Orbital TIG welding is used in a wide range of industries, from oil and gas to semiconductor production. The process produces consistently good quality welds with high levels of productivity.
The arc welding section at TWI has recently acquired some new equipment. It is being used to support member companies in welding procedure development, for carrying out new application studies and for research projects. Oftenwelding procedures are specific to particular makes of equipment but TWI now has two commercially available systems in the laboratory, with a third on the way.
The Swagelok ® M100 system is designed for autogenous welding of pipes and tubes from as small as ¼" in diameter up to 4" in diameter. Although limited to thin wall tube the wall thickness capability can be enhancedwith the application of active fluxes.
Swagelok ® M100
For larger diameter pipes the Liburdi Dimetrics Gold Track ® IV DSP system can be used with the clamp on FFIP TM head for pipes over the range 1.5" to 3" and for larger pipes a track mounted DSP-F series head is available.
This equipment will shortly be complemented by an Arc Machines Inc orbital welding system. Both the Liburdi Dimetrics and AMI heads have a cold wire fill capability (two wires in the case of the Dimetrics F series head) making themsuitable for thick wall pipe.
The range of application for this equipment is vast, including equipment for food production, semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals and oil and gas as well as applications in the shipyard and aerospace industries. To find out more ordiscuss applications for orbital TIG welding, please contact Geoff Melton or Richard Jones. E-mail: geoff.melton@twi.co.uk richard.jones@twi.co.uk
