How can pipes be welded more economically?

Pipeline construction is a tough business that depends on quality and speed. Especially in the construction of onshore pipelines, there are still more than 90 % welders who weld the pipes manually. The pressure for welders is particularly high in this production sector because:

1. narrow-gap welding and layer welding require special skills
2. defects in the weld seam are not allowed
3. forced positions during welding put extreme strain on the body

Thus, weld seams have to be produced under time pressure in difficult positions, layer by layer, in a consistently high quality. For such application areas, the investment in an orbital welding tractor, also called an orbital welding system, is worthwhile.

Functionality of an orbital welding tractor

Such a welding tractor is placed on a positioning band which is attached next to the joint to be welded and serves as a guide rail for the automatic welding device. A special welding torch is clamped onto the welding tractor, which travels along the welding joint on the positioning band and welds all layers from the root to the cover layer. The welding specialist sets the appropriate welding parameters and is relieved considerably by the orbital welding system taking over the actual welding work. Such a valuable helper is the ABIBUG 300 from ABICOR BINZEL.

With an orbital welding system, you can weld filler and cover layers in the shortest possible time and with consistent quality – on site or in the production hall. Further developments of such welding tractors have a good handling weight and can be easily positioned from one pipe section to the next. The ABIBUG 300, for example, still weighs less than 20 kg including its 5-kg wire spool.Therefore, an orbital welding tractor offers several advantages when you want to weld pipes economically:

• the welding specialist is relieved during welding
• defects in the weld seam are practically eliminated
• the welding speed and quality are significantly increased

Please also have a look at this video:

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