African Fusion March 2022

Welding and cutting

Rotoweld 3.0: The ultimate in automated pipe-spool welding passes. Each torch has its own wire spool, with the root pass being completed us- ing Lincoln Electric’s proprietary Surface Tension Transfer (STT) short circuit GMAW process, while GMAW, FCAW, MCAWor SAW are used for the fill and capping runs.

W ith experienced pipe welders hard to find and fabricators needing to increase their productivitywhile delivering high-quality products as quickly as pos- sible at the lowest cost, the Rotoweld 3.0 pipe spool welding innovation may well be the answer. The latest evolution of the system, Rotoweld 3.0, is a total solution for auto- mating the welding of pipe spools. The system is now being brought to the African market by ArcStrike, which has recently signed an agreement with Tecnar to rep- resent and support the technology. Sean Blake, technical director of ArcStrike, says: “ArcStrike aims to introduce innovative welding technologies to the local market to assist industry to be more competitive. Rotoweld 3.0 offers massive welding pro- ductivity improvements for those need- ing to stay competitive in today’s global fabrication industry. Compared to manual welding using a TIG root pass and MMA capping runs, the Rotoweld system offers welding speeds that are five times faster, withall of the additional quality and consis- tency benefits associated with automated processes,” says Blake. The system incorporates two welding torches: one to perform open-root-pass butt welds and the second for fill and cap

extractor travel on the rails to the welding position under the control of the operator using the joystick. A single-bay Rotoweld system comes with two rails for a total pipe spool length of 9.75 m. This can be upgraded to an extended bay system for longer spool lengths. The two heavy-duty pipe stands, to sup- port the rotating pipe spool, can bemoved quickly and easily on the rail while staying aligned with the rotator to guarantee per- fect positioning. A hand pump connected to a hydraulic cylinder enables the pipe section to be perfectly levelled, safely and easily. Heavy-duty steel idler rolls allow the pipe to turn freely, and rubber idlers are also available for stainless steel ap- plications. Rotoweld is also available in a twin-bay model, which allows for welding to take place on a primary positioner while the secondary positioner is freed for loading andunloading. A twinbayRotoweld system can realistically deliver arc-on times of 90% – and a single-bay systemcan be converted into a twin-bay at any time. The Rotoweld system is ideal for pipe diameters from 75 to 1 220 mm, has a load capacity of 6 800 kg and it can also be con- figured to weld slip-on flanges. 4D Synergy Welding Unlike many other automated pipe welding solutions, another strength is that perfect preparation is not necessary. The standard pipe prepa- ration used for manual welding is sufficient. Via the joystick, the opera- tor canmanage hi-lo variations of up to 75%of the gapwidth, and root gap variations of up to 100%. This due to embedded 4D Synergy Welding™ control developed by Tecnar. This patented technology uses proprietary algorithms to link the four key welding parameters – travel speed, wire feed rate, arc voltage and weaving width – so that any joystick command maintains ideal welding and fill conditions. 4D Syn- ergy Welding provides a smooth and comfortable welding feeling that enables many people to adopt Rotoweld as soon as they lay their hands on it. And in terms of ease of use, welding operators can be trained to perform code-compliant welds using a Rotoweld system in less than one week. www.arcstrke.co.za

Seamless integration of the Lincoln Electric Powerwave S500 power source with STT ensures top quality welding, in particular for the critical root weld. Proce- dure development has never been easier thanks to Synergic welding programs that automatically set the correct voltage for any given amperage value. Positioning of the robotic welding arm can be achieved in seconds with no need for human intervention, and embedded LED lighting helps the welding operator to align the torch easily and accurately in the bevel before starting to weld. During weld- ing, a cameramonitors and controls puddle penetration and adapts all the welding parameters in real timewhile providing the welding operator with real-time feedback on the process. Proprietary designed rail system Thewhole Rotoweld 3.0 system ismounted on a pre-aligned rail-based backbone that is easy to level on almost any shop floor. The welding station and an optional fume

Rotoweld 3.0 is a total solution for automating the welding of pipe spools that offers massive welding productivity improvements for those needing to stay competitive in today’s global fabrication industry.

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March 2022

AFRICAN FUSION