Features of the Completed Weld

1. Parent metal
Metal to be joined or surfaced by welding, braze welding or brazing
2. Filler metal
Metal added during welding, braze welding, brazing or surfacing
3. Weld metal
All metal melted during the making of a weld and retained in the weld
4. Heat-affected zone (HAZ)
The part of the parent metal metallurgically affected by the heat of welding or thermal cutting but not melted
5. Fusion line
Boundary between the weld metal and the HAZ in a fusion weld
6. Weld zone
Zone containing the weld metal and the HAZ
7. Weld face
The surface of a fusion weld exposed on the side from which the weld has been made
8. Root
Zone on the side of the first run furthest from the welder
9. Toe
Boundary between a weld face and the parent metal or between runs. This is a very important feature of a weld since toes are points of high stress concentration and often are initiation points for different types of cracks (eg fatigue and cold cracks). To reduce the stress concentration, toes must blend smoothly into the parent metal surface
10. Excess weld metal
Weld metal lying outside the plane joining the toes. Other non-standard terms for this feature are reinforcement and overfill