4. Wuxi JACK Proposed 3 Methods on Narrow Plate Butt Welding in Steel Plate Flat Butt Welder Machine:
Comparatively, Wuxi JACK engineers have opinion that, such design change is not feasible, the reason will be explained later. Conversely, they proposed 3 options to customer:
1) Option 1: Automatic Operation with Steel Plate Butt Welding Joining Machine:
This is most ideal condition: Carry out butt welding on large plates first, then cut it out into narrow plates, as shown with righthand dashed lines: (Fig.6)
a) The butt welded joint plate will be cut with either Flame Strip Plate Cutting Machine, on 6mm to 40mm thickness plates;
b) Or cut with Shear Machine, on 3mm to 6mm thickness thin plates;
Analysis: The entire process is fully automatic and fluent, no need to add on addition machines/ tools, and with the least operator involved;
2) Option 2: Spot Welding Narrow Plates before Working on Steel Plate Butt Welding Joint Machine:
a) Need to have manual spot welding at both ends of narrow plates first, make it into an integral piece, then implement with butt welding:
b) Operator carry spot welded 6 narrow plates onto MP20 steel Plate Butt Welding Joint Machine, for subsequent official butt welding: (Fig.7)
c) Analysis: Such operation is time consuming. Because operator need to:
1, Make adjustment, to make sure perfect alignment on linearity of 3 pairs of narrow plates joint seam；
2, Need complete manual spot welding at two corners of each narrow plate ahead of time;
3, Long/ narrow/ thin steel plates usually have certain degree of bending. So, its straightening takes fairly time: Should be heated, taking 1 minute on each piece of plate heating. The 6 pieces in the above photo is 500mm long. And customer production site has 1- 3m length narrow plates；
4, Need to have operators to carry the spot welded narrow plates onto conveyors of steel plate Flat Butt Welder Machine. Such operation design contradict with ideology of “As much less manual job as possible”;
5, The entire position adjustment depends on operator skill and experience;
3) Option 3: Butt Welding on One Pair of Narrow Plate One by One with Steel Plate Flat Butt Welder Machine:
The finished single pair steel plate butt welding effect: (Fig.8)
a) Analysis:
This operation way looks low efficiency. But, without time on adjustment of Option 2:
1, Butt welding seam alignment;
2, Manual spot welding;
3, Carry spot welded plates onto machine;
4, Or, add on end tab between narrow plates;
b) Discussion:
The entire butt welding process maybe possibly be faster than option 2: 6 or more pieces of narrow plates to be butt welded together, in steel Plate Butt Welding Joining Machine. Some engineers even have opinion that, the time spend on the above adjustment can finish butt welding on these pairs of narrow plates;
c) Conclusion: Which is better, method 2 versus 3, depending on customer choice and practical condition at their workshop production technology route;