Overview
EN ISO 17658:2015 is an international standard published by CEN that establishes terminology related to imperfections found in oxyfuel flame cuts, laser beam cuts, and plasma cuts in metallic materials. Specifically, it defines terms for deviations and irregularities directly caused by the cutting process itself, without considering additional external factors like stresses or strains. This standard consolidates the vocabulary for describing imperfections in these three prevalent thermal cutting methods, enabling consistent communication and documentation within welding and manufacturing industries.
Key Topics
- Imperfections Defined: The standard characterizes imperfections as irregularities or deviations from the specified shape and location of a cut in metalwork. It focuses strictly on defects originating from oxyfuel, laser beam, and plasma arc cutting processes.
- Scope of Imperfections:
- Only imperfections caused directly by the cutting techniques are covered.
- Secondary impacts, such as from external stresses or further handling, are excluded.
- Grouping System: The standard groups imperfections according to their type, shape, and location but does not provide guidance on causes, evaluation methods, or acceptable quality levels.
- Simultaneous Imperfections: It acknowledges that more than one kind of imperfection can appear concurrently in a cut.
- Terminology Focus: The terms included are selected to represent the principal imperfections typically observed in these cutting processes.
Applications
- Quality Control in Welding and Fabrication: By standardizing terminology, EN ISO 17658:2015 supports quality assurance teams, welding inspectors, and fabricators in identifying and describing cut imperfections precisely.
- Technical Documentation: Engineers and technical writers use this standard to ensure clear and uniform descriptions in manuals, inspection reports, and training materials related to thermal cutting.
- Manufacturing Processes: This standard assists operators and managers in maintaining consistent quality communication when using oxyfuel, laser, and plasma cutting across various industries such as automotive, aerospace, construction, and shipbuilding.
- Training and Education: Provides a vital resource for educating welding and cutting personnel on commonly occurring imperfections, improving awareness and troubleshooting capabilities.
Related Standards
- ISO 9013 - Thermal Cutting: Provides classification and quality tolerances for thermal cuts, offering complementary specifications relevant to cut quality and geometry.
- EN 12584:1999: The predecessor European standard for imperfections in thermal cutting processes which EN ISO 17658:2015 supersedes.
- ISO/TC 44 Technical Committee: The committee responsible for welding and allied processes standards development, ensuring alignment and coherence with other welding-related standards.
- Additional Welding Standards: Other standards from ISO and CEN related to welding processes and inspection, which may intersect with or reference the terminology defined in EN ISO 17658:2015.
Keywords: EN ISO 17658:2015, welding terminology, oxyfuel flame cutting, laser beam cutting, plasma cutting, cutting imperfections, welding standards, thermal cutting vocabulary, metallic material cuts, welding process quality, cut irregularities.