Organizations may participate in an association to collectively
qualify the performance of one or more persons for
material-joining processes simultaneously and may share
performance qualification information with other participating
organizations within the association. When simultaneous
performance qualifications are conducted, each
participating organization shall be represented by an
employee with designated responsibility for performance
qualifications.
(a) The essential variables of the procedure specifications
to be followed during simultaneous performance
qualifications shall be compared by the participating organizations,
and shall be identical, except as otherwise
provided in the Part addressing the specific joining
method. The qualified thickness ranges need not be identical
but shall include the test coupon thickness.
(b) Alternatively, the participating organizations shall
agree to follow a single procedure specification that has
been reviewed and accepted by each participating organization.
Each participating organization shall have a
supporting PQR or shall have accepted responsibility
for using a standard procedure specification having a
range of variables consistent with those to be followed
during the performance qualification test, in accordance
with the applicable Part for the joining method.
(c) Each participating organization’s representative
shall

brazing, block (BB): a brazing process that uses heat from
heated blocks applied to the joint. This is an obsolete or
seldom used process.
brazing, dip (DB): a brazing process in which the heat
required is furnished by a molten chemical or metal
bath. When a molten chemical bath is used, the bath
may act as a flux; when a molten metal bath is used,
the bath provides the filler metal.
brazing, furnace (FB): a brazing process in which the workpieces
are placed in a furnace and heated to the brazing
temperature.
brazing, induction (IB): a brazing process that uses heat
from the resistance of the workpieces to induced electric
current.
brazing, machine: brazing with equipment which
performs the brazing operation under the constant observation
and control of a brazing operator. The equipment
may or may not perform the loading and unloading of the
work.
brazing, manual: a brazing operation performed and
controlled completely by hand. See also automatic
brazing and machine brazing.
brazing, resistance (RB): a brazing process that uses heat
from the resistance to electric current flow in a circuit of
which the workpieces are a part.
brazing, semiautomatic: brazing with equipment which
controls only the brazing filler metal feed. The advance
of the brazing is manually controlled.
brazing, torch (TB): a brazing process that uses heat from a
fuel gas flame.
build-up of base metal (restoration of base metal thickness):
this is the application of a weld material to a base metal so
as to restore the design thickness and/or structural integrity.
This build-up may be with a chemistry different from
the base metal chemistry which has been qualified via a
standard butt-welded test coupon. Also, may be called
base metal repair or buildup.
butt joint: a joint between two members aligned approximately
in the same plane.
butt-fusing cycle: pressure–time diagram for a defined
fusing temperature, representing the entire fusing operation.
butt-fusing pressure: the sum of the theoretical butt-fusing
pressure plus the drag pressure. This is verified by the
gauge pressure used by the fusing operator on the
butt-fusing machine to join the pipe ends or by applied
torque when torque verification is required by the
fusing procedure specification (FPS).
butt fusion (BF): fusing accomplished by heating the ends
of polyethylene pipes above their melting point using a
contact heater, then removing the heater and applying
pressure necessary to achieve coalescence of the
molten polyethylene materials during the cooling
phase. Some of the more common terms relating to BF
are defined in ASTM F412.
buttering: the addition of material, by welding, on one or
both faces of a joint, prior to the preparation of the joint for
final welding, for the purpose of providing a suitable transition
weld deposit for the subsequent completion of the
joint.
clad or cladding: weld metal overlay or bonded corrosionresistant
material added to a metal surface.
clad brazing sheet: a metal sheet on which one or both
sides are clad with brazing filler metal.
coalescence: the growing together or growth into one body
of the materials being joined.
complete fusion: fusion which has occurred over the entire
base material surfaces intended for welding, and between
all layers and beads.
consumable insert: filler metal that is placed at the joint
root before welding, and is intended to be completely
fused into the root to become part of the weld.
contact tube: a device which transfers current to a continuous
electrode.
control method (FSW): the manner of monitoring and
controlling the position of the rotating tool with
respect to the weld joint during the friction stir
welding process.
control method, force (FSW): a control method that uses a
force set point, such as plunge force or travel force, to
control the tool position. Under the force control
method, the plunge depth or travel speed can vary,
within a specified range, during welding.
control method, position (FSW): a control method that uses
a set plunge position relative to the plate surface to control
the tool position. Under the position control method, the
plunge force can vary, within a specified range, during
welding.
control method, travel (FSW): a control method that uses a
set travel speed to control the tool position. Under the
travel control method, the travel force can vary, within
a specified range, during welding.
control specimen: a section from the base material tested
to determine its tensile strength for the purpose of
comparing to the tensile strength of the fused joint.
cool time at butt-fusing pressure: the minimum time that
the butt-fusing pressure shall be maintained between the
pipe faces while the pipe joint cools. This is a function of
the wall thickness.
corner joint: a joint between two members located
approximately at right angles to each other in the form
of an L.
coupon: see test coupon.