You do not need to be a welder to inspect a sanitary weld. You need a flashlight, a borescope and a checklist. These are the seven things to look for, in order.
1. Color of the Interior
Pass: Bright silver, very light straw, or a faint gold tint.
Fail: Blue, purple, dark gold, brown or black ('sugar') means the purge failed and oxide formed on the inside. Joint is rejected.
2. Full Penetration
Pass: A continuous, even bead visible on the inside, all the way around.
Fail: Gaps, missing bead, or a visible seam between the two tubes — the weld did not fuse the root.
3. Concavity
Pass: Inside surface is flat or very slightly recessed, within ASME BPE limits (typically ≤ 10% of wall thickness).
Fail: Deep dish or visible groove on the inside — collects product and CIP solution.
4. Misalignment
Pass: Two tubes meet flush; you cannot feel a step inside the joint.
Fail: Visible step or offset between the two ID surfaces — a crevice product can hide in.
5. Undercut and Pits
Pass: Smooth surface continuous with the parent material.
Fail: Any pin-hole, pit, crater crack or undercut groove. Auto-fail.
6. Outside Heat Tint
Pass: Light straw to light blue is acceptable on the OD per BPE.
Fail: Heavy black scale on the outside means very high heat input — usually correlates with internal sugaring.
7. Documentation
Pass: Weld is on the weld map; weld log shows welder ID, date, material heat numbers and inspection result.
Fail: No record. If the welder cannot prove who made it and when, the auditor will not accept it.
Failed any of these checks?
Sanitary Welding Solutions LLC repairs and re-welds rejected joints nationwide, with documentation that holds up in audit.