Patent ID: 7405377

Claim:
A method for comparing a plurality of welding flux systems to determine which flux system results in the smallest incidence of undercut about a weld bead in an inner of a pipe comprising: a) selecting a first flux system; b) selecting a first welding procedure for forming a weld bead on the pipe; c) forming a first weld bead on the pipe by use of said first flux system in combination with said first welding procedure; d) electronically scanning at least a portion of said first weld bead to obtain a first set of data about said first weld bead, data about a region about said first weld bead, or combinations thereof; e) selecting a second flux system; f) forming a second weld bead on the pipe by use of said second flux system in combination with said first welding procedure; g) electronically scanning at least a portion of said second weld bead to obtain a second set of data about said second weld bead, data about a region about said second weld bead, or combinations thereof; and, h) comparing said first and second sets of data to determine which flux system results in the smallest incidence of undercut about weld beads in the pipe.