Overview
ISO/TR 17671-1:2002 - "Welding - Recommendations for welding of metallic materials - Part 1: General guidance for arc welding" is an informative Technical Report from ISO that provides general guidance for fusion (arc) welding of metallic materials in all product forms (cast, wrought, extruded, forged). It is intended as practical, non‑normative advice to support satisfactory production and control of welding operations and to describe common detrimental phenomena and ways to avoid them. This part covers arc welding processes commonly used in industry and complements material‑specific parts (e.g., ferritic steels, stainless steels, aluminium).
Key topics and requirements
The report addresses core practical topics for arc welding and quality control. Key technical areas include:
- Scope of arc welding processes covered (examples: MMA/manual metal‑arc, MIG/MAG, TIG, submerged arc, plasma; ISO 4063 process references).
- Welding consumables: selection, designation to standards, storage and handling, and handling of damaged consumables.
- Equipment and measurement: ensuring adequate welding plant capacity, earthing, return connections, and measuring parameters (arc voltage, current, wire feed rate, welding speed, gas flow, temperature).
- Fabrication practices: protection from weather and drafts, surface cleanliness, purge/backing gas for oxidation prevention (see ISO 14175).
- Joint preparation and assembly: butt weld details, run‑on/run‑off plates, tack welds, temporary attachments.
- Thermal control: definitions and practical control of preheat temperature, interpass temperature, heat input and thermal efficiency.
- Quality provisions and traceability: contract information, welding procedure specification (WPS), traceability and inspection/testing guidance.
- Post‑weld operations: peening, post‑weld heat treatment, post‑weld cleaning, correction of non‑conformities and distortion control.
Practical applications and users
ISO/TR 17671-1 is useful for:
- Welding engineers and supervisors developing welding procedures and WPS for arc welding.
- Fabricators and production managers implementing good welding practice on structural and pressure components.
- Quality managers and inspectors referencing guidance for storage, handling, inspection and traceability.
- Design engineers and specifiers who need to define fabrication requirements and interface with application standards.
- Training organizations and welding personnel as a companion to welder approval standards.
Keywords: ISO/TR 17671-1, arc welding guidance, fusion welding, welding consumables, welding procedures, preheat interpass temperature, welding quality.
Related standards