SYMBOLS IN WELDING, A COMMUNICATION CHANNEL.

Symbology is a very important communication channel between the design department and the manufacturing department, which is why it is essential to know the characteristics of the most important symbols in the area of welding and nondestructive testing.

Symbols are so important that the AWS American Welding Society established a standard where all categories and symbols for welding and nondestructive testing are grouped together. It is AWS 2.4; work is currently underway on the latest version, which will be released at the end of this year as the 2020 edition.

The determinations made regarding welding specifications are part of the

responsibility of the design engineer or designer; and so are the joint design and type used. Even so, the responsibility still falls on the fabrication personnel to accurately interpret and then prepare those joints for fabrication. Knowledge of welded joint terminology is essential in day-to-day work communications. The use of appropriate terms makes it easier for working personnel to avoid the welding and fit-up problems encountered during the fabrication process and to convey them to other personnel. There is a direct relationship between welded joint terms and the supplementary welding symbols for information and dimensioning. It is imperative for the welding inspector to have a thorough knowledge of these aspects of communications.

To understand the symbols, it must be clear that each space has a meaning, as does the direction of the arrow and therefore all the symbols. Below are the basic welding symbols.