The company has a group of cooperation teams engaged in the Welding Drill Pipe industry for many years, with dedication, innovation spirit and service awareness, and has established a sound quality control and management system to ensure product quality.
Pipeline welders, pipe fabricators, power generation facilities and other businesses all benefit greatly from the advances in pipe welding technology. Red-D-Arc carries automated pipe welding systems and pipe cutting and beveling equipment from trusted brands like Axxair, EH Wachs and Bug-O. Our customers demand equipment that can endure the toughest conditions, and that’s what we provide.
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The welding equipment used in pipeline welding is highly varied, as different types of pipelines require different welding techniques. Due to the specific challenges posed by this type of welding and its crucial role in global infrastructure and economy, pipeline welding is considered a distinct profession within the welding industry. Consequently, it necessitates the use of a wide range of specialized tools and equipment to facilitate the safe and efficient joining and repair of pipelines.
Pipelines are like the veins of our planet, and each region has its own pipeline structures transporting natural gas, oil, water, and other vital infrastructure. Like veins in our bodies, pipelines are scattered everywhere. And very often, they are laid in uninhabited terrain with harsh environments, which makes a pipeline welder’s job a challenge on its own.
Any pipeline failure can lead to dramatic economic and environmental consequences. So, weld quality is crucial for pipeline integrity and environmental safety. Pipe welding is sometimes done manually but often employs automated welding equipment to improve weld quality.
Unlike horizontal plate welding, pipe welding requires making circumferential welds around the joint line. The welding process is far more challenging because you must keep the torch/electrode angle consistent as you travel along the joint. In addition, operators must reposition themselves as they travel around the pipe, which takes time and can put welders in uncomfortable welding positions out in the field. Welder fatigue, harsh environmental conditions, the challenge of maintaining the same arc travel angle, keeping an even joint gap, and many other challenges make pipe welding a complex job that requires specialized welding equipment.
The oil and gas industry primarily relies on pipelines for gathering, processing, and distribution. However, many different pipeline types are involved in these processes, and they all have unique challenges during their production.
There are five main types of pipelines:
These pipelines vary in size, primary material, internal pressures, and the types of chemicals and aggressive agents the inside and outside of the pipes are exposed to. As a result, there are varying welding needs depending on the pipeline type you are working with. For example, joining a service distribution pipeline made of copper with a pressure of 6 psi has completely different welding equipment requirements than joining a carbon steel transmission pipeline of up to 42-in diameter with pressures up to 1,200 psi.
Pipeline welding equipment is highly diverse and specialized for welding pipes of various materials and diameters. In addition, many advanced automated pipe welding solutions exist for different pipe materials and sizes. While manual pipe welding plays a significant role in the pipeline industry, automated equipment provides consistent arc manipulation patterns, speed, voltage, amperage, and work angles.
Besides the welding equipment, joining pipes also requires external and internal clamps, pipe stands, pipe lifting devices, pipe bending equipment, weld testing machines, and various auxiliary equipment. The need for these additional tools depends on the pipeline types and the location where the pipes are joined.
Welders also need to use personal protective equipment (PPE). Besides welding apparel, pipe welders use pancake-style welding helmets to prevent backlight exposure and ensure maximum eye protection from arc radiation, sparks, and spatter. In addition, pancake-style welding helmets are lighter than standard flip-up welding hoods, which reduces fatigue during days with extended hours under the hood.
While a lot of the manual pipe welding is done with the well known E6010 and E7018 stick welding electrodes, the TIG, MIG, and Flux-cored welding processes are also often applied, depending on the pipeline type, material, pipe diameter, and other variables.
Joining pipelines in remote locations is not only challenging for your welding crew but for your equipment as well. Besides exceptional arc stability and built-in features, your welding power source must be made to perform in harsh environments.
For example, the diesel-powered Big Blue Air Pak from Miller is designed for heavy industrial applications and built to be one of the most reliable high-output welders in the world. This powerful unit can output 500A at 100% duty cycle or 600A at 60% duty cycle, allowing your welders to join the thickest of pipes efficiently and with little to no downtime. Its “Arc-Drive” automatically enhances stick welding, especially when welding pipe, by improving arc stability and preventing it from going out. Besides excellent stick welding capabilities, the Big Blue Air Pak includes MIG, FCAW, DC TIG, and submerged arc welding processes. As a result, you can join pipes in the most optimal way for your current job.
Another option is to use dual-output diesel-powered welders like the Dual Maverick 200/200X from Lincoln Electric. This workhorse of a welder can output up to 450A in a single mode or up to 225A in dual mode — it combines two welding machines into one, allowing your pipe welders to work simultaneously on the same pipe. Besides its support for MIG, DC TIG, and stick welding, it also supports arc gouging at up to 450A, allowing you to gouge bad welds quickly. In addition, its Downhill Pipe (CC) mode allows your operators to weld the pipes “downhill” with a more forceful digging arc during the root and hot passes and a softer arc when “stacking the iron” during the fill and cap passes.
Cutting and beveling the pipe remains one of the most challenging aspects of pipe preparation. No matter how skilled your operators are, achieving a consistent bevel angle on the pipe is nearly impossible when manually severing with the torch. On the other hand, pipe fit-up and cut precision must be almost perfect for maximum joint quality and for the weld to pass the inspection.
Pipe bevelers and cutters allow you to accurately prepare the pipe joint quickly and consistently. Depending on the system, they are mounted inside or outside the pipe. An operator can easily position the beveler or a cutter in about five minutes or less and achieve clean cuts and bevel angles, making pipe welding far easier and with a lower chance of weld failure.
Preheating and post-welding heat treatment are often crucial to establishing a sound weld. Pipes made from various high-strength steel grades and alloys have specific preheating temperatures and often must undergo a process of stress relieving through post-welding heat treatment. In addition, the interpass temperature between each consecutive weld is usually provided in the welding specification sheet.
If the pipe joint is not appropriately preheated or the interpass temperature is incorrect, there are higher chances of weld cracking due to brittleness and hydrogen diffusion. Therefore, pipe heating equipment is vital for successful pipe joining.
There are various pipe heating technologies on the market, but most of them are based on induction heating, open flame heating, and ceramic resistance pads. High-quality systems not only provide sufficient pipe heating, but can also log the data and offer very accurate and uniform pipe heating. Unlike traditional open flame heating systems, induction heating systems like the Miller ProHeat 35 don’t cause water vapor condensation and won’t contribute to additional hydrogen buildup in the weld.
Pipeline welding is a very diverse field and depending on the types of pipes you need to join, your equipment selection can vary significantly. For example, if you are a fabricator who joins pipes in the shop for your client, you may require completely different equipment than a contractor working on large transmission pipelines in the open and across the states.
Red-D-Arc has a massive fleet of pipeline welding equipment at your disposal. You can rent the necessary tools and avoid purchasing, storage, and maintenance costs. Investing in heavy-duty pipe welding equipment is costly and often doesn’t make financial sense. Many contractors move from job to job. So, it’s more cost-effective to rent and scale in and out with your equipment on an “as-needed basis.”
Contact us today, and our experienced team will help you determine the needed equipment based on the job at hand. Red-D-Arc has over 60,000 units of high-end equipment strategically placed across North America, and we can provide our tools to your job site, regardless of the location and equipment requirements.
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“Welding Pipe” encompasses many applications ranging from small-diameter sanitary tubing to large-diameter pressure vessels. Some applications are more accessible to automate than others, but many difficult-to-automate applications can still be assisted by some degree of mechanical integration into the pipe welding process (mechanization).
But automation adds complexity to the welding process. Successful automation requires additional equipment, fixturing, and control of manufacturing processes (for example: part geometry and fit-up). In short, automation is not without cost—tangible and intangible.
So why automate?
Automation:
Machines can achieve a higher operator factor (more time spent welding versus time spent not welding) and handle higher deposition rates than even a dedicated welder using a handheld semi-automatic welding process.
Mechanization controls the fine motor skills required to produce high-quality welds. This means that fatigue does not become a detractor to weld quality. This also means that newer operators may be able to produce high-productivity high-quality welds.
Both general and specialized methods of mechanization and automation can respond to the challenges of the pipe welding industry with respect to the upfront cost and process control that can be afforded.
Rolling out pipe is one of the first methods commonly employed to help automate the welding process, and doing so can significantly maximize welding productivity. Typical methods of rolling pipe place the pipe “in position ” As with welding plates, welding in position allows the use of high productivity welding parameters since the adverse influences of gravity are minimized.
While evaluating your application, look at pipe-to-flange, pipe-to-elbow, or straight pipe-to-pipe connections, which can be accomplished as subassemblies. Once you have identified these sub-assemblies, consider the following equipment:
The equivalent of jack stands for small-to-medium pipe weldments. Most pipe stands are approximately waist high with adjustments up and down. The stand includes a set of rolls whose distance apart can be adjusted to accommodate pipes of different sizes. Some pipe stands integrate a powered roll into the stand so that a separate welding positioner is not required.
These are typically used for rolling larger-diameter and heavier pipe assemblies. Much like pipe stands, a single pipe roller features a set of wheels with an adjustable wheelbase. Two or more pipe rollers—at least one of which is powered—are required to cradle the assembly low to the ground.
Oscillation—also known as weaving—is a commonly employed welding technique to achieve wider weld bead width to span a joint, deposit additional weld metal per pass, or combine both. However, weaving properly requires skill to maintain good bead contour and consistency. But even skilled operators can experience fatigue when attempting to maximize welding productivity. Therefore, to recreate the technique of a professional welder, a precision device is required to implement oscillation.
The Process Pipe Cell is a near-turnkey solution for some pipe weldments that implements both work-motion and arc-motion to facilitate welding in-position but with manual welding. Work motion is provided by a welding drop-tilt welding turntable. Arc-motion is provided by an oscillator specially designed for welding. The mechanism of the oscillator is mounted to a welding manipulator so that the torch is supported as it traverses side-to-side across the weld joint. Oscillator, manipulator, and power source controls are mounted at a single location on the welding manipulator away from the weld joint to allow the welding operator to perform many adjustments during and between weld passes without having to leave the control station.
Orbital welding is true welding automation; with the push of a switch, an operator can fuse two small-diameter pieces of tubing to a level of quality suitable for pressurized and sanitary applications. In addition, automation is attractive for reducing the risk of rework when encountering small diameter pipe/tube since welding becomes increasingly difficult as pipe/tube diameter decreases.
One type of orbital welding system consists of a specialized GTAW/TIG power source and an unconventional welding torch that clamps around the weld joint. After clamping around the joint, a welding head inside the torch performs a full out-of-position revolution around the weld joint to produce a high-quality autogenous weld in an inert atmosphere (note that an internal shielding gas purge may still be required in some applications). The specialized power source simplifies developing a high-quality welding procedure by coming preloaded with parameters (amperage, travel speed, etc.) that can be selected respective to the diameter and thickness being welded.
The use of welding processes is not limited to simply joining two workpieces. For example, cladding often uses conventional arc welding processes to deposit stainless steel or nickel alloy onto the surface of lower-cost base material to improve the component’s overall performance in corrosive and/or high-temperature environments.
Some systems implement GMAW, SAW, or GTAW. Regardless of the process used, the cladding operation requires making many overlapping passes, sometimes across several weld layers. Low dilution processes and parameters are ideal for minimizing the number of weld layers that may be required. Red-D-Arc supplies a variety of turnkey cladding systems that couple automation with hot-wire TIG. These systems allow the use of high cladding travel speeds, reasonable deposition rates, and low dilution.
While not all applications can be easily automated or mechanized, the variety of equipment available makes it viable for many use-cases in the world of pipe welding. Some options provide great flexibility in how they can be implemented, such as pipe stands and rollers that can accommodate a wide range of pipe diameters.
Other systems are turnkey, such as the Process Pipe Cell. Although more complex, turnkey solutions can automate a more significant portion of the welding process “out of the box.” Contact Us Today to speak with Red-D-Arc’s automation experts. This specialized team is available to assess the needs of your welding application and help you better understand potential solutions for your application.
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Discovering new equipment is an excellent step in improving operational efficiency. However, the first step of any improvement is changing your thinking about the existing process.
What isn’t working about the “old way” of doing things? How does new equipment address those deficiencies? This article aims to share not just tools used to improve pipe welding efficiency but considerations to make about the welding process before researching equipment.
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Texas – One of our customers was trying to heat 42” diameter pipe using pear burners so that welders could weld out the joints. Our team saw an opportunity to create a solution that would help our customer get the job done much more quickly. To make this in-the-field heating job go faster, we put together a package including a Miller ProHeat 35 induction heating system, a 60kVA generator and a DP25 power distribution panel.
Red-D-Arc provided a reliable RDA Induction heating solution to a pipeline construction and maintenance company in Houston who needed to maintain consistent temperatures for their welders to weld out joints from pipes. Our induction heating specialist supplied our customer with a portable induction heating package consisting of a 60 KVA generator, a Miller Pro-Heat 35 induction heating system, and a DP25 power distribution panel. As a cost-effective alternative to their existing propane burners, induction heaters allowed them a secure heating, consistent temperature control, increased weld time, and improved safety.
With this setup we were able to get the pipe up to 250 degrees in about 5 minutes. Our customer was able to beat the competition’s target time by over 19 hours and has been asked to quote on other pipeline work for their client. Needless to say they were pleased with the solution and the opportunity for extra work it created.
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When electrically conductive materials need to be cut, gouged, or marked, plasma cutting is a cost-effective and practical alternative to the oxy-fuel, laser, and water jet cutting processes. Plasma cutting is used in a vast array of industries for an even wider range of applications. Below are some examples:
CNC plasma cutting can be used to cut complex shapes, make holes, and mark surfaces at high speeds in manufacturing industries.
Mechanized plasma cutting (using what is known as a welding tractor or carriage) is used to bevel edges of steel beams and plates, gouging the backsides of welds to achieve complete joint penetration.
Plasma is especially popular in the petrochemical and energy sectors since stainless steel and non-ferrous alloys cannot be cut using oxy-fuel cutting.
Because plasma can be used to cut all electrically conductive materials, such as aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper, it is also an excellent addition to the home workshop or art studio.
Plasma can be used to help complete jobs faster and more cost-effectively. However, this only works if the operator has an understanding of safe operation using high-quality equipment that is appropriately sized for the application.
How Do Plasma Cutters Work?
Understanding a process is paramount to using it safely and effectively. Although the technology surrounding the plasma process is quite complex, the actual theory of operation is easy to understand. Plasma is the 4th state of matter and is higher energy than the solid, liquid, and gaseous states, with the plasma’s temperature reaching well over 40,000°F. The plasma torch is designed to use an electric arc to initiate the generation of plasma.
The arc heats the gas to extremely high temperatures, which causes the electrons in the gas molecules to break free from the atom; this is called ionization. The ionized gas—plasma—also travels at extremely high speeds. This, when combined with the extreme temperature of the plasma, melts and removes the base metal to facilitate cutting or gouging on materials up to 6” thick, depending on the cutting amperage used.
Different shielding gasses are used to suit the metal being cut. Compressed air is a popular choice for portable cutting applications of carbon steel and aluminum. Some applications, such as thick carbon steel, benefit from the use of oxygen additions. Aluminum can benefit from the use of hydrogen additions, and shielding gasses can assist with torch cooling on smaller systems, but liquid cooling is sometimes required for the largest, highest amperage systems.
Different gasses are used to suit the metal being cut. Compressed air or oxygen are generally used for cutting carbon steels, whereas inert gasses like argon or nitrogen are used for cutting stainless steels. A dual gas system (plasma and shielding gas) allows you to run on separate plasma and shielding gasses to optimize the performance, e.g., Air/Air, O2/Air, N2/Air, N2/CO2, Ar-H2/N2, or other combinations. Shielding gasses also assist with torch cooling. Additionally, liquid-cooled torches are available for high-power applications, which provide maximum cooling and long consumable life
Since plasma-cutting equipment requires the use of pressurized gas, you may want to compare the input requirements to the output and duty cycle of an outboard air compressor. These mobile compressors run on diesel up to 450 CFM are also available for rental.
Plasma cutters are also available with integrated air compressors for portable units and are suitable for lighter cutting applications. With Miller’s Big Blue Air Pak, you get power generation and compressed air in one package, which facilitates plasma cutting on remote jobs. But smaller machines not built into welder generators can also be used on a work site for manual cutting as the equipment is portable and lightweight.
As cutting amperage increases, the maximum thickness that can be cut or gouged increases. An amperage range of 15A to 200A would generally provide a cutting range between 5/16” and 2” maximum thickness, although it may be possible to cut more (or sometimes less) depending on the quality requirements of the cut edge.
Plasma-cutting equipment manufacturers typically provide guidance on the “maximum” thickness that their equipment can cut depending on the requirements of the cut edge:
Sever cut – just capable of cutting this thickness with dross and slag left behind
Rated cut – this is the rated cut thickness specified by the manufacturer of the plasma cutter
Quality cut – a quality cut is achieved for materials up to this thickness
Arc/Plasma Starting
There are two types of arc starts available –high-frequency pilot arc, touch, or back blow initiation.
In a touch arc start, the nozzle has to contact the workpiece to start the arc, whereas in a pilot arc, an arc is present in the plasma nozzle, and there is no contact required between the nozzle and the workpiece.
High-frequency start relies on high frequency and voltage power to ionize the gas. If can be used with a pilot arc torch or touch start to initiate the plasma. The disadvantage of high-frequency start is that it can interfere with the electronic circuitry in the vicinity.
In back blow plasma initiation, the plasma is started inside of the torch by the movement of a piston, initiating an arc and ionizing the gas. This arc forms the pilot arc and stays on whether the nozzle is in touch with the workpiece or not.
The following information is simply an overview of plasma cutting safety. Manufacturer’s recommendations, federal and state OSHA safety requirements and recommendations, and industry best practices should ALWAYS be employed when working with welding and cutting equipment.
Plasma cutting is an extremely hot process, with the plasma’s temperature reaching well over 40,000°F. At this temperature, it can effortlessly cut through cloth, skin, and bone. The workpiece and the torch nozzle are hot during cutting and for some time after. Also, hot metal sparks are blown out during cutting. All these constitute serious burn hazards. To protect yourself, you must take the following precautions:
The plasma-cutting process emits a significant amount of infrared and ultraviolet rays, which are harmful to the eyes and skin. A face shield or safety glasses fitted with the correct lens shade must be worn. Face shields have the advantage of protecting your face and eyes from sparks.
To protect the skin against molten metal and fumes, PPE (protective clothing, safety shoes, welding gloves, welding apron when appropriate etc.) covering the whole body is required.
Wear undamaged, dry, and flame-resistant clothing and gloves. We recommend welding within apparel that is made of organic and tightly woven materials such as heavy denim.
Avoid shirts that have collars, cuffs, and pockets, as these may catch flying sparks. It’s best to wear flame-resistant clothing like leather welding jackets or aprons.
Protect your feet with high-top safety boots.
Clearly demarcate the work area with proper area protection and signage.
Point the torch away from your body when starting the arc and during cutting. Be mindful of where sparks may go during the initial piercing of the base metal.
Avoid touching anything near the cutting path.
Plasma cutting is an electrical process that involves high levels of electricity flowing from the power source to the torch, from the torch to the workpiece via the plasma, and from the workpiece back to the power source via the workpiece clamp.
This process involves much higher voltages than welding 110 to 150VDC. Combined with the high amperages required for the plasma cutting, poses potentially fatal risks of electric shock.
Some of the precautions to avoid shock electrocution include:
Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE – e.g., it may be necessary to wear rubber gloves in addition to welding gloves if there is moisture from perspiration, etc.)
Never begin cutting with damaged equipment.
Inspect all electrical connections and wires before turning on the machine to ensure there are no damaged connections or exposed wires. Never begin cutting with damaged equipment.
Ensure that all electrically powered equipment that is damaged or under repair is properly tagged.
Properly ground the plasma cutter in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.
Always use the power outlet that matches the rating of the power source.
Always set the power source to “Off” before handling the workpiece clamp or dismantling the cutting torch.
Ensure that the workpiece clamp is securely always attached during cutting.
Ensure that the surroundings are dry, as water can conduct electricity.
The plasma-cutting process emits smoke and potentially harmful gasses such as hexavalent chromium, zinc oxide, and manganese (as is the case with laser and oxy-fuel cutting). These cause adverse side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, shortness of breath, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and many other problems. Long-term exposure can have fatal implications, such as cancer and neurological diseases.
When working inside the shop environment, and especially in confined spaces, appropriate ventilation is required to direct the fumes away from the operator and keep overall respirable airborne particles low enough to meet regulations and best practices. Fume extraction systems can be quite effective when designed and installed properly. Use high-quality fume extractors such as the SE1400 Fume Extractor and SE1602W Fume Extractor
A welding helmet with fume protection may supplement these measures and may also be required in some environments.
Avoid long exposures to cutting fumes. Even when using smoke extractors , cutting should not go on for extended periods of time. The operator must take regular breaks away from the cutting area.
As a supplement to natural ventilation and fume extraction systems, plasma cutting on CNC machines can be carried out with the water under or fully covering the workpiece. This provides a more cost-effective fume removal option. The waterbed also suppresses the noise caused by the plasma-cutting process. Underwater cutting additionally minimizes distortion, which is particularly useful when cutting thin materials.
The heat and the sparks that fly during cutting constitute fire hazards. All combustible materials must be moved at least 35 ft away from the cutting area or covered with flameproof covers. Ensure that the covers are not damaged in any way. Never cut near flammable vapors, liquids, and gasses. Wear flame-resistant protective clothing.
Plasma cutting can generate noise levels of up to 120 decibels. For this reason, the operator and personnel near the plasma cutter require hearing protection to mitigate the risk of hearing loss.
Always secure cylinders to prevent tipping and subsequent valve damage. Also, be sure to secure/check hoses and connections.
Manual or mechanized
Are you looking to cut by hand or use a CNC machine? – consider the availability of CNC interface signals and voltage divider (to provide safe voltage levels from the torch to control the height of t
he torch automatically).
What level of detail do you need?
Higher quality plasma cutting systems can make cuts with narrower kerf and less beveling on thick sections.
Are you tracking consumables cost and considering best practices for consumable lifespan?
Our experts can share tips and tricks to enhance consumable life, which is specified as the number of cuts or starts the consumable can take before failure.
Red-d-Arc rents and leases a wide selection of high-quality plasma-cutting equipment from market-leading manufacturers. We also offer fume extractors that ensure a safe and efficient cutting process. Have a look at our complete range of plasma-cutting products.
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Pre-weld and post-weld heat treating is critical for many welding operations. Without proper thermal manipulation, welds and heat affected zones can have mechanical properties that are undesirable. Worse yet, inadequate heat treatment can result in cracks and devastating weld failures. While temperature and time are the primary concerns when heat treating a weld, the heating method should also be considered diligently when selecting a process. Induction heating is one of the most popular types of heat treating methods, and rightfully so. The benefits of induction heating are many, and Red-D-Arc has the equipment you need to successfully implement an induction heat treating operation for your projects.
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Welding small diameter tubing can be difficult. The tight radii often require expert welders to deliver precise torch manipulation with finesse. If the welder is not skilled enough, the out of position areas are at risk of poor quality due to gravity affecting the weld pool and ineffective torch angles. If out of position welds cannot be completed satisfactorily, the part must be rotated. However, some assemblies can’t be rotated because of size constraints or they might rotate off of center. If a mechanized welding solution is desired for small diameter components, look no further than our Axxair Orbital Fusion Closed Welding Head Systems.
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It’s a beautiful day in Tulsa Oklahoma. – April 4, 2018
Drop by booth #507 and check out our Orbital Tig and Induction Heating systems. We’ve got a beautifully reconditioned 300 amp Red-D-Arc Diesel welder for sale with special show pricing!!
Don’t forget to scan your badge for PennWell Drone Draw!!
www.pipelineenergyexpo.com – April 3-5, 2018
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By guest Blogger Katarzyna K.
Katarzyna has an Msc in Materials Science and has worked in the oil and gas industry in jobs related to hydraulics, welding and the retrofitting of oil rigs.
Stainless steel is used extensively in the petrochemical industry due to its high resistance to severe conditions. When welding inox steels, the smallest details matter and have an impact on weld quality. The following are some tips for stainless steel pipe welding based on my oil rig repair experience:
During an oil rig repair project that involved 2205 duplex stainless steel pipe TIG welding, we could not achieve the required weld properties. Despite using the recommended filler metal with higher nickel content, compared to the base metal, and controlling the interpass temperature, the weld tensile strength was still too low. In order to reach the required weld quality we dug deeper and found a solution – (more…)
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“You should give as much consideration to the preparation as you do to the actual welding”
Pipe welding is utilized all around the world in diverse industries. A variety of pipe sizes and material grades are joined to manufacture components of various shapes and lengths – from a few feet to many miles. Even though most pipe welding jobs have custom specifications – there are some fundamental aspects of pipe welding that form a common thread for welders and welding engineers alike in order to achieve high quality welds in pipes.
Equipment selection is the top requirement for producing good quality pipe welds. The highest priorities when selecting welding equipment for pipeline welding are reliability, consistency, accuracy and process control. It is also critical that the equipment is easy to use and the controls are intuitive. In addition to equipment performance, the work environment also needs to be a key factor for equipment selection. There are pipe welding configurations designed for offshore welding, remote land based pipeline welding, general fabrication shop use and custom configured automated pipe welding systems. Selecting the right one can be a daunting task – it is always good practice to seek expert advice. Be sure to ask about the various options, capabilities and limitations of each system. When welding CRA (Corrosion Resistant Alloy) grades, it is necessary to use weld purging in order to guarantee the corrosion performance of the root run. The importance of this should not be underestimated.
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Red-D-Arc carries an extensive inventory of welding equipment designed specifically for pipe welding professionals. The latest pipe welding equipment can increase productivity and produce the highest quality welds. We have an extensive fleet of innovative solutions like the Miller PipeWorx Welding System, Red-D-Arc Oscillating Pipe Welder, Bug-O Systems, Orbital Welding Systems from Lincoln and Axxair, and pipe end prep equipment from H&M and E.H. Wachs.
Check out the new Pipe Welding section of the reddarc.com website to learn more.
More articles on orbital welding
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“used extensively in nuclear facilities and underwater operations due to their capacity for robotic setup and operation…”
This versatile series of pipe saws are capable of cutting, 2 inch through 24 inch pipe and solids made from materials including ductile iron, steel, stainless steel, alloys, structural steel pieces and rails. They provided fast, accurate, square faced cold cuts at right angles and can be mounted in any position. Since they are so versatile, the Guillotine Pipe Saws have been used by water and gas companies, nuclear power, petrochemical operations, refineries, and for regular plant maintenance. E.H. Wachs Guillotine saws are completely portable with a rugged design that stands up under demanding conditions. They are compact and easy to operate and require very little maintenance. Precise fingertip controls allow the operator to adjust the speed of the saw blade for optimal results. These pipe saws are used extensively in nuclear facilities and underwater operations due to their capacity for robotic setup and operation. Installation time is less than three minutes. These pipe cutting saws have been adapted for many unique situations and work well under adverse conditions.
If you have any questions on Welding Drill Pipe. We will give the professional answers to your questions.