Continuous Experimentation Improves Pressure Pipe Welding Quality

Continuous Experimentation Improves Pressure Pipe Welding Quality

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Those of us old enough to remember the first images of robot welders on a car production line can still remember how fascinating it was to watch the stilted, jerky movements of these strange arms, laying down weld faster than any human. Of course, the ultimate result was massive job losses in those areas, but without that technology, the car industry would not be where it is today. Welding machines now produce most of our welded product, but there is still a place in industry for human welders, in areas like pressure pipe welding, where skilled workmanship can still outdo a machine.

Root pass welding is often considered to be the most important factor in pipe welding, and it is here that welding defects like melt-through and lack of fusion are most likely to be found. Companies can employ either the expertise of an experienced welder or a welding machine in welding steel pipe Brisbane.

In root pass welding, a skilled welder with practiced small hand movements can lay down a sound continuous supporting weld surface so that subsequent deposits create a solid bridge across the matching joints. This level of finess is harder to produce by machine so that this type of welding is constantly throwing up issues of quality.

One particular research project looking for a solution to this problem examined the BGPA (backing gas pressure adjustment) method to see if it improved surface smoothness of the back side surface of electro polished tube welds. The theory was that a pressured gas cushion could be used to support and guide the molten metal which drops or yields holes or dross. Compared with other processes, the result should be that the weld will solidify in a flatter pattern.

As a result of the experiment, the dross formation was affected by the backing gas pressure. When adequate pressure was applied in an internal pipe chamber, the molten metal was supported by a gas cushion resulting in it solidifying in a flatter fashion. In addition, the molten metal was cut when a high gas pressure was applied.

The BGPA method was shown to be the best way to perform root pass bridging, and the different shielding gas created no obvious change in the weld microstructures. Using this method of pipe fabrication fabrication companies are taking advantage of tried and tested methods to get the best quality result for their clients.

Today's techniques are a far cry from the manual processes at the beginning of the welding industry. It should be noted, though, that while machines now do the repetitive work, the gentle touch of a skilled human welder is still in demand. There are still some things that need human intervention.

About the Author:
Welding steel pipe Brisbane is a job for specialists and PPW Steel http://www.ppwsteel.com.au/ is a pipe fabrication Brisbane specialist company with over thirty years of experience in the field.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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