Filler Metal MTR Requirements
DOES FILLER METAL COME WITH AN MTR FOR EACH HEAT?
Unless specified on the purchase order, or a random fluke, filler metal does not come with an MTR for each heat of filler metal.
To reduce the frequency of tests filler metal manufacturers can establish a reduced testing frequency based on their ability to demonstrate that their manufacturing program consistently meets specification requirements. This reduction in testing has the benefit of decreasing costs of the filler metal, but may not be what was expected by the purchaser. Remember that the specification allows the manufacturer to sell filler metals with certification paperwork that is only representative of that which is being sold if supported by the manufacturer’s quality assurance program (refer to SFA-5.01 Annex A paragraph A1). There are also defined testing schedules in SFA-5.01 Clause 5 that allow for the representative “Typical MTRs”.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTUAL MTR & A TYPICAL MTR?
In the welding industry a “Typical Test Report” shows the MTR details of a representative batch / heat / or lot but it does not provide the “actual” results from the filler metal you have purchased. See SFA-5.01 Clause 5 “2 or G” for reference.
An “Actual MTR” is one that provides the results of the filler metal from the batch / heat / or lot that you have purchased, and can only be obtained by specifying it on your purchase order. See SFA-5.01 Clause 5 for details on what testing schedules should be specified to obtain filler metals with an “Actual MTR”.
The “Typical Test Report” and “Actual Test Report” have developed as a non-standard terms and may not be consistent between different manufacturers. Refer to the definitions section at the bottom of this article for the preferred standardized terms “Certificate of Compliance” and “Certificate of Conformance” which are formally defined by SFA-5.01.
HOW CAN I PROCURE FILLER METAL THAT HAS TESTING DONE ON EACH HEAT?
The only way to guarantee that you will receive filler metal that has been tested by the lot or heat you are purchasing is to specify it on the purchase order, by specifying the Testing Schedule “4 or I”, “5 or J”, or “6 or K” per SFA-5.01 Clause 5; refer to the details in this clause to better understand what each of those means.
Summarized Table of Testing Schedules as Detailed in SFA-5.01 Clause 5 (table is close to the end of the article)
If specific testing is not specified on the purchase order the filler metal you receive will be supported by certification paperwork that has been performed on material that represents the filler metal you are receiving (Representative Testing or Typical Testing) and not on the actual filler metal lot (Actual Test Report).
CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMANCE VS CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
Certificate of Compliance : A statement that the product meets the requirements of the AWS, ISO, or other applicable welding consumable specification/classification.
Certificate of Conformance : A test report documenting that the product meets the requirements of the AWS, ISO, or other applicable welding consumable specification/classification.
HOW IS A CMTR DIFFERENT THAT AN MTR?
MTR : Material Test Report : an MTR is a report documenting the results of tests performed by the manufacturer to fulfill the requirements of the material specification. Results of test performed to meet supplementary or special requirements specified by the purchaser may also be included on the MTR. An MTR shall identify
CMTR : Certified Material Test Report : is a certified MTR, a CMTR is a test report where there is specific references to the tests being conducted on the actual material supplied. The CMTR may contain results of some or all of the tests required for classification, or other tests as agreed upon by the purchaser and supplier.
DEFINITIONS
Actual Test Report : a non-standard term referring to the certification paperwork based on the actual filler metal material.
Typical Test Report : a non-standard term referring to the certification paperwork based on a representative material sample. This representative paperwork is considered to be “Typical” and that the product supplied will meet the requirements of the applicable consumable specification if it were to be tested. The use of “Typical Test Report” may not be consistently applied between different manufacturers; refer to the more consistent definitions of “Certificate of Compliance” or “Certificate of Conformance”.
Heat : For fully metallic consumables, or the fully metallic portion of the filler metal; the material obtained from one furnace melt, or uninterrupted series of melts from one controlled batch that shares the same chemical composition, processing conditions, and traceability.
Batch : a batch generally refers to the ingredients mixed at one time in one mixing vessel, generally to create the flux portion of the filler metal. It is a key concept in ensuring traceability and quality control, particularly for filler metals like covered electrodes or tubular cored electrodes/rods. While not always used interchangeably with "lot," batches form the basis for defining certain lot sizes and classifications.
Lot : a discrete, defined quantity of welding consumables, usually beginning with the word “Lot” and followed by a series of alpha-numeric characters. A lot groups the welding consumables together by a defined quantity that has associated testing performed on it. A lot facilitates traceability back to the testing information that is documented on supporting paperwork such as an MTR or Certificate of Conformance.