Introduction
Orbital welding is a common process used in various industries such as aerospace, pharmaceuticals, food sector and semiconductor manufacturing. This process is fully automated and highly précised. In this method, the welding electrode is rotated around a stable cylindrical structure such as tube or pipe. This process was first used in the aerospace industry in the 1960s. Nowadays, orbital welding is often used in sectors demanding high weld integrity. TIG welding method is used to carry out this process as it delivers clean and reliable welds. Orbital welding is known for providing flawless and consistent welds along with keeping safety of the pipes intact.
Characteristics of Orbital Welding Process
Below stated are the characteristics of orbital welding process:
- Fully Automatic: This process is fully automatic and reduces human intervention which also reduces the chances of errors.
- Control on Precision: This process has a good command over key welding parameters such as speed, current and voltage which results in consistent welding results.
- High Repeatability: This process is considered ideal for projects that demand consistency and high-quality welds.
- Defect-Free Application: This process minimizes the risk of defects such as contamination, porosity and cracks ensuring the precision of the weld.
Equipment Used in Orbital Welding
Below stated are some of the important equipment used in the orbital welding process:
- Power Supply: Power supply holds the main control of entire welding procedure as it provided power to welding head and control parameters such as current of the welding arc. It also allows the operator to create weld cycles desired or required for specific materials.
- Welding Head: Welding head is a part attached to a pipe or a tube and holds the electrode while rotating it around the attachment. The environment provided by the welding head depends on the type of welder used. The welder can be both open-head or closed-head.
- Tungsten Electrode: Tungsten electrode is a non-consumable electrode used in the TIG welding process. This electrode is known for maintaining a stable arc in the heating and joining of the materials.
- Shielding Gas Supply: This process also requires a shield of inert gases such argon to prevent the weld from contamination, oxidation and keep the weld as clean as possible.
- Cooling Unit: Cooling units are required by some systems during extended welding cycles. The main function of cooling units is to prevent the equipment from overheating.
Types of Orbital Welding Machines
Orbital welding machines can be of two types. These types are:
- Close Head Machine: This machine is closed and protects the weld from contamination. This machine is used in critical environments where cleanliness and purity are essential. It is mostly used in pharmaceuticals and semi-conductors’ industries. The biggest advantage of using this machine is that it delivers clean and precise welds and protects them from contamination.
- Open Head Machine: This machine is used for larger pipes where environment protection is not required. This machine is easy to set up and offers more versatility. This machine is used in the pipes of power generation and construction industries. The biggest advantage of this machine is its flexibility for various large diameters and its easy set up techniques.
Steps of Orbital Welding Process
Below stated are the steps of using orbital welding process correctly:
- Preparation of Materials: This step includes a thorough cleaning of pipes and tubes by removing the contaminants. This process helps in ensuring the delivery of detect-free weld.
- Setting up the Machine: In this step, the correct type of welding head is chosen and parameters such as weld current and flow of shielding gas is determined.
- Welding Execution: In this step, the machine starts rotating electrodes around the pipe and offers a uniform heating and penetration.
- Cooling and Inspection: The last step of this process is inspection of the weld after it cools down. The weld is inspected using various non-destructive testing (NDT) methods to avoid the chances of any defects.
Benefits of Using Orbital Welding Process
Below stated are some of the key advantages of orbital welding process:
- Consistency in Quality: This process delivers uniform and repeatable welds in industries that require high precision.
- Efficiency: This process has minimum human interaction which makes it faster and more efficient. It also increases the overall productivity of the weld and equipment.
- Safety: This automatic process ensures safety of the operators by keeping them away from dangerous areas and reduces the risk of accidents.
- Precision: As it is an automatic process, it delivers absolute precision by creating accurate and repeatable welds even in dangerous situations where there are high chances of contamination and leakage.
- Purity: The closed head type of orbital welding reduces the risk of contamination and is considered ideal for industries such as semi-conductors and pharmaceuticals. It is most commonly used in gas systems which requires high purity.
Industries that Use Orbital Welding Process
Below stated are some of the key industries that uses orbital welding process for precision and accuracy:
- Semiconductor Industry: In this industry, orbital welding assures the high-purity joins in transporting gases and chemicals in difficult situations.
- Aerospace: The aerospace industry uses this process for delivering precise welds for important and reliable aerospace components.
- Pharmaceutical and Food Industry: These industries use orbital welding for smooth and crevice and contamination-free welds.
- Power Generation: The power generation industry used this process to ensure the integrity of the pipes in difficult environments such as nuclear power plants.
Take Away
This is the brief explanation about the orbital welding process, its characteristics, benefits and industries that use it. We hope this information will be effective for you. Please let us know through your valuable feedback and the suggestion in the drop box.