The condition of a part after welding, before any stress relief or post-weld heat treatment.
As-welded covers a great deal: the weld metal, the heat-affected zone, the base metal, residual stresses from contraction, and any distortion the welding caused. It is a specification of condition, not just of surface.
Machining an as-welded assembly is difficult for exactly these reasons — hardness varies across the heat-affected zone, residual stresses release as material is removed and the part moves, and distortion may have to be corrected before anything can be set up.
Machining a welded assembly to a tight tolerance without stress-relieving it first. The residual stresses release during cutting and the part moves after the last pass.
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