From April 15th to 19th, everything literally revolved around pipes, pipe accessories and techniques for pipe processing – and ABICOR BINZEL presented a range of pipe welding products at its own booth. These included the ABIBUG® 300, the iST ARC sensors (iSENSE TRACK ARC) and coated contact tips.
Anyone who has ever welded pipes knows that ten or more layers are not uncommon. Moreover, the work often must be carried out under extreme conditions such as wind, rain and extreme temperature fluctuations. Most importantly, the root layer must be perfect so that the weld is secure and stable. There are many challenges in pipe welding that place a lot of strain on the welder. But how do you overcome them?
This was the topic at this year's Tube in Düsseldorf, a famous trade fair for the pipe industry. With 1,200 exhibitors from 54 countries, it covered the entire spectrum of the industry. For the first time, ABICOR BINZEL was represented with its own booth and showcased innovative product solutions in the field of pipe welding together with Novarc Technologies – a long-standing cooperation partner. Most visitors came from the petrochemical, shipbuilding, pipeline construction and oil and gas industries.
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l.t.r.: Nikita Telford (Novarc Technologies), Gary Glasgow (ABICOR BINZEL) and Markus Pfeffer (ABICOR BINZEL)
ABICOR BINZEL and Novarc Technologies: A strong collaboration
Novarc Technologies is a Canadian company specializing in the design and manufacturing of cobots and AI systems for robotic welding applications. The cooperation with ABICOR BINZEL started in 2019. With Novarc Technologies as an established company on the Canadian and North American market and ABICOR BINZEL as a world leader in arc welding technology, users benefit from the combined expertise of both companies. A team from both companies was constantly available at the trade fair to give visitors an insight into the latest developments in economical pipe welding.
The central element of this cooperation is the Spool Welding Robot (SWR™). This collaborative welding robot not only makes pipe welding more economical, but also much easier thanks to its intuitive operation – no programming is required. Up to 5 positioners can be integrated with this collaborative robot. In this way, e. g. productivity can be increased three to five times when welding carbon steel and up to twelve times when welding stainless steel. It also has the smallest CO2 footprint compared to similar pipe welding robots in the field of pipe welding.
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Smart product solutions for orbital welding
The shortage of skilled welders is also affecting the pipe welding industry. As a result, there is an increasing trend towards partial or full automation. One product therefore attracted particular interest at Tube: the ABIBUG® 300 orbital welding tractor.
The ABIBUG® 300 is mainly used where the pipe cannot be rotated – for example in pipeline construction. It is attached with a positioning band so that it rotates around the pipe during the welding process. This process was demonstrated in a live simulation at Tube.
Compared to manual welding, it is 400% more efficient for filler and cover layers and relieves the welding operator when welding in confined positions. Compared to other orbital welding robots, the ABIBUG® 300 is a particularly lightweight system. With the integrated 5 kg wire spool, it has a total weight of less than 20 kg. This means that it can be easily carried by one person and easily moved from one pipe section to the next.
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Laser sensors in trend
The seam tracking sensors of the iST ARC series (iSENSE TRACK ARC) from ABICOR BINZEL are also part of a smooth automated welding process. They met with particular interest at Tube. The iST ARC sensors are so-called adaptive sensors. They recognize the size of a joint as well as its course during the welding process and pass this information on to the welding robot. The robot adjusts the amount of wire fed, the welding speed and the weld path in real time. This greatly minimizes defective welds and rework.
Ideal for narrow gap welding
Coated contact tips also play an important role in pipe welding. They are used primarily for orbital welding, but also for narrow gap welding. They are available in a variety of geometries and have a ceramic coating that makes them ideal for these applications. Because pipe welding often involves thick walls and narrow, deep gaps, contact between the contact tip and the workpiece wall can occur quickly. This can lead to excessive short-circuiting, overheating and eventually copper inclusions. The special coating on the contact tips prevents this and ensures longer service life.
The future of pipe welding
In addition to the growing use of automation solutions, the prospect of future developments in pipe welding is exciting. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important. Its integration will open up completely new possibilities and potential for pipe welding
ABICOR BINZEL and Novarc Technologies will continue offering innovative product solutions in the field of pipe welding to make the daily work of welders as easy as possible.
Interested in a demo of the SWR™? Then please click here:
