What is an Orbital Welder?
For precise, identical welds in applications like steel tube welding or sanitary pipe welding, you need an orbital welder.
Orbital welding systems use a computer/microprocessor, capable of storing multiple programmes. Making it easy to carry out each job automatically once selected, with no room for error. The microprocessor ensures identical welds every time.
In the orbital welding process, tubes and pipes are clamped in place. An orbital weld head then rotates an electrode and arc around the weld joint to make the required weld.
The welding torch is housed in either a welding head or carriage.
Workpieces remain clamped in place while the welding process takes place.
Orbital welding applications use either the TIG or MIG welding processes, and is recommended for performing circumferential welding of pipe and tube.
Why Do We Need Orbital Welding Systems?
Automated pipe welding machines and orbital tube welders provide identical welds, every time.
They perform welds better than by hand, moving around the work piece with ease and accuracy. Thus allowing for better quality welds.
Being automated, and with the welding torch housed, they also offer increased safety.
While a machine is performing the welds, a welder is not exposed to the dangers of welding.
Multi-pass is also possible with the use of filler wire over many levels.
Thanks to it's ability to realise high purity results, orbital welding found its place clean-room welding.
Industries that Use Orbital Welding Equipment.
Stainless steel tube welding, fusion pipe welding and stainless steel pipe welding all benefit from orbital welding.
Orbital tube and pipe welders increase weld quality and efficiency in industries including:
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Pharmaceutical
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Aerospace
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Brewery
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Food
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Dairy
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Beverage
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Heat exchangers
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Nuclear
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Petrochemical
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Offshore
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Semiconductor
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Waste water treatment
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Petrochemical
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Biotechnology
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Medical
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Power generation
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Shipbuilding
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Vessel manufacturing
Orbital Welding Machine Manufacturers.
Manufacturers of sterile tube welders, boiler tube welders, and orbital pipe welders include:
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MK Products
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Axxair
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Castolin Eutectic
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Weldlogic
Tube and pipe tooling, such as edge-prep and bevelling equipment, is manufactured by:
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GF (George Fischer)
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TAG Pipe
Orbital Welder Training.
If you are looking for orbital welding training, this is something we can source for you.
Whether TIG pipe welding with AMI orbital welders, or MIG welding with Gullco Automation equipment.
Click here to contact us and we will be happy to assist, Worldwide!
Orbital Welding Equipment.
An orbital welding system consists of a power supply and an orbital weld head.
The power supply and control system supplies and controls the welding parameters. This is according to the specific weld program created or recalled from memory.
The power supply provides the parameters and arc welding current.
As well as the power to drive the motor in the weld head, and switches the shield gas(es) on/off as necessary.
Orbital weld heads are enclosed or open, with suitability depending on the application.
Closed weld heads provide an inert atmosphere chamber that surrounds the weld joint. Standard enclosed heads are suitable for welding tube. With sizes from 1/16 inch (1.6mm) to 6 inches (152mm), and wall thickness' of up to .154 inches (3.9mm).
For pipe welding larger diameters and wall thickness', open weld heads are used, with the addition of wire. Or the MIG process is used.
Benefits of Automated Orbital Welding.
There are many reasons for using orbital welding equipment. These benefits include:
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Productivity. An orbital welding machine will outperform manual welders time and again. Paying for the initial outlay cost of the equipment in a single job.
- Quality. The quality of a weld performed by orbital welding with the correct program, will be superior to that of manual welding. Applications such as sanitary tube and pipe welding need automated welding to reach the quality needed.
- Consistency. Once a weld schedule has been programmed, an orbital welder can perform the same weld hundreds of times. This eliminates the normal variability, inconsistencies, errors and defects of manual welding.
- Skill level. Certified welders are difficult to find. With orbital welding equipment you don't need a certified welding operator. All it takes is a skilled mechanic with some orbital welding training.
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Location Limitations. You can use orbital welding in applications where access and space is restricted. Or physical size of the welding device is limiting. Orbital weld heads are used in rows of boiler tubing that are difficult for a manual welder. This is in respect to use of a welding torch or weld joint visibility.
The History of Orbital Welding.
Orbital welding was founded in early 1960, when the aerospace industry needed a superior joining technique. Particularly for plane hydraulic lines.
The solution; a mechanism to rotate a welding arc from a tungsten electrode around a tube-weld joint. Automating the entire process using a control system to regulate weld current.
The result was a more precise, reliable method than manual welding.
Orbital welding became practical for many industries in the early 1980s. Mainly due to development of portable, combination power supplies and controls that operated from 110V.
Modern orbital welding machines offer computer controls that store welding schedules in memory. The skills of a certified welder are thus built into the system. Enabling the production of enormous numbers of identical welds, whilst leaving little room for error or defects.
For sale or rental, we have the largest range of GTAW orbital welding machines.
Orbital tube welding, orbital pipe welding and tube to tube sheet welding are areas we specialise in.
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Specialties: Automated Orbital Welding, Orbital GTAW, Narrow Groove Welding Technology, Mechanised Welding, Mechanised GTAW
