TPT May 2008

T ube & P ipe W elding: T rends & P rogress

L ike other specialities at the nexus of basic and applied science, tube welding is in a constant state of being made to yield more: greater integrity of the joint, fuller automation of the process, higher and yet higher productivity. The composition, structure, and properties of welds are under study and development at all times; as are the methods – butt welding, spot welding, arc welding, MIG, TIG, stick, orbital – on which rest the serviceability of the product and the reputation of the manufacturer. But runningparallel to thesedevelopments is theadvance of welding itself, the state-of-the-art manufacturing process. As customer-specific fabricating becomes more prevalent, we can expect just-in-time production

strategies to power a trend toward mass customization. Integration of welding processes into the direct fabrication methods will likely follow. The evolution toward real-time distribution of parts will influence the selection of joining processes for many applications. This will demand sensor and control technology based on sophisticated programming, for ensuring the integrity of welded products in the new environment. And so on.

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The evolution toward real-time distribution of parts will influence the selection of joining processes for many applications

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The precise, reliable, cost-effective technique of welding is always in progress. Asserting that industry must be alert to demographics and other social conditions – and be able to respond quickly to the needs of the population – the American Welding Society even discerns a humanitarian component to it.

In its ‘Vision for the welding industry’ , which examines the issues and opportunities that the welding industry will face in 2020, AWS cites this example: “A market is emerging to serve the needs of ageing baby boomers. Industry will develop products to support this generation’s medical requirements, creating new joining opportunities in technologies such as biocompatible implants.”

How many other industrial processes can claim such synchrony with the concerns of the great world beyond the factory doors?

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M ay 2008

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