Why orbital welding

In contrast, operating orbital welding equipment is possible without a long and tedious training program and does not require you come from an accomplished welding background. Training sessions are typically much shorter and easier compared to those of a specialized welder. Because orbital welding uses automated processes, it is much more efficient and cost-effective than manual welding practices. The mechanization of the orbital welding process helps to reduce the time needed to actually perform the welds.

With less production time needed for the welds, your shop can experience significant cost savings. Additionally, since orbital welding reduces the chance for error or defects, less time and money is spent on repairs.

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Orbital TIG welding systems from Praxair can save you time and money while producing top-quality welds on tubing and pipe. The name orbital welding comes of the circular motion of welding tool around the workpiece. In general, orbital welding technology includes coverage two main application areas:. In the first group, all kinds of pipe connections are included: butt welding and welding flanges, bends, T-fittings and valves, i. The second group concerns production of boilers and heat exchangers and includes the various welding tasks related to tube-to-tubesheet welding operations.

The decision for the use of mechanised or automatic orbital TIG welding can be taken for different reasons: economic, technical, organisational, and others may be more or less important or even become the decisive factor.

The orbital welding process offers a large range of benefits which qualifies it for industrial applications. The major advantages are:. Argon is commonly used as shielding gas in the TIG process. It provides good arc striking characteristics and excellent arc stability even at low amperages, the energy of the arc is confined to a narrow area. Argon is also compatible with all types of base materials. Shielding gas for standard TIG welding purposes should have a purity of 4.

Metals which are classified as delicate to weld for example; titanium, tantalum, zirconium and their alloys require a purity of at least 4. However, mild and carbon steels absorb hydrogen with the possible result of porosity and cold cracking, so the use of hydrogen containing gas mixtures is not recommended; for the welding of aluminium and titanium they are strictly forbidden.

Helium has no detrimental effects on titanium, so it is used especially to weld the pure metal or titanium containing alloys. An orbital welding system consists of a power source with control and cooling unit, the welding head with hose package for the supply of control signals, shielding gas, cooling medium and welding current.

Welding heads are divided into closed and open types. Closed heads and the tungsten inert gas TIG welding process are used for thin-walled tubes - e. The welding process takes place under constant conditions in the orbital welding head, which completely surrounds the pipe. Under a permanent shielding gas atmosphere, a TIG electrode is guided in a defined manner around the pipe via the welding head rotor. The pipes to be welded are butt-welded together without gaps or offsets by an arc.

This requires good seam preparation: tubes cut at right angles, a consistently flat bevel, and a metallically clean and burr-free surface can be achieved by using state-of-the-art orbital tube cutting and beveling machines. The dimensions of the welding heads have become more and more compact in the course of development, so that welding can now be carried out even in confined installation conditions.

Closed welding heads are currently available for pipe diameters from 3 to mm. For larger wall thicknesses and pipe diameters up to mm, open orbital welding guns are often used.

In contrast to closed systems, the open arc allows filler material to be added to the weld pool in the form of cold wire. Multi-layer welds with thicker walls are also possible in this way. Handling of the welding process using the closed welding heads as an example is simple: The head is opened and the two pipes to be welded are inserted without a gap. The pipe joint is aligned with the electrode.