Yes, but, if the rod or filler material was inferior and not up to specs, it would create a faulty weld. If the tensile strength or the material was not up to standard, an xray or inspector would not be able to identify the fault. When hundreds of tons of welding material is ordered and delivered to the contractor, the contractor can only go by how it is labeled. If the manufacturer knowingly mislabeled the filler material , then I can understand the statement that the welds were knowingly faulty. Like I said, the article does not state who knew the welds were faulty, I don’t put the blame on the welders, they are a tough bunch but they have integrity, even if they don’t like their fitters.
I get you point now and agree. With the loss of manufacturing we’ve had since the 80’s it could introduce inferior products.
I’ve had more than my share of fitters that tried to cut corners when prepping my joints. As the welder, it was my responsibility to make sure the piping was built per the plans. I had some that couldn’t figure out why they were getting laid off, but I wasn’t.