METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONNECTING THE ENDS OF STEEL TUBES BY MEANS OF ORBITAL WELDING USING A HYBRID TECHNIQUE

• US 20120187096A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vallourec Deutschland GmbH (Vallourec SA)
• Original Assignee: V & M Deutschland GmbH (Vallourec SA)
• Inventors: Schmid, Christian, Olschok, Simon, Bruns, Claas
• Granted Patent: US 10,124,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.64
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/06 Tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/04 Steel or steel alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/06 Cast-iron alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/282 of tube sections
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/348 in combination with arc heating, e.g. TIG [tungsten inert gas], MIG [metal inert gas] or plasma welding laser beam for starting a welding or cutting arc B23K9/067
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 28/02 Combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0286 with an electrode moving around the fixed tube during the welding operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for connecting the ends of steel tubes by means of orbital welding using a hybrid laser arc technique, with the tubes preferably having wall thicknesses ≧6 mm and more particularly ≧12 mm and diameters of preferably ≧150 mm, the ends of which tubes are connected by one or more welding passes, wherein the laser and arc welding heads as tools are guided over a guide ring fixedly arranged around a tube end in the region of the weld site during the welding and are displaced around the tube diameter. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method, wherein the laser and the arc welding heads are positioned separately on the guide ring and are moved over the tube circumference and controlled independently of one another during the welding process.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for connecting ends of steel tubes by means of orbital welding using hybrid laser arc technique, comprising:

connecting the ends of the steel tubes with one or more welding passes, with a laser welding head and an arc welding head as tools being guided during a welding process over at least one guide ring arranged securely in the region of a weld site about a tube end, and moved about the tube circumference,

wherein the laser welding head and the arc welding head are positioned separately on the guide ring and during the welding process are moved over a tube circumference and controlled independently from one another.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising separately adjusting a movement speed and a distance of laser welding head and arc welding head.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising preheating a welding seam region before commencement of the welding process by a preheating device which travels ahead of the laser welding head and the arc welding head.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the preheating device travels on the guide ring independently from the laser welding head and the arc welding head.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising moving further tools on the guide ring independently from one another during welding.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein one or more additional welding heads, a seam tracking system, a mechanical processing system of the weld seam and/or a system for non-destructive testing of the weld seam are used as further tools.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the tools move on several guide rings arranged on one tube end or both tube ends.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the metal inert gas welding (MIG) is used as arc welding process.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the MIG welding is carried out using pulsed arc technique.

24. A device for connecting ends of steel tubes by means of orbital welding using hybrid laser arc technique, comprising:

at least one guide ring arranged about a tube end; and

a trolley arranged on the guide ring for receiving a laser welding head and an arc welding head as welding tools,

wherein the laser welding head and the arc welding head are arranged separately on the trolley which is movable and controllable on the guide ring.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising further tools arranged on separately movable and controllable trolleys.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the further tools involve a preheating device, one or more additional welding heads, a seam tracking system, a mechanical processing system of the weld seam and/or a system for non-destructive testing of the weld seam.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein the trolleys are arranged on one or more of said guide ring and movable and controllable separately.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the guide rings are arranged on one or both tube ends.