Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Orbital Welding - Arc Machines

In conversation, it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether the word “welder” refers to a machine or its operator. However, it’s obvious whether a weld bead was laid down by a human or a machine. Automated welding has a level of consistency that even master manual welders can’t match. With machine welds, it’s often impossible to discern individual weld beads. This is especially true in pipe welding, where the nature of the material means that a manual welder must start and stop to change positions. Automated TIG orbital welding has the advantage of being continuous, and given the skill and quality challenges of manual pipe and tube welding, it’s clear that orbital welding is underutilized. Still, there are advantages and disadvantages to orbital welding, and it’s a good idea for any project manager in the development phase of a pipe or tube welding project to consider both before making a decision. 

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Key Advantages of Orbital Welding

In order to understand the advantages of orbital welding, it is necessary to understand how manual pipe welding is usually performed. It is close to impossible for a manual welder to weld the entire circumference of a pipe in a single uninterrupted pass. Instead, the circumference of a pipe is divided up into quarters, and each pass is completed one quarter at a time. This creates inconsistencies as the arc is stopped and started again. Changing the temperature of the fill material and pipe from hot to cold to hot again multiple times affects the degree of penetration and fusion. The welder must also change position for each quarter of the circumference. Two of those quarters will be in the overhead position, which is widely known as a tiring and difficult welding position.

In orbital welding, the operator mounts the weld head by clamping it to the pipe directly (like a set of vice grips) or by using a guide ring fitted to the pipe. With both methods, the weld head moves around a typically stationary pipe. The operator monitors the weld in case an intervention is needed. Orbital welding offers the following advantages compared to traditional manual pipe welding:

• Consistent Weld Bead Results: Since the weld head moves smoothly and automatically around the pipe, there is no need to stop and restart the weld during the course of normal operation. This improves weld quality by ensuring consistent penetration and fusion.
• Consistent Weld Quality Results: Besides not needing to stop and restart, another significant impact on quality is the consistency of the output of the automated orbital welding equipment, which closely monitors and very precisely controls all the process parameters. As long as the joint preparation and the base material properties are consistent, the orbital solution will precisely execute the pre programmed welding procedure which will lead to consistent results.
• Greater Efficiency: A weld head only needs to be set up one time per weld joint, unlike a manual weld, which requires a change in “setup” on every quadrant for each and every pass. Variations in travel speed, weld current, arc voltage, and the feed rate of fill material are accounted for in the weld schedule entered into the machine. Only minor adjustments to electrode angle may have to be made from pass to pass. This speeds up the welding process, and removes fatigue and discomfort as a factor that can lead to inconsistent welds.
• Ease of Use: Orbital welding machines require the trained operator to understand and be familiar with the machine and know how to set it up. Manual welding, in contrast, requires the operator to be practiced in the particular welding process being used, have experience with the properties of the metals and alloys being welded, and be able to maintain efforts for ten- to 12-hour shifts. It is much easier to obtain a consistent and reliable weld from an orbital system with a properly trained operator.

The result of these advantages is the precision, predictability, quality, and consistency that makes a machine weld so immediately identifiable. And this is true of more than just the visual aspect of a weld. Once a weld procedure from an automated orbital system has been qualified for the structural and mechanical characteristics required by the project, the system will be able to reproduce that quality consistently and be able maintain the tolerances specified in the weld schedule. Any application involving high pressures, corrosive substances, or the need to withstand constant vibrations would see major benefits using an automated orbital welding system.

The advantages of orbital welding and other automated welding processes are so manifest and  apply to so many applications that from an engineering standpoint it is surprising that manual welding is still widespread. However, there are some disadvantages to the purchasing, setup, maintenance, and operation of orbital and other automated welding machines.

The Disadvantages of Orbital Welding 

The disadvantages of orbital welding have little to do with the welds produced by an orbital welding machine, which are precise and repeatable as long as all variables are taken into consideration. Instead, they have to do with orbital welding being a relatively rare and niche process. As a result, barriers to adopting orbital welding may arise in the following areas:

• Equipment Costs and Service: The power supplies and weld heads required for an orbital welding setup aren’t common. They are built in limited numbers and often for specific purposes, and are therefore more expensive than typical manual welding setups. Specific orbital welding equipment also isn’t available at local building and hardware stores like manual welding equipment is. If a weld head becomes damaged or a controller becomes unusable, it can be more difficult to replace or fix in a timely manner.
• Training: Countless welding programs and vocational schools teach manual welding processes and industry standards. However, few intensive training programs for orbital welding exist, so training on specific equipment is generally offered only by vendors in certain locations.
• Setup Time: Due to the precise nature of orbital welding, setup time is required. In some applications, this setup time may be more than that required for manual welding.
• Consistent and High-Quality Joint Preparation: On most piping welding applications, consistent weld joint preparation is required. Thus, joint preparation equipment and consumables have to be considered and included in the cost of the solution.  

Many of these disadvantages are more apparent in smaller projects, where the costs of equipment, training, and setup time may not be worth it. However, in large, repetitive pipe welding projects, orbital welding’s advantages quickly outweigh its disadvantages. The key to getting the most out of an orbital welding setup is to choose an experienced orbital welding vendor that offers training classes on specific equipment as well as reliable repair, replacement, and maintenance services.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Orbital Welding: Maximizing the Advantages

Arc Machines, Inc. (AMI) allows companies to maximize the benefits of orbital welding by offering training classes at their California headquarters and in several other locations in the U.S. as well as in Europe. Thorough documentation of the company’s equipment is available online so users can ensure AMI welding machines are correctly set up every time. Arc Machines also supports its customers with extended warranties and field service that sends trained service specialists to remote job sites to bring machinery back into operation as quickly as possible. AMI’s trained staff of experienced welding experts understand the advantages and disadvantages of orbital welding, and are ready to help your company make the most of automated welding’s many benefits.                           

The company is the world’s best automatic pipe welding machine supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Robotic vs. Manual Welding

One of the most important advances in welding in recent years is robotic welding, or automated welding. What are the advantages of robotic welding vs. manual welding? What are the pros and cons of each? Here’s what you need to know.

Advantages of Robotic Welding

First, it’s important to understand how welding robots work. There are fully automated welding processes and semi-automatic welding processes. In a semi-automatic welding set up, an operator manually loads the metal in and removes it once the welding is complete. In a fully automated process, machines move the material to be welded through the whole process from beginning to end.

There are four basic advantages to automated welding:

• Better Weld Quality – The automated process allows the operator to maintain weld integrity using electronic weld process controllers. In addition, automated welding is highly repeatable. The robots follow the same process exactly every time, so the results are much more likely to be consistent.
• Increased Output – Robots can naturally work faster than humans, without any loss of accuracy. In addition, they do not fatigue or need to take breaks.
• Less Scrap – Because of the high-level of accuracy and efficiency possible with robot-controlled welding, scrap is reduced.
• Lower Labor Costs – Even in semi-automatic welding setups, you need to pay fewer human workers.

Disadvantages of Welding Robots

So, what are the limitations of robot welding?

• Cost – Over the long-term, you may save money in labor costs, but in the short-term, an automated welding system requires a considerable investment, which may take a while to recoup.
• Lack of Flexibility – Automated systems are great at doing the same thing over and over again. If you need your robot welders to perform a variety of different manufacturing tasks, however, it will take time to reconfigure them — which could be costly.
• Risk – If you become dependent upon robots to do your welding, you could be in real trouble if your main welding robot goes down.

Advantages of Manual Welding

Naturally, manual welding is still very popular. What are the advantages of using manual welding?

• Greater Flexibility – Your human staff members probably do not need to be retrained every time they get a welding job. As soon as a welding project arrives, human welders can jump right in, while you may require much greater lead time with robot welders.
• Replaceability – If one of your human workers cannot weld, you can easily substitute another one. You don’t need to send anyone in for repairs before you can continue manufacturing.
• Awareness – If there is some problem on the manufacturing floor, a human worker will often notice it before a robot welder, who will typically keep working until something causes it to malfunction.

Limitations of Manual Welding

There are some limitations to manual welding, though, which include:

• Risk – If a human gets hurt while welding, it could be a very serious issue. A robot may break, but it cannot be hurt.
• Speed – Robots are much faster than humans when it comes to mechanical operations.
• Efficiency – Robots are capable of much greater accuracy than humans.

Caldera Manufacturing Group Automated Welding

Caldera Manufacturing Group, formerly Fairlawn Tool, has capabilities for both automated and manual welding. Automated welding is often indicated for manufacturing parts such as:

• Solenoids
• Sensors
• Light Bulbs
• Fuel Filters
• Pipe Fittings

Other items where a highly accurate or highly repetitive weld is necessary are also best suited for robotic welding. To learn more, contact Caldera Manufacturing Group today.

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