This is an excerpt from an article published on FAB Shop Magazine written by Joel Armstrong
As more fabricators weld higher amounts of stainless steel, duplex, superduplex and Inconel, the need for automated systems grows. Answering that call, Novarc Technologies Inc. recently launched its Spool Welding Robot (SWR)-TIPTIG process, which promises to boost productivity and help exceed weld quality standards in fab shops that perform pipe, pressure vessel and roll welding across North America, Europe and Australia.
As a leading mechanical contractor supplying critical HVAC and plumbing systems in America’s healthcare and higher education facilities, Dynamic Systems Inc. (DSI) was an early adopter of SWR-TIPTIG. The company uses the solution in its impressive 120,000-sq.-ft. facility in Houston, which has space dedicated to piping, plumbing, clean room and sheet metal fabrication.
The team at DSI possesses a wealth of experience crafting high-quality coordinated 3-D virtual designs for every project they undertake. They use this advanced virtual design software to digitally generate pipe spool fabrication drawings and sheet metal duct/fitting cut tickets for fabrication. Since adopting the SWR-TIPTIG process in their Houston shop, the DSI team has dramatically ramped up productivity on stainless steel pipe spool fabrication while maintaining the high level of quality customers have come to expect.
“By incorporating SWR-TIPTIG, our operators were able to reduce the welding time on a 30-in. stainless spool to just 1 hour and 20 min.,” says Mike Noble, labor leader at DSI’s off-site manufacturing facility in Houston. “Our typical manual time for this process is 10 hours, so needless to say, we are very impressed with the productivity output.”
An innovative solution
When Novarc created SWR-TIPTIG, it was due to demand from customers using the company’s original SWR that needed to weld thin materials and exotic metals while still being able to meet high quality and testing requirements. Fabricators welding higher amounts of stainless steel, duplex, superduplex, Inconel, etc., needed an innovative solution.
In addition to heightened productivity, as experienced by DSI, another key advantage to using SWR-TIPTIG is that it allows a non-TIG welder to successfully perform a TIG-quality weld. This makes the solution more accessible to a range of operators with varying qualifications.
Because of the unique configuration of the SWR system, safety is also enhanced. The system essentially removes the operator from the weld area, reducing the exposure to weld fumes, radiant heat and muscle fatigue. As a result, welders benefit from a health and safety perspective, as the cobot takes on the repetitive motion and heavy lifting.
Overall, the benefits offered by the welding automation solution go beyond productivity. Quality as well as the health, safety and ergonomic benefits to workers have been key factors in the growing adoption of SWR-TIPTIG.
Achieving new heights
The origins of the TIPTIG process go back to 1997 in Austria where the goal was to increase the deposition rate of the traditional TIG welding process. Since then, the eponymous company has emerged as a worldwide leader in high-deposition TIG welding. Novarc has become an industry leader in automated pipe welding, so the two companies make a natural partnership.
Leveraging Novarc’s cobot designed specifically for pipe, pressure vessel and roll welding applications using TIG welding, SWR-TIPTIG pushes the limits of TIG welding to new heights. This is accomplished using the power of the TIPTIG dynamic wire feeding system, enhancing both speed and precision far beyond conventional standards. Users can expect increased rates of weld deposition plus the ability to weld a number of materials, all while maintaining the highest standards of weld integrity…