Overview
EN ISO 15614-4:2005 - Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials - Part 4: Finishing welding of aluminium castings - defines how a welding procedure specification (pWPS) for finishing (production) welding of aluminium castings is qualified by welding procedure tests. The standard covers arc welding processes used to remove casting defects and fill core openings (finishing welding), and it explicitly does not apply to repair welding. It is a CEN-adopted ISO standard intended for use across manufacturing and foundry environments.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and purpose: Qualification of welding procedures for finishing welding of aluminium castings, representative of production conditions.
- Applicable processes: Arc welding methods per ISO 4063 - MIG (131), TIG (141) and plasma (15); other fusion processes by agreement.
- Shielding gases: Argon (ISO 14175 I1), helium (I2) and argon–helium mixtures (I3); other gases by agreement.
- Preliminary WPS (pWPS): pWPS shall be prepared in accordance with ISO 15609-1 and used to carry out the welding procedure test.
- Test pieces: Test pieces may be cast as a combined specimen or as three separate pieces, or taken from production castings, and shall exhibit slot, hole and groove features representative of finishing work. Machining is permitted and one stop-and-restart must be demonstrated.
- Welding positions: Typical positions referenced include PA (flat) and PF (vertical up) per ISO 6947.
- Examination and testing: Required examinations include visual, penetrant testing, radiographic testing, fracture testing and microstructural examination (see referenced NDT and destructive test standards).
- Qualification records: Results are recorded in a Welding Procedure Qualification Record (WPQR); welder qualification is based on the prescribed welding tests.
Applications and who uses it
- Primary users: Welding engineers, procedure qualification specialists, foundry and casting quality managers, production supervisors, welding inspectors and certification bodies.
- Practical uses: Establishing qualified finishing welding procedures for aluminium castings used in aerospace, automotive, marine, consumer goods and industrial equipment where casting defects or core openings require welding during production.
- Benefits: Ensures consistent production welding quality, supports compliance with regulatory directives (see Annex ZA), and provides traceable WPQR documentation for procurement and quality assurance.
Related standards
- ISO 15609-1 (pWPS for arc welding)
- ISO 15607 (general rules for procedure qualification)
- ISO 15614-2 (arc welding of aluminium and its alloys)
- ISO 14175 (shielding gases)
- ISO 17635 / 17636 / 17637 / 17639 (NDT and metallographic/examination methods)
- ISO 10042 (quality guidance for aluminium weld imperfections)
Keywords: EN ISO 15614-4:2005, finishing welding of aluminium castings, welding procedure test, pWPS, WPQR, MIG, TIG, plasma, shielding gases, nondestructive testing, welding qualification.
