ISO 5817-2023 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 5817:2023 — Welding — Fusion-welded joints in steel, nickel, titanium and their alloys (beam welding excluded) — Quality levels for imperfections. This International Standard defines acceptance criteria and quality levels for visual and macro-examination assessment of imperfections in fusion-welded joints to support consistent production and inspection of welded fabrications.

Abstract

ISO 5817:2023 specifies three graded quality levels (B, C and D) for imperfections in fusion‑welded joints in non‑alloy and alloy steels, nickel and titanium and their alloys (material thickness ≥ 0.5 mm). It covers fully penetrated butt welds and fillet welds (and provides principles for partial‑penetration butt welds), applies to manual, mechanized and automatic welding across welding positions and lists limits for a range of external and internal imperfections referenced to ISO 6520‑1. Beam welding quality levels are addressed separately (ISO 13919‑1). Guidance for fatigue‑sensitive applications is given in an annex.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: February 2023 (Edition 4).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 25.160.40 (welding and allied processes).
• Edition / version: 4 (2023).
• Number of pages: 26.

Scope

Applies to fusion‑welded joints (excluding beam welding) in steels, nickel and titanium and their alloys for nominal material thicknesses ≥ 0.5 mm. The standard provides acceptance limits for a wide range of surface and internal imperfections for butt, fillet and branch welds, and is intended for use with a range of welding processes listed by ISO 4063 (for example, MMA, submerged arc, GMAW, GTAW, plasma and oxyfuel for steel). It does not address metallurgical properties such as grain size or hardness.

Key topics and requirements

• Three quality levels (B, C, D) with B = highest requirement for workmanship and finished weld acceptance.
• Detailed imperfection classification and dimensional limits referenced to ISO 6520‑1 (surface and internal imperfections, weld geometry, multiple imperfections).
• Thickness categories and measurement rules — the standard gives different limits for thickness ranges (e.g. 0.5 ≤ t ≤ 3 mm and t > 3 mm) and rules for assessing multiple or adjacent imperfections.
• Applies to manual, mechanized and automatic welding in all positions; lists applicable ISO 4063 welding process groups.
• Primary assessment by visual and macro‑examination (where macro‑examination is used, maximum tenfold magnification is specified for detectable imperfections).
• Guidance for different loading conditions (static, thermal, corrosion, pressure) and additional guidance on fatigue in an annex.
• Systematic imperfections are generally permissible only at the lowest quality level (D) when other criteria are met; several imperfections are disallowed at higher quality levels.
• Cross‑references and complementarity with NDT acceptance practice (e.g., ISO 17635) and with beam‑welding criteria in ISO 13919‑1.

Typical use and users

Used by welding engineers, quality and inspection personnel, fabricators, regulators and procurement/specification writers to define visual/macro acceptance criteria for welded components in manufacturing, structural steelwork, shipbuilding, process equipment and other industries where welded joint quality must be specified. Inspection bodies and manufacturers use it to set contract acceptance levels and to harmonize inspection reporting across suppliers.

Related standards

Commonly used together with: ISO 6520‑1 (classification of welding imperfections), ISO 13919‑1 (quality levels for beam‑welded joints in steel), ISO 17635 (NDT of welded joints — general rules for radiographic and ultrasonic testing and correlation with quality levels), ISO 4063 (welding process classification). It also complements regional/adopted variants (EN ISO 5817) and industry codes (ASME, AWS, API) that reference or align with ISO acceptance criteria.

Keywords

welding, fusion welding, weld quality, imperfections, acceptance criteria, visual inspection, macro‑examination, quality levels B C D, ISO 5817, steel, nickel, titanium, ISO 6520, ISO 13919.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 5817:2023 is an International Standard that specifies quality levels and acceptance criteria for imperfections in fusion‑welded joints in steel, nickel, titanium and their alloys (beam welding excluded).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers limits for surface and internal imperfections, weld geometry features and multiple imperfections for butt, fillet and branch welds (material thickness ≥ 0.5 mm), provides three quality levels (B, C, D), and offers guidance for different load types and fatigue‑sensitive applications.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Welding engineers, fabricators, inspection and quality personnel, standards writers, contracting authorities and certifying bodies use ISO 5817 to specify and assess acceptable weld quality in production and procurement.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO 5817:2023 (Edition 4, published February 2023) is the published edition and supersedes ISO 5817:2014.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It belongs to the family of ISO welding acceptance and classification standards. It is closely associated with ISO 6520‑1 (imperfection classification), ISO 13919‑1/‑2 (beam welding acceptance), ISO 17635 (NDT and correlation) and ISO 4063 (welding process classification). These documents are often referenced together when specifying weld quality and inspection requirements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Key keywords include: weld quality, imperfection limits, acceptance criteria, visual inspection, macro‑examination, quality level B/C/D, fusion‑welded joints, steel, nickel, titanium.