1. A method for determining the quality of a weld bead having a weld toe comprising the steps of: producing a weld bead along a work surface during a welding process; scanning the weld bead to obtain positional data points for defining a weld bead profile; determining a curve fit for the weld bead profile based on the positional data points; deriving a weld toe radius based on the curve fit; and comparing the weld toe radius to a first predetermined limit to determine the quality of the weld bead.