Welding records · Field reference · Checked 26 September 2026
WPS: field-by-field reference (ISO 15609-1)
A welding procedure specification tells a welder how to make a weld: the materials, joint, process, consumables and parameters, each as a range. For arc welding the content is set by ISO 15609-1:2019, and every range on the WPS must sit inside what its supporting qualification allows. Below is each field grouped as it usually appears on the document. Checked 26 September 2026.
Last updated .
Identification
Which procedure, and what supports it
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The organisation that owns and issues the WPS. | A WPS borrowed from another company, which its qualification does not cover. | The workspace company. |
| WPS number and revision | The manufacturer’s unique reference and revision. | Revised in place with no revision mark, so a weld log cannot say which version was used. | Reference, and status: draft, issued or superseded. |
| Qualification basis | The WPQR number, or the other qualification route used: tested consumables, previous welding experience, a standard welding procedure or a pre-production test (ISO 15610 to ISO 15613). | Left blank, which makes the WPS unsupported however good its parameters are. | Linked supporting WPQR; other routes noted on the record. |
| Standard | The specification standard, for example ISO 15609-1. | The qualification standard entered here instead. | Standard. |
Parent material and joint
What is being welded, and in what shape
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent material | Material designation and its ISO/TR 15608 group, for example group 1.2. | Trade names used instead of a designation, so the group cannot be checked against the WPQR. | Material group. |
| Thickness range | The parent material thickness range the WPS covers. | Wider than the WPQR allows. | Thickness minimum and maximum. |
| Outside diameter range | For pipe, the diameter range covered. | Omitted for pipe work. | Diameter minimum and maximum. |
| Joint design | A sketch of the joint: preparation angle, root gap, root face, and the run sequence. | A generic sketch that does not match the joint on the drawing. | In the WPS document attached to the record. |
| Joint preparation and cleaning | How edges are prepared and cleaned, for example machining, thermal cutting then grinding. | Missing, so fit-up inspection has nothing to check against. | In the WPS document. |
| Backing and back gouging | Backing material, and whether and how the root is back gouged. | Stated on the WPS but not matched to the welder’s qualification details. | In the WPS document. |
| Welding positions | ISO 6947 positions the WPS covers. | Positions wider than the WPQR range. | Position. |
| Joint type | Butt, fillet or branch. | Not recorded, so a fillet WPS is picked for a butt joint. | Joint type. |
Process and consumables
How the weld is made
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding process | The ISO 4063 number for each process, including combinations such as 141 root with 135 fill. | Only the fill process recorded for a combination procedure. | Welding process. |
| Filler material | Designation, and make where the qualification requires it, plus size. | A brand name without the designation. | In the WPS document. |
| Consumable handling | Drying or baking of electrodes and flux, and storage conditions. | Omitted for hydrogen-controlled consumables. | In the WPS document; issue is tracked in a consumable control log. |
| Shielding and backing gas | ISO 14175 designation and flow rate for each gas. | Flow rate missing, or a supplier product name only. | In the WPS document. |
Electrical, technique and thermal
The parameters, each as a range
These are the fields a welder reads at the bench. They are also the ones an inspector compares against what was actually recorded.
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current type and polarity | AC or DC, and polarity. | Changed on the machine without a WPS that covers it. | In the WPS document. |
| Current and voltage | Ranges for each run or run group. | A single value with no range, which no welder can hold. | In the WPS document. |
| Wire feed speed and travel speed | Ranges, where the process and code require them. | Travel speed omitted, so heat input cannot be calculated. | In the WPS document. |
| Heat input | The heat input range, where impact or hardness requirements make it a controlled variable. | Stated without the arc-efficiency basis used to calculate it. | In the WPS document. |
| Technique | Stringer or weave, maximum run width, torch angle, contact-tip distance and other process-specific items. | Left generic when the WPQR recorded something specific. | In the WPS document. |
| Preheat and interpass temperature | Minimum preheat, maximum interpass, and how preheat is maintained. | Preheat stated but no interpass maximum. | In the WPS document; readings belong in a preheat and interpass log. |
| Post-weld heat treatment | Temperature, time and heating and cooling rates, or “none”. | Left blank rather than “none”, which reads as missing. | In the WPS document; cycles belong in a PWHT record. |
ISO 15609-1:2019 also lists process-specific items, for example for submerged-arc or pulsed welding, that are not reproduced here.
What a register needs structured
Structure the coverage; control the document
A register has to answer one question quickly: which WPS covers this joint?
That is the split Soteriaa uses: the coverage fields and the WPQR link are structured, and the parameters stay in the attached, revision-controlled WPS. For the supporting record, see the WPQR field reference.
- Structure process, parent material group, thickness, diameter, position and joint type — the fields a joint is matched against.
- Link each WPS to its supporting WPQR, so a superseded WPQR shows every WPS that depends on it.
- Keep status explicit: draft, issued or superseded, and never weld to a draft.
- Keep the electrical and technique parameters in the controlled WPS document, not re-typed into columns that drift out of date.
The other field references
The four documents refer to each other: a WPQR supports a WPS, a welder is tested to a WPS, and inspection relies on certified NDT personnel. Welder qualification record fields · WPQR fields · NDT personnel certificate fields. For how the WPS and WPQR differ in purpose, read WPS vs WPQR.
How to use this reference
This is a record-keeping reference to the fields that commonly appear on these documents, checked 26 September 2026 against the current published editions named on the page. It paraphrases field headings; it does not reproduce the standard, and it is not a substitute for it. Qualification ranges, validity rules and acceptance criteria are set by the standard, your code of construction and your certification arrangements, so read those before relying on any field here. Soteriaa organises records and produces document drafts; it does not certify welders or NDT personnel, qualify procedures, or decide whether a range, result or date is acceptable. Soteriaa provides document and workflow tools, not legal assistance or compliance advice. It helps organise records, evidence and deadlines; it does not determine compliance, certify records or submit official reports on your behalf. You review the information and remain responsible for required checks and submissions.