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The Fundamentals of Orbital Welding: Material Weldability, Joint Design, Procedures..
The Fundamentals of Orbital Welding: Material Weldability, Joint Design, Procedures..
The Fundamentals
Of Orbital Welding
Bernard Mannion Modern orbital-welding systems offer computer controls
that store welding schedules in memory. The skills of a certified
rbital welding first found use
weld current with a control system auto- from 110-V AC. Modern orbital welding setup and use. For those applications where
mated the entire process. The result was a systems offer computer controls that store no specificaton exists, the engineer respon-
more precise, reliable method than manual welding schedules in memory. The skills of sible for welding must create the welding
welding. a certified welder are thus built into the setup and develop the welding procedures.
Orbital welding became practical for system, enabling the production of enor- Orbital welding uses the gas-tungsten-
many industries in the early 1980’s with the mous numbers of identical welds and arc-welding (GTAW) process as the source of
development of portable combination leaving little room for error or defects. the electric arc that melts the base material
power supply/control systems that operated For orbital welding in many precision or and forms the weld. During GTAW an electric
high purity applications, the base arc forms between a tungsten electrode and
material, tube diameter(s), weld the workpiece. To initiate the arc, an RF or
joint and part fit-up require- high-voltage signal will ionize the shielding
ments, shielding-gas type and gas to generate a path for the weld current.
purity, arc length, and tungsten- A capacitor dumps current into the arc to
electrode type, tip geometry, and reduce arc voltage to a point where the
surface condition may already power supply can regulate. The power
be written into a specification supply responds to the demand and provides
covering the specific applica- current to maintain the arc.
tion. In addition, orbital-welding
equipment suppliers can offer Material weldability
recommendations on equipment In general, the commonly used 300-series
stainless steels offer a high degree of weld-
This reprint is adapted from a feature article published in the February 1999 issue of Welding Design &
Fabrication magazine. For more information contact: PRO-FUSION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
10901 McBride Lane, Knoxville TN, 37932.
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