TPT September 2017

T E CHNOLOG Y

The GMAW automated pipe spool welding solution – Rotoweld

The Rotoweld is also easy to operate: at full swing one operator controls the welding and one operator the unloading and loading of pipe-spools. A capacity of 300 dia-inch per shift is possible. The Rotoweld is also of a modular build. The user has the option to choose to work with a single bay or twin bay. However, the twin bay system has major advantages and is currently the most popular set-up. The twin bay is the most efficient choice because of the ability to work on two bays at the same time and the higher output this leads to. The vision-based technology enables the operator to control the process from start to finish. The system continually analyses the image of the root weld pool picked up by a video camera incorporated in the welding arm. Unique algorithms use this information to adjust welding parameters such as travel speed, wire feed rate, arc voltage and weaving width, constantly adapting the process to varying conditions such as changes in gap, alignment, root face or temperature. Full-penetration root pass in an open bevel joint represents the ultimate in pipe welding skills and this applies in the fabrication of pipe spools; that is, a sub- assembly of pipes and fittings welded in pipe shops and then sent into the field. If the welder deposits metal too far above the weld pool, it sinks and cools

THE Rotoweld is a fully automated pipe welding work cell developed specifically for industrial pipe prefabrication, small pressure vessel manufacturing or similar 1G welding projects. It integrates machine vision, adaptive control and robotics technology in a complete dedicated solution that is fast and offers full penetration 1G high quality welding. Because of the adaptive controls it welds the open root automatically, in a normal set-up situation. There is always some degree of variation in gap and land and there is also some misalignment of the wall. This is no problem for the Rotoweld. Its ‘welder’s’ eye (machine vision) checks penetration and its ‘welder’s brain’ (adaptive controls) reacts and adjusts parameters as required to obtain a good penetration all around. Fills and caps are welded with fixed settings. This system is up to five times faster than SMAW and uses GMAW for the root, the hot pass and the cap. The work cell can process spools from 4" to 42". It can weld pipe to fitting connections and welds carbon steel pipes with standard wall at one dia-inch per minute, root, fill and cap included. The Rotoweld can weld 12" carbon steel pipe with standard wall in only 12 minutes, for example. The Rotoweld 3.0 welds the root with GMAW and the fill and the cap with GMAW, FCAW or SAW.

prematurely, so fusion is incomplete. But if the welder keeps the arc in front of the weld pool, and at just the right height, hot metal flows toward the root and a full- penetration root pass is obtained. At the Schweissen & Schneiden exhibition in September, Copier will exhibit the Rotoweld and would be happy to welcome visitors to stand 10B04. In 2014 the company released the third iteration of the Rotoweld 3.0 technology, which uses a custom robot to perform 1G girth welds. The robot arm performs the root, fill and cap passes with one welding gun and can be configured for multiple processes. For example, a thick walled pipe might call for GMAW for the root pass and SAW for the fill and cap passes. Copier Bevelmachines – The Netherlands Email: info@copierbv.com Website: www.bevelmachines.com

Rotoweld 3.0 (twin bay) automated pipe spool welding machine

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SEPTEMBER 2017