EN ISO 4063:2023 establishes a standardised nomenclature and reference-numbering system for joining and cutting processes: welding; brazing, soldering and weld-brazing; and thermal cutting. Adopted by CEN as a European Standard, the document defines a hierarchical coding scheme (main processes, groups, sub‑groups) to enable uniform international designation of processes and to aid computerisation, drawings, working papers and welding procedure specifications (WPS).
Example designations from the standard:
- ISO 4063 – 48 (Cold pressure welding)
- ISO 4063 – 62 (Radio frequency welding)
- ISO 4063 – 662‑A (Heated wedge welding with hot gas)
- Hybrid example: ISO 4063 – 522 + 15 (Gas laser welding + Plasma arc welding)
Key topics and technical requirements
- Reference-number structure:
- Main processes: 1 digit
- Groups: 2 digits
- Sub-groups: 3 digits (maximum)
- Process numbers can be supplemented with letters for variants.
- Designation rules: Full process designations use the format “ISO 4063 – ”. Hybrid processes are expressed by separating process numbers with “+”.
- Scope limitations: The standard lists main processes and many variants but does not claim to cover every possible variant; Annex A recommends ways to supplement numbers for unlisted variants.
- Informative annexes:
- Annex A - Process variants guidance
- Annex B - Replaced and obsolete processes
- Annex C - Common US acronyms for welding and allied processes
- Updates: This fifth edition incorporates welding and thermal joining processes for plastics and supersedes previous editions.
Applications - who uses EN ISO 4063:2023
- Welding engineers and procedure writers: Use standardised codes in Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and quality documentation.
- Designers and CAD/BIM users: Apply reference numbers on drawings and fabrication documents for unambiguous process specification.
- Manufacturers and fabricators: Standard codes simplify procurement, process selection and automation setups.
- Inspectors, certifiers and regulators: Ensure consistent process identification across contracts and conformity assessment.
- IT and database managers: Facilitate computerisation of process records, traceability and production analytics.
Related standards and resources
- ISO Online Browsing Platform and IEC Electropedia for related terminology.
- The standard references ISO/TR documents (e.g., terminology such as “shock welding”) and aligns with other ISO/CEN welding standards used for WPS, qualification and testing.
EN ISO 4063:2023 is a practical tool for harmonising how joining and cutting processes are named, recorded and communicated across engineering, manufacturing and quality systems.