TPT September 2024

TUBE WELDING MACHINES & TECHNOLOGY

Inline laser weld inspection for tube manufacturers INLINE laser weld inspection on tube mills provides numerous benefits for fabricators and tube mill operators. In this article Xiris Automation explores three significant advantages that can be achieved by using an inline laser weld inspection system to measure the weld bead geometry of a tube mill. Workers on tube mills face numerous hazards – by implementing an inline laser weld inspection system, fabricators can improve the health and safety of staff because such a system can automate measurement tasks that operators traditionally have to perform. So installing the system can: remove operators from exposure to various hazards that exist in and around a tube mill, including hot or molten metal, hazardous materials and substances, moving heavy equipment, rotating machine parts or electrical hazards; reduce the need for operators to reach in to the tube mill to measure or adjust running equipment; avoid operators using their fingers to feel mismatch or step left on the scarfing bead, reducing common injuries to operators; and

The harsh environment of a busy tube mill

provide magnified, real-time visuals of the weld zone without operators having to enter the hazardous area or encroaching on the running tube mill. Productivity and quality is on every fabricator’s mind as they try to reduce costs. By implementing an inline laser weld inspection system, fabricators can reap quick benefits; provide operators with an early warning when a change occurs in the weld zone; provide automated alerts for any changes in the forming or welding process; provide earlier detection of potential quality issues in the weld right at weld box, rather than at end of line where operator may normally work; detect small variances in thin-walled tubing that are traditionally difficult to detect by operator; and reduces mill downtime. When manufacturing processes get out of control, common trial and error solutions typically prolong the time needed to correct the process. Users of inline laser weld inspection can reduce cost of lab time because there are fewer line qualifications and therefore fewer tests (for example micrograph samples); measure geometrical features that are not possible to detect via NDT equipment; and provide a more consistent approach to setting up a mill, allowing experienced operators to better communicate mill parameters to new incoming operators. One of the biggest wastes during tube production is scrap generation. This can lead to significant costs for a tube fabricator. Sometimes, small changes in the scrap rate can result in a tube mill becoming more profitable. By implementing an inline laser weld inspection system, fabricators can gain: instantaneous feedback to the operator about any potential defects, reducing time to respond to defects/issues and therefore scrap rate; improved changeover setup time – no need to run as much product to dial in the process; reduction set up time because production equipment can be set up faster and operate more efficiently. By reducing the amount of set up time between production runs, there is more time for production. Users can also identify intermittent, hard to detect defects such as strip buckle in weld, scarf tool depth problems or identifying potential scarf tool chatter that cannot be seen unless 100 per cent of the tube is inspected. It also catches defects earlier in the manufacturing process avoiding detection later in the process that could cause product returns or rework.

Next Issue November 2024

September 2024 27 Editorial deadline

September 2024 30 Advertising deadline

Editorial Features Tube mills & rollforming lines Tube bending, end forming & swaging Tube India 2024 — show issue STEELFAB 2025 — show issue

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Xiris Automation www.xiris.com

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SEPTEMBER 2024