prEN 18205
(Main)Qualification of Welding Procedures for Plastic Materials
Qualification of Welding Procedures for Plastic Materials
This document specifies a procedure to qualify a preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) by welding procedure tests to produce a qualified welding procedure specification (WPS).
This document applies to the following thermoplastic welding processes: hot gas welding: round nozzle, speed, wedge; extrusion welding; heated tool welding: butt, socket, wedge. The document applies to the welding of the following products: sheet, pipe (unreinforced, solid wall only); fittings (unreinforced only); lining membrane.
This document covers the welding of the following groups of materials:
a) for sheets, pipes and fittings: PVC (including all kinds of PVC-U, PVC-C) and ABS; PP; PE; PVDF; ECTFE, PFA and FEP;
b) for lining membranes: PVC-P; PE; ECB;PP;
c) for pipes and fittings only: PA-U 11 and PA-U 12
Qualifizierung von Schweißverfahren für Kunststoffe
Qualification des modes opératoires de soudage des matières plastiques
Le présent document spécifie un mode opératoire pour qualifier un descriptif de mode opératoire de soudage préliminaire (DMOS-P) à l’aide d’épreuves de qualification d’un mode opératoire de soudage afin de produire un descriptif de mode opératoire de soudage (DMOS) qualifié.
NOTE 1 L’application du présent document garantit que la qualification du DMOS-P se déroule selon une procédure d’épreuve uniforme.
NOTE 2 L’objectif principal de la qualification du mode opératoire de soudage est de démontrer que le procédé d’assemblage proposé pour la construction est capable de produire des assemblages ayant les propriétés mécaniques requises pour l’application prévue.
Le présent document s’applique aux procédés de soudage de matières thermoplastiques suivants :
— soudage au gaz chaud : buse ronde, vitesse, coin chauffant ;
— soudage par extrusion ;
— soudage par élément chauffant : bout à bout, emboîture, coin chauffant.
Le présent document s’applique au soudage des produits suivants :
— feuilles ;
— tubes (sans renfort, à paroi compacte uniquement) ;
— raccords (sans renfort uniquement) ;
— membranes de revêtement.
Le présent document couvre le soudage des groupes de matériaux suivants :
a) pour les feuilles, tubes et raccords :
— PVC (incluant tous les types de PVC-U, PVC-C) et ABS ;
— PP ;
— PE ;
— PVDF ;
— ECTFE, PFA et FEP ;
b) pour les membranes de revêtement :
— PVC-P ;
— PE ;
— ECB ;
— PP ;
c) pour les tubes et raccords seulement :
— PA-U 11 et PA-U 12.
Kvalifikacija postopkov varjenja za polimerne materiale
General Information
Overview
prEN 18205 (CEN draft) establishes a uniform procedure to qualify a preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) by means of welding procedure tests so that a qualified welding procedure specification (WPS) can be issued. The standard applies to common thermoplastic welding processes - hot gas welding (round nozzle, speed, wedge), extrusion welding, and heated-tool welding (butt, socket, wedge) - and to products such as sheet, unreinforced solid-wall pipe, fittings (unreinforced) and lining membranes.
Key thermoplastic families addressed include PVC (PVC-U, PVC-C), ABS, PP, PE, PVDF, fluoropolymers (ECTFE, PFA, FEP), and specific materials for membranes and some pipe materials (PVC-P, ECB, PA-U11/12).
Key Topics
- Preliminary WPS (pWPS): pWPS shall be prepared according to CEN/TS 16892 and provide the basis for test execution.
- Test piece preparation: Test pieces must be welded per the pWPS; shapes and specimen locations are defined to avoid damaging the weld and heat-affected zones.
- Examination and testing: Visual examination (per EN 13100-1 and EN 14728) during welding and testing stages; mechanical (destructive) tests follow EN 12814 series (bend, tensile, peel, crush as applicable).
- Welding Procedure Qualification Record (WPQR): A documented record of procedure variables, visual observations, and mechanical test results used to demonstrate qualification.
- Acceptance criteria: Visual imperfections are assessed against EN 16296; mechanical test acceptance refers to EN 12814-8 and the specific test standards in the EN 12814 series.
- Range of qualification: The standard defines how qualification applies across organization, parent material, material thickness, welding process and position, joint type, and quality level.
Applications
prEN 18205 is intended for manufacturers, welding coordinators, testing laboratories and specifiers who need to:
- Validate welding procedures for pipelines, tanks, membranes and fabricated plastic assemblies.
- Produce a documented WPS that ensures consistent joint performance for service conditions.
- Support compliance and quality assurance programs in building, industrial, and utility applications where thermoplastic welded joints are used.
Benefits include improved repeatability of welds, clear acceptance criteria for imperfections and mechanical properties, and a harmonized foundation for personnel qualification and production control.
Related Standards
Relevant referenced documents include:
- CEN/TS 16892 - Specification of welding procedures
- EN 12814 series - Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics (bend, tensile, peel, crush)
- EN 13100-1 - Visual NDT of thermoplastic welds
- EN 14728 / EN 16296 - Imperfections and quality levels
- EN 13067 - Qualification of welding personnel
This guidance helps organizations translate a pWPS into a certified WPS by combining prescribed test specimens, visual and destructive testing, and a formal WPQR to demonstrate that the defined process produces joints fit for their intended application.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2025
Kvalifikacija postopkov varjenja za polimerne materiale
Qualification of Welding Procedures for Plastic Materials
Qualifizierung von Schweißverfahren für Kunststoffe
Qualification des modes opératoires de soudage des matières plastiques
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 18205
ICS:
25.160.10 Varilni postopki in varjenje Welding processes
83.080.01 Polimerni materiali na Plastics in general
splošno
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
June 2025
ICS 25.160.10
English Version
Qualification of Welding Procedures for Plastic Materials
Qualification des modes opératoires de soudage des Qualifizierung von Schweißverfahren für Kunststoffe
matières plastiques
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 249.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 18205:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European Foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Preliminary welding procedure specification . 7
5 Welding procedure test . 7
6 Test piece . 7
6.1 Welding of test pieces . 7
6.2 Shape and dimensions of test pieces and test specimens . 7
7 Examination and testing . 12
7.1 Type and extent of testing . 12
7.1.1 Visual examination . 12
7.1.2 Destructive testing. 12
7.2 Welding procedure qualification record (WPQR) . 12
7.3 Acceptance levels . 13
7.3.1 Visual examination . 13
7.3.2 Destructive testing. 13
7.3.3 Re-testing . 14
8 Range of qualification . 14
8.1 General . 14
8.2 Related to the organization responsible for welding . 14
8.3 Related to the parent material . 14
8.4 Related to material thickness. 15
8.5 Related to welding process . 15
8.6 Related to welding position . 15
8.7 Related to type of joint . 16
8.8 Related to the quality level . 16
8.9 Specific to process . 16
8.9.1 Hot gas welding . 16
8.9.2 Extrusion welding . 16
8.9.3 Heated tool butt welding . 17
8.9.4 Heated tool socket welding . 18
8.9.5 Heated tool wedge welding . 18
8.9.6 Hot gas wedge welding . 19
Annex A (informative) Welding procedure qualification record (WPQR) - Hot gas welding . 20
European Foreword
This document (prEN 18205:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 249 “Plastics”,
the secretariat of which is held by SIS.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
Introduction
This document covers the principles to be observed in the qualification testing of welding procedures for
thermoplastic materials.
1 Scope
This document specifies a procedure to qualify a preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) by
welding procedure tests to produce a qualified welding procedure specification (WPS).
NOTE 1 The application of this document ensures that the qualification of the pWPS is carried out according to
a uniform test procedure.
NOTE 2 The primary purpose of welding procedure qualification is to demonstrate that the joining process
proposed for construction is capable of producing joints having the required mechanical properties for the intended
application.
This document applies to the following thermoplastic welding processes:
— hot gas welding: round nozzle, speed, wedge;
— extrusion welding;
— heated tool welding: butt, socket, wedge;
This document applies to the welding of the following products:
— sheet
— pipe (unreinforced, solid wall only);
— fittings (unreinforced only);
— lining membrane;
This document covers the welding of the following groups of materials:
a) for sheets, pipes and fittings:
— PVC (including all kinds of PVC-U, PVC-C) and ABS;
— PP;
— PE;
— PVDF;
— ECTFE, PFA and FEP;
b) for lining membranes:
— PVC-P;
— PE;
— ECB;
— PP;
c) for pipes and fittings only:
— PA-U 11 and PA-U 12.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 12814-1, Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 1: Bend test
EN 12814-2, Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 2: Tensile test
EN 12814-4, Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 4: Peel test
EN 12814-7, Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 7: Tensile test with
waisted test specimens
EN 12814-8, Testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 8: Requirements
EN 13100-1, Non destructive testing of welded joints of thermoplastics semi-finished products - Part 1:
Visual examination
EN 14728, Imperfections in thermoplastic welds - Classification
EN 16296, Imperfections in thermoplastics welded joints - Quality levels
EN 13067, Plastics welding personnel - Qualification of welders - Thermoplastics welded assemblies
CEN/TS 16892, Plastics - Welding of thermoplastics - Specification of welding procedures
EN ISO 23936-1, Oil and gas industries including lower carbon energy - Non-metallic materials in contact
with media related to oil and gas production - Part 1: Thermoplastics (ISO 23936-1)
ISO/TR 20118, Plastics – Guidance on fire characteristics and fire performance of PVC materials used in
building applications
ISO/TR 25901-1, Welding and allied processes — Vocabulary — Part 1: General terms
ISO 13953, Polyethylene (PE) pipes and fittings — Determination of the tensile strength and failure mode
of test pieces from a butt-fused joint
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 13067, ISO 23936-1,
ISO/TR 20118, ISO/TR 25901-1 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminoloy databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
standard welding procedure specification
sWPS
welding procedure specification that contains acceptable welding variables based on standard industry
practice and is specified in national or international standards or specifications
4 Preliminary welding procedure specification
The preliminary welding procedure specification shall be prepared in accordance with CEN/TS 16892.
5 Welding procedure test
The welding and testing of test pieces shall be in accordance with Clauses 6 and 7.
6 Test piece
6.1 Welding of test pieces
Preparation and welding of the test pieces shall be carried out in accordance with the pWPS.
6.2 Shape and dimensions of test pieces and test specimens
The dimensions of the test piece and the number of test specimens to be cut from the test piece are
specified in Figures 1 to 7.
The shapes, dimensions and conditioning of the test specimens are specified in the relevant test
standards.
Cutting the test specimens shall be carried out without significant damage to the welds and their heat
affected zones.
Minimum dimensions in millimetres
Key
1 discard
2 6 bend test specimens cut from within this area
Figure 1 — Test piece for a butt weld on sheet (for bend test specimens)
Key
1 4 test specimens, 1 in each location (x1, x2, y1, y2)
l ≥ 350 or 2 dn, whichever is longer
Figure 2 — Test piece for a butt weld on pipe (for bend or tensile test specimens)
Minimum dimensions in millimetres
Key
1 discard
2 5 tensile test specimens cut from within this area
3 tensile test specimens (for reference)
Figure 3 —Test piece for a butt weld on sheet (for tensile test specimens)
Key
1 socket
2 pipe
l ≥ 5 dn
Figure 4 — Test piece for a socket weld
Minimum dimensions in millimetres
a) Test piece for lining membranes b) Lap seam without testing channel
Key
1 discard
2 5 peel test specimens cut from within this area
3 welding zone
Figure 5 — Test piece for lining membranes - Lap seam without testing channel
Minimum dimensions in millimetres
a) Test piece for lining membranes b) Lap seam with testing channel
Key
1 discard
2 5 peel test specimens cut from within this area
3 welding
...
Frequently Asked Questions
prEN 18205 is a draft published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Qualification of Welding Procedures for Plastic Materials". This standard covers: This document specifies a procedure to qualify a preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) by welding procedure tests to produce a qualified welding procedure specification (WPS). This document applies to the following thermoplastic welding processes: hot gas welding: round nozzle, speed, wedge; extrusion welding; heated tool welding: butt, socket, wedge. The document applies to the welding of the following products: sheet, pipe (unreinforced, solid wall only); fittings (unreinforced only); lining membrane. This document covers the welding of the following groups of materials: a) for sheets, pipes and fittings: PVC (including all kinds of PVC-U, PVC-C) and ABS; PP; PE; PVDF; ECTFE, PFA and FEP; b) for lining membranes: PVC-P; PE; ECB;PP; c) for pipes and fittings only: PA-U 11 and PA-U 12
This document specifies a procedure to qualify a preliminary welding procedure specification (pWPS) by welding procedure tests to produce a qualified welding procedure specification (WPS). This document applies to the following thermoplastic welding processes: hot gas welding: round nozzle, speed, wedge; extrusion welding; heated tool welding: butt, socket, wedge. The document applies to the welding of the following products: sheet, pipe (unreinforced, solid wall only); fittings (unreinforced only); lining membrane. This document covers the welding of the following groups of materials: a) for sheets, pipes and fittings: PVC (including all kinds of PVC-U, PVC-C) and ABS; PP; PE; PVDF; ECTFE, PFA and FEP; b) for lining membranes: PVC-P; PE; ECB;PP; c) for pipes and fittings only: PA-U 11 and PA-U 12
prEN 18205 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 25.160.10 - Welding processes. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
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