TPi January 2020

Tube welding technology

Bringing portable orbital welding gains to a wider global marketplace

The emergence of orbital welding – a technique that has its origins in the 1980s – has brought with it a degree of control and consistency that now finds potential applications across a wide range of industries. It is also an area in which Westermans International Ltd, which sources, refurbishes and supplies a long list of welding and subsidiary equipment, has been able to demonstrate the benefits of its services to industries worldwide. “Orbital welding, which, in most cases, comprises a programmable power source, welding head and wire feeding device, is used extensively where high quality tube-to-tube applications are required,” said Claire Spillane, Westermans International’s company secretary. “By providing a stable, repeatable process, the technology, which is often portable, not only optimises the finished result but also enables a high degree of consistency to be achieved, thanks to the use of computer control in which multiple programs can be stored and implemented as needed.” Ms Spillane points to a growing list of Westermans customers who are enjoying the benefits of the technology in industries ranging from aerospace, boiler tube manufacturing and offshore

The company regularly holds around 400 welding and associated equipment units in stock, representing a range of manufacturers and welding technologies and enabling it to select the most appropriate solution to each application need. Recent examples of Westermans International’s involvement in the orbital welding field include the supply of two AMI 207 units to Sentinel Gas Systems in Coventry, UK, which designs equipment that can handle gas supplies of up to 300 bars, often of a hazardous or toxic nature, where high-quality welding is a key objective. With its suitability to a variety of materials, including carbon and stainless steel, titanium and nickel and aluminium alloys, the advantages of orbital welding technology are extensive, and its accuracy and reliability open up new material opportunities. Its programmable operation not only delivers consistent results, but can also contribute toother productionobjectives such as the need for traceability. Westermans International is opening up these benefits to customers in a

applications, to food and beverage, pharmaceuticals and semi-conductor production. “Importantly, our approach often enables customers in these fields to gain from advanced orbital welding technology at a fraction of the cost of new equipment,” continued Ms Spillane. “Because this is fully supported by our 50 years’ experience and detailed understanding of welding technology, we can focus on ensuring each unit supplied matches the precise needs of every customer.”

growing number of industries. Westermans International Ltd www.westermans.com

Orbital open weld head

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January 2020 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL