Thin Wall Tube Or Girder Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine

A. Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine for Different Workpieces:

1. Technical Feature: The Special Purpose Welding Machine discussed here has common points of longitudinal seam welding, which is basic welding operation in manufacturing industries;

2. The workpieces for longitudinal seam welding have wide variety,

1) From as small as Φ180mm diameter of 0.3mm thickness small tube,

2) To as large as 2,400mm cross section size, 80mm thickness, 49m length;

3. Materials of workpiece can be carbon steel/ Stainless steel/ Al/ Alloy;

4. Welding mode can be: SAW/ CO₂/ GMAW/ TIG/ MIG...

B. LW Models Thin Wall Tube Longitudinal Seam Welder Machine:

1. Application:

Wuxi JACK LW1000: (Fig.1)

This machine is for thin plate butt welding, and thin wall pipe longitudinal seam welding. It is widely used in all sites involving longitudinal welding, like thin wall pressure vessel, auto parts, household electric appliances, medical apparatus and instruments, food machinery, architectural decoration, etc.;

2. Technical Specialties of LW Thin Wall Tube Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine:

1)  Function: The machine performs automatic sheet butt welding, or thin pipe longitudinal seam welding, in high efficiency and quality, without deformation;

2) Welding modes include: TIG/ MIG/ MAG/ CO₂ Gas Shielding/ Plasma Welding/ SAW (Submerged Arc Welding), meeting various demand from customers;

3) Workpieces includes but not limited to: Thin sheet metal steel plate, thin wall pipe/ tank/ tube, conical cylinder, one side opened box, etc.;

4) Materials of workpiece includes carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, Al, etc.

3. Structure and Performance of LW Longitudinal Seam Special Purpose Welding Machine:

This machine is of stationary overhanging structure, and composed of:

1) Machine frame;

2) Overhanging beam;

3) Welding torch carriage;

4) Mandrel and its locking unit, for fixing workpiece during thin pipe longitudinal welding;

5) Welding system;

6) Electric control system;

4. Securing Small Tube into LW Thin Wall Tube Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine:

1) This is in the manner of pneumatic key type gasbag: With gas inflated into gasbag, the two arrays of keys generate pressure and press workpiece tightly;

a) Pressure of gasbag is adjustable in the range of 0~ 7kg/cm²;

b) Span of the two arrays of keys can be adjusted within 5~ 20mm;

c) In this way, this machine adapts to workpieces of varying specifications;

2) Alignment of small tube: It is simple and easy way, of inserting pin style. For starting work, just insert these pins into its slot, and have seam of workpiece right at the position of this slot, then press down keys. The workpiece is positioned and pressed tightly into the Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine, in correct way;

3) The two arrays of keys are deployed closely along both sides of welding seam, making complete and uniform pressing of workpiece in the process of both thin plate butt welding, and thin wall pipe longitudinal seam welding. The keys are controlled with foot pedal switch, which can exert pressure on workpiece separately;

5. Welding Operation in LW Thin Wall Tube Longitudinal Seam Welder Machine:

1) Mandrel and its locking unit are for holding workpiece tightly during work. It is made of high quality steel by means of precise machining and heat treatment, making its sufficient strength;

2) Water Cooling: During thin wall tank longitudinal seam welding, there is circulating water for cooling inside mandrel, for the purpose of guaranteeing stability of welding operation, and getting the least degree of workpiece deform;

3) There is concave slot at the top of the mandrel, which is gas protecting unit is beneath the concave slot, for fitting up cushions;

4) Besides, the mandrel also has welding seam forming slot, which helps formation of welding seam, for thin wall pipe longitudinal welding and thin plate butt welding;

6. Technical Parameters of LW Thin Wall Tube Longitudinal Seam Welding Machine:

C. Girder Longitudinal Welding Machine:

Wuxi JACK Machine on girder beam longitudinal welding: (Fig.2)

1. Application of Main Beam Longitudinal Welding Machine:

1) In the industries of Crane, Bridge, Port Machinery, and Ship Building, it is necessary to have longitudinal welding on thin wall and super long girder and BOX beam;

2) Workpiece Size: Length of workpiece can be up to 40~ 50m, with cross section size up to 2.4x 2.4m, and thickness 10 ~80mm;

3) The Special Purpose Welding Machine for girder here is designed and produced specifically for this purpose;

2. Technical View on Girder Longitudinal Welding Machine:

1) Welding Mode: Gas shielded CO₂ tack welding. Replacing power supply, the machine can also be used for SAW;

2) Design and Structure of the Wuxi JACK machine on girder longitudinal welding: (Fig.3)

This machine is in the structure of motor drive moving gantry, with both sides of the gantry equipped with a work station;

3) The two welding torches of the two working stations can work individually, but also controlled in interlock and coordination by means of machine control system. Considering difficult communication between the two operators during work, because of very large size of workpiece, and the machine itself;

4) Considering the jumbo size of machine, its gantry movement is double drive;

5) One of the critical points with this long BOX Beam Special Purpose Welding Machine is camber of workpiece, which is considered from start to finish of machine design, and denoted in machine parameter list. For example, vertical stroke of pneumatic drive mechanical welding seam tracing unit is calculated on the basis of workpiece camber. In this set of machine, it is 160mm, together with 100mm stroke in horizontal axis;

3. Work Principle of Main Beam Longitudinal Welding Machine:

1) Welding Position Control: During work, driven with both horizontal and vertical gas cylinders, the mechanical tracing roller leans against tack welding seam in 45°, making the welding torch directed at the welding seam accordingly;

2) Sliding of the tracing roller in horizontal and vertical directions are guided with precise ball bearing linear guideway;

3) Welding Quality Assurance: Besides, there is magnetic detecting unit on the tracing system: As long as movement of the tracing roller exceeds its stroke, the magnetic detecting unit will send out signal and feedback it to control circuit of the machine, making welding torch act in compensation. In this way, welding quality of this Girder Longitudinal Welding Machine can be fully guaranteed all the time;

4) Welding torch modulating unit is fit on its weld arm, for individually adjusting its position and angle for getting the best welding output;

5) All the guideways are precision ball bearing linear guideway, making precise, stable and little clearance of running and thus reliable welding quality;

6) Considering the very long length of workpiece girder and its corresponding long welding time, welding torch is water cooled type. The machine is equipped with water cooling system accordingly;

D. Operation and Parameters of Main Beam Longitudinal Welding Machine:

1.  Major Working Steps in Girder Longitudinal Special Purpose Welding Machine:

1) Hoist the workpiece onto its platform or trolley;

2) Adjust position and angle of the two sets of welding torch, making it directed at welding seams perfectly;

3) Start on machine operation. Its gantry moves in adjustable welding speed of inverter control; The two torches weld both sides of workpiece along its entire length, under the precondition of normal condition welding seam tracing units;

4) For carrying out girder welding, first weld the two seams at its bottom face. Then flip girder 180°, and welding the other 2 seams on opposing surface of girder;

2. Technical Parameters of Girder Longitudinal Welding Machine: