What is the difference between QW-482 and QW-483?

QW-482 is the Welding Procedure Specification form — it records qualified ranges for all process variables. QW-483 is the Procedure Qualification Record — it records actual values used during the test weld and mechanical test results that support the WPS.

Can I transfer test values from the PQR directly to the WPS?

No. The PQR records actual test values; the WPS must list qualified ranges derived from those values per ASME IX rules (QW-451 for thickness and diameter). Writing the test value straight onto the WPS is one of the most common rejection triggers.

Does each WPS need its own PQR?

Not necessarily. A single PQR can support multiple WPSs, as long as each WPS stays within the qualified ranges of that PQR. A single WPS can also be supported by multiple PQRs when combined coverage is needed to reach a wider qualified range.

When do supplementary essential variables activate on the WPS?

When the contract or code requires Charpy V-Notch (CVN) impact testing, supplementary essential variables become essential and must be addressed on the WPS. Changing any of them requires re-running the PQR with impact specimens — standard essential variable rules alone are no longer sufficient.

QW-482 and QW-483: ASME IX WPS and PQR form requirements

QW-482 is the ASME Section IX WPS form; QW-483 records PQR test results. Learn required fields, qualified ranges, and mistakes that cause procedure rejection.

ASME Section IX procedure qualification paperwork trips up experienced shops more than the actual welding does. QW-482 and QW-483 are the standardized forms for the WPS and PQR respectively, and they are not interchangeable — confusing the role of each, or mis-populating either one, results in a rejected procedure package at the worst possible time: owner review, third-party audit, or a jurisdictional inspection.

What each form does

QW-482 is the Welding Procedure Specification. It tells the welder how to make production welds. Every entry on a QW-482 represents a range within which the welder may operate — not a single point. If your test plate was run at 180°F preheat, the QW-482 minimum preheat is whatever the code allows (often the test value itself as the minimum), but the form must express it as a minimum requirement, not a fixed number.

QW-483 is the Procedure Qualification Record. It documents the test weld: the actual parameters used, the base and filler metals tested, and the mechanical test results that prove the weld joint meets code requirements. The QW-483 is evidence; the QW-482 is instruction. They are two different documents serving two different audiences.

The relationship runs in one direction: the QW-483 test results define and limit what the QW-482 can claim as qualified. The QW-482 cites the supporting QW-483 by PQR number. An owner reviewing the package should be able to trace every qualified range on the WPS back to a specific test result on the PQR.

Required fields on the QW-482 (WPS)

The QW-482 form from ASME Section IX is a starting template, not a rigid checklist — you may add fields but must include all required entries. The core sections:

Identification: WPS number, revision, date, supporting PQR number(s), welding process, and type designation (manual, semi-automatic, machine, automatic).

Base metals: P-number and Group number for the base metal(s). If the procedure qualifies P-1 Group 1 to P-1 Group 2, both must be listed. See ASME IX P-numbers and F-numbers explained for how the P-number system works.

Filler metals: SFA specification, AWS classification, F-number (see QW-432), A-number (see QW-442, relevant for certain P-number combinations), filler diameter range, and flux or shielding gas class where applicable.

Positions: All positions the procedure qualifies. This derives directly from the test positions and the Table QW-461.9 position qualification chart.

Preheat and interpass temperatures: Minimum preheat (often equal to the test value), maximum interpass. These are ranges — the minimum preheat on the WPS must be met or exceeded in production; the interpass maximum must not be exceeded.

PWHT: Whether or not PWHT was performed on the test coupon, the temperature range, and the hold time. If production welds will receive PWHT and the PQR was run without it (or vice versa), you have an essential variable mismatch. PWHT is an essential variable.

Electrical characteristics: Current type (AC/DC), polarity, and amperage and voltage ranges. These derive from the actual test values plus any code-allowed variation, not from a table lookup.

Technique: Number of passes (single vs. multiple), string vs. weave bead, cleaning method between passes, interpass cleaning.

Required fields on the QW-483 (PQR)

The QW-483 records exactly what was done and what the tests showed. It is not a range document — every entry is a specific, recorded value.

Test coupon identification: Base metal specification, P-number, group number, thickness, and diameter for pipe. Record the material cert heat number if your QC system requires traceability.

Actual process parameters: Heat input, amperage, voltage, travel speed (or wire feed speed), actual preheat temperature, actual interpass temperature. No ranges — what was actually run.

Mechanical test results: Tension test specimens with ultimate stress and failure location; guided bend specimens (face, root, or side) with disposition (acceptable/unacceptable); Charpy impact results if required. See ASME IX QW-451 thickness and position ranges for how coupon dimensions translate to production qualification.

Chemical analysis: When an A-number governs (common for austenitic stainless and dissimilar metal procedures), the weld deposit analysis results go here.

Certification: The QW-483 must be certified by the manufacturer or contractor — an authorized signature stating that the test welds were prepared and tested in accordance with ASME Section IX. Without a certified signature, the document is a report, not a PQR.

Qualified ranges vs. test values: the critical distinction

This is where most shops make their most costly error. The PQR records that the test was run at a specific value. The WPS records the range that value supports.

Example: the test coupon was 1-inch carbon steel (P-1) plate. Per QW-451, a 1-inch groove weld test coupon qualifies production thicknesses from 3/16 inch to 2 inches (the exact limits depend on process and test type). The WPS must state "3/16 in. to 2 in." — not "1 in."

Shops that copy the test value to the WPS without applying the QW-451 range rules are technically operating out of qualification range any time production thickness differs from the test plate, even if the test plate result more than supports it.

The same logic applies to diameter, position, heat input, and filler metal size. See ASME IX three variable types: essential, supplementary essential, and nonessential for an overview of which variables follow which rules.

Seven common rejection triggers

Third-party auditors and owner QC representatives flag these issues repeatedly:

Test value on WPS instead of qualified range — described above. Common for preheat, thickness, and heat input.
P-number mismatch — the production base metal has a different P-number or group number than what the PQR tested. A shop that tests P-1 Group 1 cannot use that PQR to support a P-1 Group 4 weld without separate qualification.
F-number drift — the filler metal purchased for production has a different F-number than what the PQR tested. Shops sometimes substitute filler brands without checking F-number. F-numbers are listed in QW-432; different F-numbers on the same AWS classification can happen with specialty alloys.
Unsigned or undated PQR — a PQR without a current authorized signature is not a PQR. If the certifying inspector has left the company, a new authorized signature plus documentation that the test was conducted as described is required.
PWHT on one side, not the other — if the PQR was qualified without PWHT and production welds will receive it (or vice versa), the procedure is not qualified for that condition. PWHT is an essential variable in ASME IX; both conditions require separate PQRs.
Missing supplementary essential variables when CVN is required — when impact testing applies, the supplementary essential variables in the applicable QW-250 series table become essential. A WPS that doesn't address them fails once the owner specifies a CVN requirement. See ASME IX welder qualification period under QW-322 for a related discussion of how qualification documents interact.
WPS revision not updated after an essential variable change — if a shop changed filler metal F-number or base metal P-number and ran a new PQR but forgot to issue a revised WPS citing the new PQR, the old WPS is still in circulation and inspectors will flag the discrepancy.

Digital documentation reduces rejections

Maintaining QW-482 and QW-483 documents in a spreadsheet or word processor creates version-control problems — the revision that's on the welder's clipboard may not match the revision on the QC manager's server. A purpose-built WPS platform automatically populates the QW-482 qualified ranges from the PQR data and flags when a change to an essential variable requires a new PQR rather than a WPS revision.

If your shop runs ASME IX work alongside AWS D1.1 structural, the overlap in documentation burden (PQR test requirements, variable tracking, welder qualification records) makes a unified system particularly worthwhile. See our pricing page for how the platform handles both code systems in a single qualification library.

Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition. ASME Section IX requirements referenced above are based on the current edition — confirm against your contract's required edition before qualifying procedures.