TPi November 2015

Fully automated solution handling all phases of preparation, welding and finishing

Examples of horizontal and vertical umbilical bundling machines

The contents of the spools are fed to an assembly structure where the super-duplex pipes are wound around a larger pipe forming the core of the umbilical. The umbilical can then be armoured, or pre-encased in a plastic sheath, before finally undergoing an extrusion operation in which it is covered with a PE sleeve. As various diameters of tubing are used in the construction of umbilicals, the spools contain different lengths of tubing, which means that they often have to be changed before the umbilical is completed. The assembly operation is suspended while the empty spool is replaced by a new one. A welder then steps in with a Polysoude mobile orbital welding set to butt the new tube to the end of the previous one. Connecting umbilicals to the UTH Umbilicals are joined to an umbilical termination head (UTH) via connectors that are welded to the various constituent tubes of the umbilical. A Polysoude MU low profile head is used to make the joint.

properties of the material used. The parameters are therefore monitored by means of a data acquisition unit, which records data in real time. This manufacturing concept offers flexibility through independent installations for all phases of preparation. A second method consists of a complete, fully automatic machine integrating four operations: cutting, dressing/ bevelling, welding, and polishing. The equipment is mounted on a motor-powered trolley. Utilities and connection bundles are conveyed via cable-carrier chains. The welding power source is also mounted on the trolley transporting the welding head. This automated configuration integrates all phases of tube assembly. Umbilical construction Once the various constituent tubes have been made, the umbilical is bundled to gather the tubes, tube separators, electrical cables and fibre optic cables together in a single strand. Depending on the manufacturer, the bundles are assembled either horizontally or vertically. The umbilical bundling system can take up to a dozen of these large spools of stainless steel piping, of various inside and outside diameters.

At each stage of the manufacturing process, the Polysoude orbital or automated TIG installation ensures consistent quality

Mobile orbital welding set for spool interconnection

Welding operation

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November 2015 Tube Products International