What is ASME BPVC Section IX?

ASME BPVC Section IX is part of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), and it focuses specifically on:

"Welding, Brazing, and Fusing Qualifications"

It sets the rules and requirements for qualifying welding and brazing procedures, as well as the performance of welders and welding operators.

What It Covers

ASME Section IX outlines the rules and requirements for qualifying:

1. Welding Procedures – making sure a welding method (WPS) is capable of producing strong, defect-free joints.

2. Welders and Welding Operators – verifying that people doing the welding can consistently produce good welds.

3. Brazing and Brazers – similar rules for brazing (joining with filler metal below melting point of the base metal).

4. Plastic Fusing Operators – for heat-fused plastic piping systems.

What Is It Used For?

This section is used to:

• Ensure that welders can produce sound welds.

• Make sure that welding procedures are capable of producing strong, defect-free joints.

• Provide a consistent, proven process for qualifying welding and brazing activities used in pressure equipment, like boilers and tanks.

Key Components

1. Welding Procedure Qualification (WPS & PQR)

• WPS (Welding Procedure Specification): A document that tells exactly how to do a weld — materials, thickness, type of weld, positions, etc.

• PQR (Procedure Qualification Record): A test record proving that the WPS actually works — includes test results and details from a sample weld.

2. Performance Qualification

• Tests done to ensure that a welder or welding operator can perform a sound weld using a specific process and within defined limits.

3. Brazing and Plastic Fusing

• Similar rules apply for brazing (joining metals with filler metal without melting base metal) and plastic fusing (joining plastic components).

Who Uses It?

• Welders and brazers – to get qualified and certified

• Welding engineers – to write and approve WPS/PQRs

• Inspectors and regulators – to verify compliance

• Manufacturers – in industries like oil & gas, power, shipbuilding, aerospace