TPT January 2013

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Technology News
54 January 2013
Improved coupling for pipes
FOR a recent pipe coating project,
Dhatec successfully adapted and
applied its pipe coupling for clad pipes.
Pipe couplings are tools that are applied
to improve the stability of the coating
process and minimise radial movement
between pipes in the coating line.
With the new improvements, Dhatec’s
complete range of pipe couplings is now
suitable for application on clad pipes.
The range was also expanded with
a new line of mini-couplings for pipe
diameters 1" to 6".
Pipe coating plants are often
confronted with strict demands for
undamaged pipe ends and pipe
surfaces. At the same time coating
plants are aiming to produce at full
capacity. In order to stabilise the coating
process and to limit undesirable radial
pipe movements, the process often
needs to be slowed down if couplings
are not applied. An unstable coating
process due to pipe movements does
not only cause damage to pipe-ends, it
may also cause thickness variations or
air seals in the coating layer, which is of
course undesirable.
The coupling is designed to carry
pipes over a certain distance, between
support rollers in the coating process.
The coupling, and all its parts, have to
be strong enough to withstand not only
a portion of the pipe weight, but also
extra forces caused by collision, friction,
oval pipes, curved pipes and vibration.
The impact of these forces are different
in each coating process and therefore
different models of pipe couplings are
developed to comply with each situation:
a standard pipe coupling for normal
circumstances and for pipe diameters
between 8" and 40"; a premium pipe
coupling for improved usability for pipe
diameters between 8" and 56"; and a
recently developed new range of mini-
couplings for pipe diameters 1" to 6".
The main goal of the coupling is to line
up pipes. However, there are additional
design features that can be identified
in order to make a pipe coupling fully
functional in a coating process: strong
construction, shock resistant; strong
fixation and line up during coating;
easy release during separation of pipes
after coating; effective bevel protection;
adjustable for a wide wall thickness
range; bridge thermal expansion of the
pipe in an induction oven (220°C); small
and isolating contact surface with the
pipe, to minimise heat loss and take
any internal cutback in to consideration;
allow cooling water to flow through the
pipe; and fast and easy application or
removal.
Dhatec BV – The Netherlands
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Laser sensing systems
SERVO-ROBOT is a producer of
intelligent laser sensing systems for
welding automation, including seam
tracking, seam finding, adaptive
welding and also weld inspection. The
company’s systems are applied in the
pipe and tube industry improving weld
quality and increasing productivity.
The laser vision systems are used
in several stages of pipe and tube
production, including seam tracking and
adaptive welding of inside and outside
welds, inspection of seam or weld bead
geometry and guidance of ultrasonic
inspection probes. Servo-Robot’s
systems can be integrated to any robot
or special purpose welding machines
to perform the following functions: joint
tracking and adaptive welding for SAW,
GMAW and laser welding processes;
automatic gap control with real-time
root measurement; real-time ultrasonic
probe position control; and 100 per
cent automatic weld geometry and
defect detection.
The intelligent laser sensing systems
for welding automation are offered
under two product names: Power-Trac
is a joint tracking system for robotic arc
welding that increases travel speed,
eliminates defects and reduces over
welding; Auto-Trac is a complete
solution for joint tracking and adaptive
process control designed for special
purpose welding machines and can
operate on sheet metal applications as
well as on thick wall tubes.
In addition to these advanced
sensing systems in the pipe and tube
industry Servo-Robot offers the all-new
Wiki-Scan handheld welding inspection
system, used to manually inspect joints
and weld bead geometry for quality
control.
Servo-Robot Inc – Canada
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Welding and clamping table
BERND Siegmund GmbH has further
developed its established welding and
clamping table systems. The essential
change concerning accuracy of welding
tables was on the basis of material –
the new welding and clamping table is
extremely hard.
With a hardness of approximately
700 Vickers, the Professional Extreme
is harder than most tool steel or most
Japanese knives. The level of hardness
is reached by the combination of two
processes. Professional Extreme
consists of pre-hardened steel, making
the new welding and clamping table
not only more resistant against rust and
welding spatters, but also extremely
robust against impact or scratches.
All table components have been
completely revised and optimised
relating to stability, load capacity and
practicability. Professional Extreme is
steadier, more load-bearing and more
effective with larger foot plates, forming
tubes and additional ripping on the
table bottom side.
Bernd Siegmund GmbH – Germany
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