Missing and extending material can look different even at the same general weld boundary.
Retain the section geometry
TWI distinguishes undercut from overlap in its review of geometric imperfections. Undercut involves a groove at the weld boundary; overlap involves metal extending onto the parent surface without the corresponding fusion. Primary reference: TWI technical explanation.
Record the toe or root location and actual profile. A generic uneven-edge label would combine different geometries and make a later fabrication discussion harder to trace. The classification alone does not provide an acceptance threshold.
Compare fictional outlines
Imagine profile A has a recessed groove beside the weld toe. Profile B has a metal lip projecting over the adjoining surface with an identified unjoined interface beneath it. Both are hypothetical cross-section sketches.
A worksheet with separate groove and projecting-lip fields preserves the difference. A simple height measurement without its direction or location could conceal it. Neither sketch establishes an imperfection depth, joint capacity or acceptable limit for a real application.
Link classification and requirement
Retain specimen identity, observation method, profile orientation and the named geometry together. Keep any dimension and the actual applicable requirement in separate fields so a category is not mistaken for an acceptance decision.
Ask the fabricator which evidence supports the observed profile and how that observation is assessed for the intended joint. Preserve uncertainty when the interface under a lip has not been established. This worksheet organizes the geometry without inferring a remedy or judging a weld from a blurred surface image.
Customer Questions
What distinguishes the invented groove profile?
It is recessed beside the weld boundary.
What distinguishes the invented overlap profile?
It extends over an identified unfused interface.
Does the category determine acceptance alone?
The actual joint requirement and observation basis also matter.
Primary References
These references support the technical principles discussed in this guide. The worked examples and review questions are educational.
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