Overview
EN ISO 15614-11:2025 - Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials - Part 11: Electron and laser beam welding - defines how a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) for electron or laser beam welding is qualified by welding procedure tests. The standard applies to metallic materials regardless of part shape, thickness, manufacturing method (rolling, forging, casting, sintering, etc.) or heat treatment, and covers both production of new parts and repair work. It is part of the ISO 15614 series and references ISO 15607:2019 for the overall series framework.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and applicability: Qualification principles for electron beam and laser beam welding across all metallic materials and practical welding operations.
- Preliminary WPS (pWPS): Preparation and documentation of the procedure prior to qualification testing.
- Welding procedure test: Conditions and execution of tests required to qualify a WPS.
- Test-piece requirements: Shapes and dimensions (e.g., linear and circular butt welds) and welding conditions for representative test pieces.
- Examination and testing (Clause 7): Specifies non-destructive and destructive examinations, including
- Non-destructive examination (NDE) methods and acceptance levels.
- Destructive tests such as transverse tensile, bend testing, toughness, hardness and metallographic examination.
- Requirements for specimen location, cutting and re-testing.
- Range of qualification (Clause 8): Defines limits of validity for qualified WPSs related to manufacturer, equipment, tooling, parent material grades and geometry, filler materials, joint geometry, welding position, parameters specific to electron and laser beam welding, preheating, post-weld heat treatment, number of passes and duration of validity.
- Welding Procedure Qualification Record (WPQR): Documentation requirements and example WPQR form (informative annex).
Practical applications
EN ISO 15614-11:2025 is essential where high-energy beam welding processes are used and where documented proof of weld quality and repeatability is required. Typical uses:
- Qualifying production WPSs for precision joining applications using electron beam welding or laser beam welding
- Verifying repair procedures for welded components
- Supporting quality plans, supplier approvals and conformity to client or regulatory requirements
- Reducing production risk by defining acceptable parameter ranges and required tests
Who should use this standard
- Welding engineers and procedure developers
- Welding coordinators and quality managers
- Welding laboratories performing procedure qualification tests
- NDT technicians and metallurgists executing required examinations
- Manufacturers in sectors using beam welding (e.g., aerospace, automotive, energy, precision engineering)
Related standards
Key normative references cited in the document include:
Using EN ISO 15614-11:2025 helps organizations standardize qualification of electron and laser beam welding procedures and document conformance through a WPQR for consistent, verifiable weld quality.
