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When the hydraulic and fuel lines on a single jetliner
can total 700 assemblies, the golden ideal of welding
and of tubemaking is identical: a faster weld at no
sacrifice in quality. Even orbital welding is continually
fine-tuned to deliver its benefits at ever-higher speeds.
Tubemakers have mastered welding setups for
rotation, dwell and penetration parameters, different
for each size of tubing. They know how to regulate
a power supply for welding current, primary and
background amperes, weld bead overlap, and
for delay of rotation at the start of the weld and
current downslope at the end. They share with
welders a zeal amounting to passion for a clean
cut-off operation with smooth surfaces. For as
long as welding is the method by which tube and
pipe are joined, the advances that lie ahead for the
two already highly developed technologies will be
made in tandem. In the meantime, this partnership
of equals acknowledges a common obligation:
to provide perfect leak-tight joints having uniform
circumferential weld strength to the automotive,
defence, aerospace, biomedical and machine tool
industries of the world.
Welding technology,
equipment &
consumables
Photo: Protem SAS, France