Overview
EN ISO 17642-1:2004 - Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials: Cold cracking tests for weldments - Arc welding processes - Part 1: General - defines the fundamentals and principles for assessing cold cracking in welded joints. Published by CEN (adoption of ISO 17642-1:2004), this part provides a general framework describing why cold cracks form, the goals of cold cracking tests, and an overview of commonly used test procedures for determining cold crack sensitivity.
Key Topics
- Fundamentals of cold crack formation: concepts and metallurgical/thermal factors that influence cold cracking in weldments.
- Principles of cold cracking tests: objectives, test logic and interpretation principles that underpin standardized destructive evaluations.
- Scope of application: use for arc welding processes and evaluation of weld metal, parent materials and welding consumables.
- Overview of common tests: a descriptive summary of the most commonly used cold cracking test methods (general characteristics and comparative purpose) without prescribing a single method.
- Test procedure overview: guidance on typical procedural elements and considerations when performing cold cracking assessments.
Applications
EN ISO 17642-1:2004 is intended to support practical activities where resistance to cold cracking is a concern:
- Selection and qualification of welding consumables (electrodes, wires, fluxes) for low cracking sensitivity.
- Assessment of parent materials and welded assemblies for susceptibility to cold cracking.
- Supporting weld procedure development and optimization for arc welding processes.
- Benchmarking and comparative evaluation in R&D, failure investigation and materials development.
- Input to quality assurance (QA), weld inspection criteria and supplier specifications.
Who uses this standard
- Welding engineers and metallurgists assessing crack risk and material compatibility.
- Welding procedure developers and technicians optimizing process parameters.
- Test laboratories performing destructive assessments of welds.
- Material and consumable manufacturers validating product performance.
- QA/QC and inspection personnel establishing acceptance criteria and test programs.
Related standards
This document is Part 1 (general) in the ISO 17642 series for cold cracking tests. Other parts of the series describe specific test methods and detailed procedures for particular test types (refer to the ISO/CEN catalogue for the relevant parts).
Keywords: EN ISO 17642-1:2004, cold cracking tests, welds, metallic materials, arc welding, cold crack sensitivity, welding consumables, weld metal, parent materials.
