Overview
EN ISO 15609-5:2011 - Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic materials - Part 5: Resistance welding - defines the minimum content required in a welding procedure specification (WPS) for resistance welding processes. The standard covers spot, seam, butt (upset/flash) and projection welding and identifies the process variables that influence weld quality, including weld dimensions, weld nugget size, weld pattern positioning, mechanical properties and joint geometry. It is part of the ISO 15609 series and is intended to ensure consistent, auditable WPS documentation for production and qualification.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and purpose: Specifies required WPS content for resistance welding; advises verification before applying principles to other resistance-related processes.
- WPS minimum content: Identification (manufacturer, WPS ID), reference to WPQR (welding procedure qualification record), product and joint identification.
- Parent material details: Material designation, coatings (type/thickness), and dimensions (thickness, pipe cross-section for butt welding).
- Joint design & preparation: Overlap, edge distance, pitch, spot/projection dimensions, surface/edge preparation (degreasing, brushing, burr removal).
- Welding process designation: Defines process types per ISO 4063 - e.g., spot welding (manual, automated, robotic, weld-bonding), seam (roll spot), projection, flash/upset (butt) welding.
- Machine specification: Machine type, identification, and relevant equipment (electrodes, adaptors, holders, cables).
- Machine parameters & control settings: Power source type (AC, DC, capacitor discharge), transformer settings, welding current, squeeze/heat/hold/cool times, number of impulses, electrode force, seam speed, cooling requirements, and other controller settings (see Annex D for examples).
- Tolerances & acceptance: Tolerance ranges must be specified in the WPS; Annexes A–C provide example WPS templates and Annex B covers quality acceptance criteria.
Practical applications & users
Who uses EN ISO 15609-5:2011:
- Welding engineers and procedure writers preparing WPS documents for resistance welding.
- Quality assurance, inspection and certification bodies verifying welding procedure documentation and WPQRs.
- Manufacturers in automotive, appliance, electrical, and mass-production industries using spot, seam, projection or butt resistance welding.
- Robot integrators and machine suppliers ensuring machine settings and electrode specifications are recorded.
Practical benefits:
- Produces consistent, auditable WPS documents for production and regulatory compliance.
- Reduces rework through clear machine parameter and joint-preparation specifications.
- Supports repeatable weld quality and simplifies procedure qualification.
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 15609-5:2011, resistance welding, welding procedure specification (WPS), spot welding, seam welding, projection welding, butt welding, weld nugget, machine parameters, WPQR.