Weld Monitoring and Inspection Systems for Tube and Pipe Fabrication

Xiris Automation Inc. (Burlington, ON) offers their new Tube and Pipe Weld Monitoring System for tube and pipe shop fabricators to remotely monitor their live TIG, plasma or laser welding processes. The system includes a High Dynamic Range camera that is able to simultaneously see all features of the torch tip and/or weld arc, its surrounding environment and its position relative to the tube/pipe weld seam. Benefits for the fabricator include increased productivity through reduced set up and adjustment time; improved health and safety conditions for the operator; and better weld quality through improved monitoring of the seam alignment and the weld process quality.

The system comes with and optics kit that allows for visibility into a small area. The result is a small enough field of view to provide high resolution images of the weld pool detail as the weld arc cuts the parent tube material and the material subsequently solidifies. Operators are able to clearly see if defects such as dross or porosity develop as the weld pool solidifies and monitor the condition of the weld tip, shielding gas and material fit up.

Xiris also offers their new WI-3000 Weld Inspection System for Large Pipes that is ideal for larger and heavier wall pipes. Employing an all new redesigned sensor head with high resolution, high quality optics, the system is the larger version of the popular WI-2000 inspection system used on smaller tubes. This new system has a field of view that ranges from 35 mm to 100 mm across, depending on the model type, allowing for detection of a variety of defect types. Typically installed right after the weld head on pipe mills, the WI3000 Inspection System can provide an early warning system to detect defects in the weld area and the forming of the pipe.

With a measurement resolution down to 30 µm in size, the system is able to detect critical defects that are difficult to detect using other forms of testing equipment, such as fit-up (mismatch), raised/ sunken welds, deflection and freeze line defects. The system includes a complete data collection and data management system that provides fault and trend reporting for historical auditing purposes, as well as off-line data review capability for complete batch production of large pipes.

Xiris Automation Inc., 1016 Sutton Drive, Unit C5, Burlington, ON, Canada L7L 6B8, 905-331-6660 ext. 238, Fax: 905-331-6661, www.xiris.com.