increasingly, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and flux cored arc welding (FCAW) are being used

in a variety of industries. Recently, orbital GMAW/ FCAW has been used instead of manual shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), semiautomatic GMAW/FCAW, and even orbital gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) for some tube and pipe applications. Today, few companies can afford to be guinea pigs for product development, and some mistakenly believe that orbital GMAW/FCAW is an exotic new process. Actually, orbital GMAW was first used for pipeline applications in 1969. Since then, more than 25,000 miles of pipeline have been constructed using the process. Orbital FCAW was introduced 10 years ago and has been used successfully in shipbuilding, power plant construction and maintenance, chemical plant/refinery construction and maintenance, and offshore gas production, to name just a few industries. This article offers a brief introduction to this mechanized process and a discussion of many of the questions typically raised by fabricators and manufacturers considering using mechanized GMAW/ FCAW of pipe for the first time.

Considering GMAW/FC AW for

the weld head. (A remote control pendant usually is provided.)

Wire Feed Options, Bevel Geometry

Weld head models are available in wirefeeder-on-floor (WFOF) and wire-feederon-head (WFOH) configurations (see Figure
1).

Equipment
Essentially, all of the equipment on the market consists of a: 1. Weld power supply. 2. Weld head, which mounts the torch and manipulates it with motions similar to those of a manual welder. 3. Band or guide ring that clamps on the pipe, provides mounting for the head, and is involved in weld head propulsion. 4. Filler wire feeder, which may be mounted on the floor or on the rotating head. 5. Weld programmer/controller, which may be integrated with the power supply or

WFOF systems use a conventional wire feeder mounting standard 25-pound spools. This version is suitable for smaller workpieces and for operations in which the wire feeder can be located near the weld head. Without the wire feeder mounted on it, the weld head is easier to move from joint to joint. Torch cable lengths are limited to 15 feet between the weld head and wire feeder, but future development of push-pull systems possibly could minimize this limitation. WFOH systems use a smaller 10-pound spool of wire mounted on the rotating head with the feed mechanism. This configuration frequently is necessary for use on large workpieces or for field erection applications in which the head must be operated at a distance 50 or more feet from the power source and in which a floormounted feeder would be inconvenient. Orbital GMAW allows the use of conventional bevel geometries that normally are used for manual welding. A standard 30- or 37.5-degree bevel can be used for pipe with wall thicknesses up to V< inch, and a compound bevel can be used for heavier wall thicknesses to minimize the amount of wire that must be deposited (see
Figure 2).

A flux-cored electrode consists of a metal sheath surrounding a core of various powder materials, including fluxing elements, deoxidizers, denitriding compounds, and alloying materials to increase hardness and strength or to improve corrosion resistance and arc stability. Almost all of the flux-cored wires available in today's market lack a continuous 360-degree sheath and have either a butt or overlap joint along the entire length of the electrode. This interruption in the metal sheath can permit moisture into the flux. A flux-cored electrode essentially is a stick (SMAW) electrode turned inside-out. Stick electrodes commonly are stored in sealed containers until ready for use and, if not used that day, are put in a rod oven to drive out the moisture. Some fabricators improperly store or allow partially used spools of FCAW electrode to be exposed to moisture without realizing that they will experience problems. A frequent complaint of new users is "worm hole" porosity, which often can be attributed to moisture in the flux.
cada vez ms, el metal de soldadura por arco de gas (GMAW) y la soldadura por arco con ncleo fundente (FCAW) estn siendo utilizados en una variedad de industrias. Recientemente, orbital GMAW / FCAW se ha utilizado en lugar de soldadura manual por arco metlico protegido (SMAW), GMAW semiautomtica / FCAW, y el tungsteno, incluso orbital de soldadura por arco de gas (GTAW) para algunas aplicaciones de tubera.

Hoy en da, pocas empresas pueden permitirse el lujo de ser conejillos de indias para el desarrollo de productos, y algunos creen equivocadamente que la rbita GMAW / FCAW es un proceso nuevo y extico. En realidad, orbital GMAW fue utilizado por primera vez para las aplicaciones de tuberas en el ao 1969. Desde entonces, ms de 25.000 kilmetros de tuberas se han

FLux-cored Electrodes
The evolution of filler wire technology has been one of the principle ingredients making orbital FCAW a viable process. Fluxcored wires were introduced in 1957. Today, they are available for almost any weldable grade of carbon, low-alloy, and stainless steel pipe. The proper handling of FCAW electrodes, however, remains one of the most poorly understood subjects and is the most frequent cause of startup problems for the first-time user.

construido

utilizando

el

proceso.

Orbital FCAW se introdujo hace 10 aos y ha sido utilizado con xito en la construccin naval, la construccin de plantas de energa y mantenimiento, fbrica de productos qumicos / refinacin operacin y la construccin, mantenimiento y

produccin de gas en alta mar, por nombrar slo unas pocas industrias. Este artculo ofrece una breve introduccin a este proceso de mecanizado y una discusin de muchas de las preguntas por lo general planteada por los fabricantes y manufactureros

considerando usar GMAW mecanizada / FCAW de la tubera, por primera vez.