Pro QC Holds Special Seminar on Welding Inspection Standards in China to Strengthen Technical Expertise

04 Sep 2026 | News Pro QC Holds Special Seminar on Welding Inspection Standards in China to Strengthen Technical Expertise Contact Us As the implementation of ISO/IEC 17020 requirements for inspection bodies continues to strengthen the standardization of inspection activities, and global customers place increasing importance on welding quality, safety, and reliability, Pro QC International organized a special seminar on welding inspection standards at its Ningbo office on the 25th and 26th. The seminar was designed to systematically review key technical requirements for welding inspections, align the team’s interpretation and application of relevant standards, and examine recurring quality issues identified during recent projects. More than 20 members of Pro QC’s technical team and frontline inspection staff participated. Senior welding expert Mr. Shen was also invited to provide technical guidance, practical insights, and perspectives based on nearly 30 years of industry experience. The training forms part of Pro QC’s continued development of its technical inspection capabilities in China, including its ISO/IEC 17020-accredited inspection framework operated through the Ningbo entity. Case-Driven Training Focused on Real Welding Inspection Challenges During the two-day seminar, Pro QC quality engineers shared practical welding quality cases identified during inspections across different industrial projects. The examples covered common welding imperfections and defects such as: Porosity Slag inclusions Lack of fusion Incomplete penetration or incomplete welding Undercut Surface cracks The team also discussed more complex inspection challenges associated with high-strength steel, stainless steel, and dissimilar-material welding. For each case, the quality engineers reviewed the project context, base materials, welding conditions, observed imperfections, environmental factors, and applicable acceptance requirements. Particular attention was given to understanding how defects should be classified and evaluated against the relevant welding standard rather than through subjective judgment. This practical approach reflects the type of issues Pro QC encounters when conducting welding and coating inspections in China for fabricated equipment, machinery, steel structures, piping systems, and other industrial products. Pro QC’s China inspection teams support welding quality verification, dimensional inspection, NDT coordination, coating inspection, fabrication monitoring, and technical documentation review. The case-based discussions also encouraged knowledge transfer between projects and industries, helping inspectors better translate formal standard requirements into practical decisions during factory inspections. Unified Standards for More Consistent Welding Quality Decisions Based on recurring welding issues and increasing customer requirements, an important objective of the seminar was to strengthen consistency in how welding defects are identified, classified, documented, and reported. The team reviewed: Definitions and terminology Acceptance criteria Defect classification Inspection evidence Nonconforming product handling Report terminology Corrective action expectations A key principle reinforced during the seminar was that acceptance decisions must always be based on the welding standards, drawings, technical specifications, and acceptance criteria applicable to the specific project. Inspectors should avoid subjective assumptions when determining whether a weld is acceptable. Where necessary, applicable standards can also act as a common technical language between Pro QC inspectors and the factory’s quality department, production supervisors, welding engineers, and welders. Clear communication of inspection findings and technical requirements helps manufacturers understand why a condition is considered nonconforming and what should be addressed within the production process. This is particularly important for metal product inspections in China, where welding quality may need to be considered alongside dimensional conformity, material verification, machining, surface condition, coating quality, and final assembly. Pro QC supports inspections of weldments, fabricated structures, castings, forgings, machined components, and other metal products. Strengthening this consistency helps improve both inspection reliability and the usefulness of inspection findings for customers and manufacturers. Building an Internal Welding Defect Reference Guide As a further outcome of the seminar, Pro QC plans to compile representative photographs of welding defects together with the corresponding standard requirements into the TM-16 Product Appearance Inspection Operation Specification. The guide is intended to serve as a practical internal reference for: Inspector training New employee onboarding Welding defect recognition Defect classification Standard interpretation Inspection reporting Quality consistency between inspectors Combining visual references with applicable technical criteria will help inspectors compare actual weld conditions with established acceptance requirements more efficiently during on-site inspections. Expert Training to Strengthen the Technical Foundation Following the case-review sessions, senior welding expert Mr. Shen provided systematic training on welding standards and fundamental technical concepts covering design, processes, inspection, and personnel qualification. Identification and Interpretation of Welding Symbols The seminar reviewed commonly used welding symbols according to ISO 2553, including: Arrow lines Reference lines Basic welding symbols Supplementary symbols Dimensions Additional information and suffixes Engineering drawing examples were used to strengthen inspectors’ ability to identify weld dimensions, joint configurations, welding requirements, and other critical information. Accurate interpretation of welding drawings is essential during inspections of steel structures, machinery, piping, fabricated assemblies, and other industrial products. Pro QC provides quality control support for these products through its global industrial machinery inspection services and broader industrial QA/QC capabilities. Definition and Evaluation of Welding Imperfections The team reviewed the ISO 6520-1 classification system for welding imperfections and discussed how identified imperfections relate to the acceptance levels established under ISO 5817. Particular attention was given to quality levels B, C, and D and the importance of selecting the correct acceptance criteria according to the applicable project specifications and service conditions. The discussion reinforced the distinction between: Identifying and classifying an imperfection; and Determining whether that imperfection is acceptable for the specific project. These two steps should not be confused during an inspection. Welder Qualification Requirements Mr. Shen also reviewed welding personnel qualification requirements, including ISO 9606 and related qualification principles. The seminar addressed subjects such as: Welder qualification records Practical qualification tests Range of qualification Validity Continuity requirements Changes that may affect qualification validity These elements help inspectors determine whether personnel performing welding activities are appropriately qualified for the work being reviewed. Welding Positions Using 3D models, the seminar reviewed welding positions according to ISO 6947, including: PA PB PC PD PE PF PG The training demonstrated how welding position influences weld-pool behavior, operator difficulty, access, and the likelihood of certain welding imperfections. The correct welding-position designation should also be reflected where applicable within welding procedures, qualification documents, engineering requirements, and inspection records. Learning from International Welding Projects Drawing on nearly three decades of professional experience, Mr. Shen also shared examples of common disagreements that can arise during international projects when customers, manufacturers, and inspectors interpret technical requirements differently. These discussions highlighted the importance of: Identifying the contractual standard before inspection Confirming the applicable revision Understanding project-specific requirements Avoiding assumptions based on previous projects Maintaining objective inspection evidence Clearly documenting deviations Escalating technical interpretation questions when necessary The seminar also included discussion of more recent developments in relevant welding standards, including changes introduced in ISO 5817:2023. For industries such as pipelines, pressure-related equipment, structural fabrication, and industrial machinery, welding inspection may also be integrated with NDT, hydrostatic testing, dimensional inspection, coating verification, and documentation review. Pro QC provides these combined capabilities through services such as its pipeline quality control solutions and Factory Acceptance Test services. From Training to Welding Inspections The seminar further strengthened Pro QC’s theoretical knowledge and practical capabilities in welding quality inspection. Through a closed-loop approach of: Case Review → Standard Benchmarking → Expert Analysis → Knowledge Accumulation the training supports greater consistency and standardization across welding inspection activities. Continuing technical training is particularly important for industrial inspections, where inspectors must combine practical manufacturing knowledge with drawings, standards, inspection procedures, client specifications, and objective evidence. Pro QC will continue developing internal technical knowledge and inspector competency to support increasingly complex manufacturing and industrial projects. Companies sourcing welded equipment, steel structures, machinery, piping, fabricated components, and other industrial products from China can learn more about Pro QC’s welding and coating inspection services in China or explore our complete quality control and inspection services in China. About Pro QC International Pro QC International is a global quality assurance company providing product inspections, factory and supplier audits, supplier development, quality engineering, and supplier management solutions. Founded in 1984, Pro QC has developed from its original operations in Asia into a global quality assurance organization supporting customers in more than 100 countries. Its international technical network includes mechanical, electrical, automotive, welding, coating, and other specialized quality professionals selected according to each project’s requirements. In China, Pro QC provides extensive quality control coverage through locally based inspectors, engineers, auditors, and established operations, including its Ningbo ISO/IEC 17020 inspection-body framework. Services range from conventional product inspections and supplier audits to welding, coating, metal-product inspection, NDT coordination, Factory Acceptance Testing, product testing, and long-term supplier quality programs. Our goal is to help manufacturers, buyers, engineering companies, and global sourcing teams gain greater visibility into product quality, supplier capability, and manufacturing performance. 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