Before investing in orbital welding solutions, you should ask yourself certain questions to figure out what your actual needs are and what the necessary equipment is to meet those requirements. One of the most important aspects when it comes to the orbital working process is the preparation of the tube before welding.
#1 Working in a field with strict standards
If you want to use a welding machine for thin tubes with wall thicknesses of up to 3mm that are made from stainless steel, making a simple cut before welding is sufficient. The welding will be done directly by placing the two tubes side by side and making a simple weld without adding any material.
If the cutting parameters are correct and the blade is in good condition, the weld will be of good quality.
However, some tubes are not suited for orbital welding immediately after they have been cut.
- One example is when the cut was made with a saw where the surface of the tube isn’t completely burr-free. The tube must then first be squared in order to be welded properly.
- Another example is working in certain industries that are subjected to specific standards, which cannot necessarily be met by basic welding procedures. Even if the cut has been made according to the specifications, the surface might not be in perfect condition. Squaring a tube is therefore used to restore the surface condition of the tubes that are to be welded in order to have a perfect weld that meets the requirements of these industries.
#2 How to work with uneven tubes when beveling
When working with stainless steel tubes with walls thicker than 3mm, they need to be beveled before they can be welded. Beveling with J preps is most common when working with orbital welding technologies.
If the ovality of a tube is not taken into account when beveling, the weld joint will not be even throughout the tube’s ovality and the weld will therefore be irregular. If thread is added, a smooth bevel is crucial. The solution provided by Axxair is a roller, integrated into the beveling machine that takes the ovality of the pipe into account.
This allows for a welding result of high quality.
#3 Easy handling is our top priority
Before you run out to buy orbital welding machines, you need to make sure that they are easy to handle.
Which would you prefer? A machine that is easy to use but non-technical or a machine that comes with a thick instruction manual you need to get through before being able to use it?
But why choose? Nowadays it is possible to find orbital welding and cutting machines that can handle all your tasks while still being easy to use. Even if you don’t use them for a couple of months, you’ll get back into the habit of working with them in a heartbeat without having to comb through countless instructions.
It’s just like riding a bike, you never forget ;-)
#4 The importance of customer service
Have you ever experienced problems in your production flow? Any malfunctioning machines or machines in need o a repair that slow down or stop your working process? We know about all these moments of stress where a machine needs to be exchanged that is currently unavailable, out of stock or might even no longer be sold...
The solution to not be facing these problems any more or to at least reduce the risks is to work with a global supplier for all types of orbital machines: from cutting over squaring and beveling up to welding. Every step of the tube preparation process is handled by a single company, and quality customer service is provided for the entire range of products.
The advantage is that in case of any problems, we are able to recover the defective machine and even supply a spare machine for the time of reparation. In addition, we can provide you with advice on maintenance and use, propose complementary solutions to improve your production and more.
Conclusion
As you will have understood, the purchase of an orbital welding machine is not to be taken lightly, and that the elements concerning the preparation before welding are often just as important as the welding itself. With these 4 aspects in mind, you should now understand that our solutions are innovative and that we are always focused on a good user experience. Our top priority is the satisfaction of our clients and we are always open for propositions on how we can improve.
