IJISET - International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12, December 2015.

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ISSN 2348 – 7968

Overview of Orbital Welding Technology

Omkar Joshi1, Dr. Arunkumar2 P P P

1
PDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mumbai, VIVA Institute of Technology, Virar , 401305, India
P

2
P Principal, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mumbai, VIVA Institute of Technology, Virar , 401305, India
P

1
31TP [email protected]
PU U31T

2
P [email protected]
P

Abstract the requirements of a critical system. Orbital welding

did not get its start in the semiconductor industry but
There are different welding technologies on welding found its growth there. The time has come to apply
in the market. The orbital welding technology is the orbital welding technology to a broad range of
industries.
main topic of this paper. In this paper the history of
the orbital welding, the basic concepts of the orbital For orbital welding in many precision or high purity
welding, the problems related to the orbital welding applications, the base material, tube diameter(s), weld
are described. With that the solutions for the joint and part fit-up requirements, shielding-gas type
problems where suggested in the paper. The orbital and purity, arc length, and tungsten electrode type, tip
welding technique is changing from last decade but geometry, and surface condition may already be
written into a specification covering the specific
still there are requirement of improvement in this
application. In addition, orbital-welding equipment
technique related to the quality of weld, efficiency, suppliers can offer recommendations on equipment
the productivity, simplicity. The overview of this setup and use. For those applications where no
technology considering all above factors is specification exists, the engineer responsible for
considered in this paper. welding must create the welding setup and develop
the welding procedures.
1.Introduction
Orbital welding uses the gas-tungsten arc-welding
Orbital welding is the technology to weld the pipes or (GTAW) process as the source of the electric arc that
tubes. In case of pipelines this technology is used at a melts the base material and forms the weld. During
large scale as the pipeline having number of pipes GTAW an electric arc forms between a tungsten
joined together. These pipelines may have chances of electrode and the work piece. To initiate the arc, an
leakages at their joints. These leakages may be RF or high-voltage signal will ionize the shielding
harmful if the pipelines are used for gas supply or gas to generate a path for the weld current. A
any harmful liquid supply like acid etc. through it. capacitor dumps current into the arc to reduce arc
Also the leakage may cause loss in the productivity. voltage to a point where the power supply can
To overcome these problems the welding technology regulate. The power supply responds to the demand
is required to improve. As the use of pipeline is and provides current to maintain the arc.
increasing day by day hence the requirement of
orbital welding is also increases. 2.History of Orbital Welding
Like the pipe welding the tube welding is also
Orbital welding first found use in the 1960’s when
become primary requirement of the industries now
the aerospace industry recognized the need for a
days. In some industries there is mass production of
superior joining technique for aircraft hydraulic lines.
these tubes or pipes hence the increase I productivity
The solution: a mechanism to rotate a welding arc
is need of the industries. For that the improvement in
from a tungsten electrode around a tube-weld joint.
the orbital welding is required now.
Regulating weld current with a control system
From last ten years orbital welding has gaining automated the entire process. The result was a more
popularity steadily; this is mainly found due to precise, reliable method than manual welding. Orbital
semiconductor industry’s requirements for better gas welding became practical for many industries in the
distribution systems. These systems encompassed all early 1980’s with the development of portable

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IJISET - International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12, December 2015.
www.ijiset.com
ISSN 2348 – 7968
combination power supply/control systems that between these two extremes, with the individual
operated from 110-V AC. Currently, typical processes varying somewhat in heat input. To
industries using orbital welding include aerospace; calculate the heat input for arc welding procedures,
food, dairy, and beverage; nuclear; offshore; the following formula can be used: where Q = heat
pharmaceutical; and semiconductor. Other
applications include boiler tubing and tube and pipe
fittings, valves, and regulators. Modern orbital
welding systems offer computer controls that store
welding schedules in memory. The skills of a
certified welder are thus built into the system,
enabling the production of enormous numbers of
identical welds and leaving little room for error or
defects

3.General Problem in Manual Welding

By considering manual metal arc welding process,
electric arc welding is based on providing an electric
circuit comprising the Electric current source the feed
and return path, the electrode and the work piece.
The arc welding process involves the creation of a
suitable small gap between the electrode and the
work piece. When the circuit is made a large current
flows and an arc is formed between the electrode and
the work piece. The resulting high temperatures
causing the work piece and the electrode to melt, the
electrode is consumable. It includes metal for the
weld, a coating which burns off to form gases which
shield the weld from the air and flux which combines
with the nitrides and oxide generated at the weld. Fig.1. Heat-affected zone in Manual welding
When the weld solidifies a crust is formed from the
impurities created in the weld process (Slag). This is input (kJ/mm), V = voltage (V), I = current (A), and
easily chipped away. S = welding speed (mm/min). The efficiency is
dependent on the welding process used, with shielded
The blue area results from oxidation at a metal arc welding having a value of 0.75, gas metal
corresponding temperature of 600 °F (316 °C). This arc welding and submerged arc welding, 0.9, and gas
is an accurate way to identify temperature, but does tungsten arc welding, 0.8.
not represent the HAZ width. The HAZ is the narrow
area that immediately surrounds the welded base 3.1.Distortion and cracking
metal.
Welding methods that involve the melting of metal at
The effects of welding on the material surrounding the site of the joint necessarily are prone to shrinkage
the weld can be detrimental—depending on the as the heated metal cools. Shrinkage, in turn, can
materials used and the heat input of the welding introduce residual stresses and both longitudinal and
process used, the HAZ can be of varying size and rotational distortion. Distortion can pose a major
strength. The thermal diffusivity of the base material problem, since the final product is not the desired
plays a large role—if the diffusivity is high, the shape. To alleviate rotational distortion, the work
material cooling rate is high and the HAZ is pieces can be offset, so that the welding results in a
relatively small. Conversely, a low diffusivity leads correctly shaped piece. Other methods of limiting
to slower cooling and a larger HAZ. The amount of distortion, such as clamping the work pieces in place,
heat injected by the welding process plays an cause the buildup of residual stress in the heat-
important role as well, as processes like oxyacetylene affected zone of the base material. These stresses can
welding have an concentrated heat input and increase reduce the strength of the base material, and can lead
the size of the HAZ. Processes like laser beam to catastrophic failure through cold cracking, as in the
welding give a highly concentrated, limited amount case of several of the Liberty ships. Cold cracking is
of heat, resulting in a small HAZ. Arc welding falls limited to steels, and is associated with the formation

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IJISET - International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12, December 2015.
www.ijiset.com
ISSN 2348 – 7968
of martensite as the weld cools. The cracking occurs around the weld joint to make the required weld. An
in the heat-affected zone of the base material. To orbital welding system consists of a power supply
reduce the amount of distortion and residual stresses, and an orbital weld head.
the amount of heat input should be limited, and the
welding sequence used should not be from one end The power supply/control system supplies and
directly to the other, but rather in segments. The other controls the welding parameters according to the
type of cracking, hot cracking or solidification specific weld program created or recalled from
cracking, can occur with all metals, and happens in memory. This supply provides the control
the fusion zone of a weld. To diminish the probability parameters, the arc welding current, the power to
of this type of cracking, excess material restraint drive the motor in the weld head, and switches the
should be avoided, and a proper filler material should shield gas on/off as necessary.
be utilized.
Orbital weld heads are normally of the enclosed type,
4.Orbital Welding Process and provide an inert atmosphere chamber that
surrounds the weld joint. Standard enclosed orbital
The orbital welding was initially used to done by weld heads are practical I welding tube sizes from
manually. In manual welding welder either used to 1/16inch to 6 inches with wall thicknesses of up to
weld the tube or pipe by rotating weld head or by 154 inches. Larger diameters and wall thicknesses
rotating tube and keeping weld head as it is. In this can be accommodated with open style weld heads.
process the time required to weld was more and also
that weld was not continuous. This process was the
process at the start but then the orbital welding
techniques where introduced.

For the orbital welding the process was introduced

where the weld head was steady and the pipes where
rotating. The positioners were made which were used
to hold the tubes together and to weld them. In this
technique the positioner hold the job and rotate in
3600 rotation with the speed controlled by feed
P P

control unit. These positioners were semi-automatic

positioners.

Fig.3. Modern Orbital Welding

5. The Importance of Orbital Welding

There is very much impotence of orbital welding
technology in the welding field. There are many
reasons for using orbital welding equipment. The
Fig.2. Positioner for orbital welding ability to make high quality, consistent welds
repeatedly, at a speed close to the maximum weld
In modern techniques the computers were used for speed, offer many benefits to the user:
orbital welding. In the orbital welding process the
tubes or pipes are clamped in place and an orbital
weld heads rotates an electrode and electric arc

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IJISET - International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12, December 2015.
www.ijiset.com
ISSN 2348 – 7968
Orbital welding uses the gas tungsten arc welding
(GTAW) process as the source of the electric arc that
5.1. Productivity. melts the base material and forms the weld. In the
GTAW process, an electric arc in established
An orbital welding system will drastically outperform between a tungsten electrode and the part to be
manual welders, many times paying for the cost of welded.
the orbital equipment in a single job.

5.2. Quality.
6.1 Material Weldability
The quality of a weld created by an orbital welding
system (with the correct weld program) will be The material selected varies according to the
superior to that of manual welding. In applications application and environment the tubing must survive.
such as semiconductor or pharmaceutical tube The mechanical, thermal, stability, and corrosion
welding, orbital welding is the only means to reach resistance requirements of the application dictate the
the weld quality requirements. material chosen. For complex applications, a
significant amount of testing is necessary to ensure
5.3. Consistency. the long-term suitability of the chosen material from
a functionality and cost standpoint.
Once a weld program has been established, an orbital
welding system can repeatedly perform the same 6.2. Weld Joint Fit-up
weld hundreds of times, eliminating the normal
variability, inconsistencies, errors, and defects of Weld joint fit-up depends on the weld specification
manual welding. requirements for tube straightness, weld concavity,
reinforcement, and drop-through. If no specification
5.4. Skill level. exists, the molten material must flow and compensate
for tube mismatch and any gap in the weld joint.
Certified welders are increasingly hard to find. With
orbital welding equipment, you don't need a certified 6.3. Shield Gases
welding operator. All it takes is a skilled mechanic
with some weld training. An inert gas is required on the tube OD and ID
during welding to prevent the molten material from
5.5. Versatility. combining with the oxygen in the ambient
atmosphere. The objective of the welder should be to
Orbital welding may be used in applications where a create a weld that has zero heat tint at the weld zone.
tube or pipe to be welded cannot be rotated or where
rotation of the part is not practical. In addition, orbital 6.4. Tungsten Electrodes
welding may be used in applications where access
space restrictions limit the physical size of the The tungsten welding electrode the source of the
welding device. Weld heads may be used in rows of welding arc is one of the most important elements of
boiler tubing, where it would be difficult for a the welding system that is commonly ignored by
manual welder to use a welding torch or view the welding system users. While no one would refute the
weld joint. importance of the ignition device on an automobile
air bag, the rip cord for a parachute, or quality tires
Many other reasons exist for the use of orbital for automobiles, the importance of tungsten
equipment over manual welding. For example, electrodes for quality welding is often overlooked.
applications where inspection of the internal weld is
not practical for each weld created. By making a 7. Application of Orbital Welding
sample weld coupon that passes certification, the
logic holds that if the sample weld is acceptable, that Orbital welding is having number of applications in
successive welds created by an automatic machine different fields. Their applications are increases day
with the same input parameters should also be sound. by day now. Some of their applications are listed
below.
6. Basic Requirements in Orbital Welding
7.1. Aerospace

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IJISET - International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering & Technology, Vol. 2 Issue 12, December 2015.
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ISSN 2348 – 7968
The aerospace industry was the first to recognize the
advantages of automated orbital welding. The high
pressure systems of a single aircraft can contain more 7.8. Tube/pipe fittings, valves, and
than 1,500 welded joints, all automatically created
regulators
with orbital equipment.
Hydraulic lines, liquid- and gas delivery systems, and
7.2. Boiler tube medical systems all require tubing with termination
fittings. Orbital systems provide a means to ensure
Boiler-tube installation and repair offer perfect high productivity of welding and optimum weld
applications for orbital welding. Compact orbital quality.
weld heads can be clamped in place between rows of
heat-exchanger tubing.
8. Conclusion
7.3. Food, dairy and beverage industries Now a day’s competition in the production industries
is increases. The customers are demanding the
These industries require consistent full penetration products having good/high quality. There are no
welds on all weld jonts. For maximum piping-system chances for defects now in the product. To sustain in
efficiency, the tubing and tube welds must be as this competitive life there is a need of the change in
smooth as possible. Any pit, crevice, crack, or the production.
incomplete weld joint can trap the fluid flowing
inside the tubing, becoming a harbor for bacteria. Optimizing the welding process improves weld
quality; increases weld speed, and reduce scrap and
7.4. Nuclear piping rework costs. By achieving these goals the companies
can realize the lower cost per product with a good
The nuclear industry, with its severe operating quality and minimum delivery time. Using the orbital
environment and associated specifications for high welding technique with computer programming the
quality welds, has long been an advocate of orbital control on the use of electrode, input material, shield
welding. can etc. can be achieved easily.
7.5. Offshore applications Referances
Sub-sea hydraulic lines use materials whose [1] S. A. David, S. S. Babu and J. M Vitek, Advances
properties can be altered during the thermal changes in Welding Science and Technology, Oak Ridge
that accompany a typical weld cycle. Hydraulic joints National Laboratory, FEB 0 5, 1996
welded with orbital equipment offer superior
corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. [2] Bernard Mannion, Jack Heinzman, Understanding
the basic principles behind orbital tube welding,
7.6. Pharmaceutical industry article published in issue of Flow Control, December
1999.
Pharmaceutical process lines and piping systems
deliver high-quality water to their processes. This [3] D. Yapp and S. A. Blackman, Recent
requires high quality welds to ensure a source of Developments in High Productivity Pipeline
water from the tubes uncontaminated by bacteria, Welding, Journal of the Brazilian Society of
rust, or other contaminant. Orbital welding ensures Mechanical Science & Engineering, Volume 26,
full-penetration welds with no overheating that could January-March 2004, pg 90,15
undermine the corrosion resistance of the final weld
zone. [4] Shigeru Ohkita, Hatsuhiko Oikawa, Latest
Advances and Future Prospects of Welding
7.7. Semiconductor industry Technologies, Nippon Steel Technical Report No. 95
January 2007, pg 3,6.
The semiconductor industry requires piping systems
with extremely smooth internal surface finish to [5] Barbara K. Henon, Considerations for Orbital
prevent contaminant buildup on the tubing wall or Welding of Corrosion Resistant Materials to the
weld joints. Once large enough, a build-up of ASME Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) Standard,
particulate, moisture, or contaminant could release Presented on the Stainless Steel America Conference
and ruin the batch process. 2008

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ISSN 2348 – 7968
[6] P. Kah and J. Martikainen, Current Trends in Welding Machine, Procedia Engineering, 2011, pg.
Welding Processes AndMaterials: Improve in 1,5.
Effectiveness, Lappeenranta University of
Technology, 28th September 2011, pg 196,197 [8] M. A. Bodude, I. Momohjimoh, Studies on
Effects of Welding Parameters on the Mechanical
[7] Zhang Yuea , Han Lia , Sun Tailib , Li Qidongb , Properties of Welded Low-Carbon Steel, Journal of
Zhang Xichuanb, Automatic Control System of Minerals and Materials Characterization and
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