BruceStewart FieldHeatTreatmentTrainingCoordinator

INTRODUCTION
TheQualityControlCouncilofCanadaisan
organizationthatrepresentsNonDestructiveTesting
TechniciansandFieldHeatTreatmentTechnicians
acrossCanada.
Wehavetwopermanenttrainingfacilitiesbasedin
EdmontonABwithatotalofthreeclassroomsandone
shopareatoaccommodatepracticaltraining.
TheFieldHeatTreatmentTrainingProgramhasbeen
operatingsinceMay2009andisrecognizedthrough
AlbertaApprenticeshipandIndustryTraining(AIT)
 HEATTREATMENTBASICS
Heattreatmentisusedtoavertorrelievethedetrimental
effectsofhightemperatureandseveretemperature
gradientsinherentinwelding,andtorelieveresidual
stressescreatedbybendingandforming(ASME).

FieldHeatTreatmentconsistsofapplyingheattowelded
jointsandalimitedvolumeofbasemetaladjacenttothe
joints(referredaslocalheating),asopposedtoheating
thecompletecomponentinafurnaceoroven.
 HEATTREATMENTBASICS
Thefourmainheattreatmentprocessesare:
1. POSTWELDHEATTREATMENT(PWHT)
2. PREHEATING
3. BAKEOUT
4. POSTHEATING
PWHTisthemainprocesswewillbefocusingonandis
themostcommonlycompletedprocessintheField
HeatTreatmentOccupation
Preheatwillalsobediscussed
 REASONSFORPWHT
ThethreeprimarybenefitsofPWHTarerecognized
as:
RelaxationofResidualStresses
Tempering
HydrogenRemoval
Consequentialbenefitssuchas:avoidanceofhydrogen
inducedcracking,dimensionalstability,aswellas
improvedductility,toughnessandcorrosionresistance
resultfromtheprimarybenefits.
 HEATTREATEMENTBASICS
Electricalresistanceisthemostcommonfieldheat
treatmentmethodutilizedforlocalheatingofpiping,
tubing,pressurevesselsandnumerousother
structuresandcomponents.
InordertoensureLocalPWHTiscompletedproperly
wemustfirstunderstandtheimportanceofthe:
SoakBand
HeatedBand
GradientControlBand
ControlZonesvs.MonitorZones
HEATTREATMENTBASICS
 HEATTREATMENTBASICS
ASMECodesdictatesoakbandsbuthavelimitedorno
informationregardingHeatedBands,Gradient
ControlBandsorTCplacementforElectrical
ResistanceLocalHeatingandreferencethefollowing:
AWSD.10.10/D10.10M:1999(R2009) Recommended
PracticesforLocalHeatingofWeldsinPipingand
Tubing
WeldingResearchCouncilBulletin452
RecommendedPracticesforLocalHeatingofWeldsin
PressureVessels
 HEATTREATMENTBASICS
ASMEisdevelopingastandard(B31P)thatissolely
intendedforPreheatandPWHT
ASMEalsohasataskgroupworkingonheattreatment
dataanalysisregardingheatedbands/controlmethods
(verifyingD10.10recommendations)
EPRIhasconductedThermalModelingforRobust
PostWeldheattreatment
AWSdevelopingatrainingprogram/certification
processforFieldHeatTreatmentTechnicians
 HEATTREATMENTBASICS
LocalcircumferentialbandPWHTofaButtWeld12NPS,1inchwall
thicknessPipeinthehorizontalposition(AWSD10.10HB1calculations)
HEATTREATMENTBASICS
AWSD.10.10controlledgradienttemperaturediagram
HEATTREATEMENTBASICS
 HEATTREATMENTVERIFICATION
ThemostcommonverificationrecordforFieldHeat
Treatmentisacontrolledthermocouplestripchart
thatmaybeaccompaniedwithadrawingshowing
workpiececonfigurationalongwithTCplacement.
Thechartverifiesramprates,holdtimesand
temperaturewiththesecontrolledthermocouples
weremetandverylittleotherinformation
Veryfewchartsincludemonitorthermocouplesthat
wouldverifyaxialtemperaturegradients,radial
temperaturegradientsorthatheatsinkshavebeen
controlled
 HEATTREATMENTVERIFICATION
ItisextremelyraretohearofanyinspectororQA/QC
representativephysicallyinspectingaheattreatment
setuppriorto,duringorafterheating
Monitorthermocouplesarerarelyutilizedorrequired
withinheattreatmentprocedures
KnowledgeableFieldHeatTreatmentTechniciansare
amazedatthesefactsandrealizethatmostchartsused
asverificationreallytellthecustomerverylittle
 CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
Workpieceisastandard12NPSschedule80P1
material
2controllingthermocouples(#s1&2)alongwith6
monitoringthermocouples(#s38)
1&2TopandBottomCentreonWeldCircumference
3&4eithersideonWeldCircumference
5&6TopandBottomCentreofHeatedBand
7 2from#1ontoFlangeareaofSoakBand
8 InsidebottomCentreofWeldCircumference
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CASESTUDY12NPSFLANGE
CONTROLLEDTHERMOCOUPLES
CONTROLLEDANDMONITORTCS
CentreofHeaters, TC#61300F
Heatedbandhottestspot TC#51275F
#1&2Controls TC#S14,8
#3,4&8Monitorson (1125F1160F)
WeldArea
2awayfrom#1 TC#7
controlTCon 1000F
FlangeSoakBand
Area
TEMPERATUREDIFFERENCES

3 2
TC#6 TC#1 TC#7

1300F 1150F 1000F

 CASESTUDYCONCLUSIONS
Controlledthermocouplechartsareacceptedasproof
ofproperheattreatmentandmaynotalwaystellthe
wholestory
Totheuntrainedeyeaheattreatmentsetupcanlook
sufficientwhenitisactuallyunacceptable
Uniformheatingandtemperaturecontrolofsoak
bands,heatedbands,gradientcontrolbands,through
thicknessandaxialtemperaturegradientsarefarmore
significantthanathermocoupleverificationchart.
PREHEAT/INTERPASSHEATING
AWSD10.10PREHEAT12NPS
TYPICALFIELDPREHEATSETUP
PROBLEMS
 RESPONSIBILITIES?
HeatTreatmentTechnician:
Completedrecognizedformaltraining?
UnderstandingProcedures?
Utilizingpropersetupconfigurations?
QualityAssuranceDepartment/Inspectors:
AuditingThermocoupleplacement,heatedband
widths,gradientcontrolbandwidths?
Weredifferentthicknesses,materialsorheatsinks
controlled?
Whatinformationareyougettingfromachart?
 OCCUPATIONAWARENESS
FieldHeatTreatmentTechnicianisadesignated
occupationinNewBrunswick(1995)andAlberta
(2008).TheQualityControlCouncilofCanadaisa
recognizedtrainingproviderforFieldHeatTreatment
TechniciansthroughAlbertaApprenticeshipand
IndustryTraining(AIT).
IndustrialFieldHeattreatmentisoneofthemostcritical
aspectsofachievingdesignintentionsforwelded
structuresandcomponents.Despitenumerousarticles,
casestudiesandjournalreferencesthatprovetheserious
negativeeffectsofimproperPreHeatandPostWeldHeat
Treatment,theoccupationremainsunderappreciated.
 OCCUPATIONAWARENESS
AtrainingprogramhasbeenestablishedforFieldHeat
TreatmentTechniciansbasedonthecompetency
profileputtogetherwithAlbertaApprenticeshipand
IndustryTraining(AIT).
Thetechnicianistrainedthroughacombinationof
mentoringinthefield/workplacealongwithformal,
structuredclassroominstruction.
AWSD10.10isutilizedasthegoverningdocumentfor
specializedFieldHeatTreatmentTechniciantraining
HANDSONTRAINING
30ODWITH16ODATTACHMENT
ANDREPAD
LARGECLOSINGSEAMFIELDSETUP
FORPWHT
 OCCUPATIONAWARENESS
Level1 Level2 Level3
1800hrs& 1800hrs& 1800hrs&
1calendaryear 1calendaryear 1calendaryear
40hrsformaltraining 40hrsformaltraining 80hrsformaltraining

Level4
1800hrs& WriteProvincial
Occupational
1calendaryear CertificateExam
80hrsformaltraining
OCCUPATIONAWARENESS
OccupationalAwareness
 CLOSINGSTATEMENT
OnceweunderstandthatproperPreandPostWeldHeat
Treatmentarecriticalinachievingdesignintentionswe
mustthenrecognizeandcontrolanyandall
shortcomings.
Owners,ContractorsandQualityAssurance
departmentsmustensureHeatTreatmentapplications
aremeetingrequirements.Thiscanonlybeachieved
throughacohesiveeffortofallpartiesinvolved.