Suggested Response - Q6

**What is the importance of welding for hygienic design and what welding recommendations would you put in place?

Response:

Welds are used to manufacture vessels, equipment and to join pipes. Therefore, they form an integral part of the installation. Poor welds can leave crevices where dirt can collect and make cleaning difficult.

Recommendations that can be put in place to ensure the welding is compliant with hygienic design principles are:

  • Avoid overlapping of materials; rather butt-join where possible.

  • Ensure welding is continuous so that there are no crevices in which dirt can accumulate.

  • Do not weld in corners – rather bend metal and weld away from the corner.

  • Piping setup has to be free of misalignment or ovality (meaning the pipes must be round).

  • Inside and outside of the joints must be properly cleaned and dried.

  • Adequate back purging with an inert gas, such as argon, to prevent oxide formation and “cauliflowers” on the inside.

  • A properly qualified TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welder, or better still, the use of an automated orbital welder.

  • Proper inspection of finished welds. It is accepted practice to insist that a percentage of welds get X-rayed or dye pen tested.

  • Welds to be properly cleaned and passivated.

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