Applying manual welding skills on critical weld projects requires years of technical training and experience. And the process can still result in slow speeds, reduced productivity, and even worker injury. Also, any weld defects—like those that result from welder fatigue—must be addressed. Compared with the effort manual welding requires, orbital…
As the clean energy demand increases, so will the demand for welding and fabrication skills required to create the new energy infrastructure that includes oil wells and gas pipelines as well as biodiesel farms and wind farms. And the continued development of “green” infrastructure is expected to rely heavily on…
The severe shortage of skilled manual welders has led the manufacturing sector to realize the potential of welding automation to improve productivity and efficiency. Automated welding equipment’s adoption across industries highlights the role of robotic systems in defining welding in the future. Below, we discuss some of the key developments…
Welding seeks to ensure the structural integrity of fused components to allow their maximum service life. To achieve this goal, manufacturers must choose the correct welding process, heat input, and other similar weld parameters. An important yet often overlooked area for quality welding is filler metals. Because filler metals should…
The manufacturing industry is facing an unprecedented shortage of skilled welders. The aging workforce of skilled welders and a growing trend among millennials to choose career options away from manual labor have reduced the number of new welders entering the industry. Investing in welding technology and deploying automation solutions can…
Only a few materials perform well in extreme manufacturing conditions. Inconel is one of those extraordinary materials. Although slightly more expensive, Inconel is a preferred material across wide-ranging industries that include nuclear, aerospace, power generation, and chemical processing plants. With high-quality welds, Inconel pipe can prevent leaks and provide corrosion…
The visual inspection of a pipe or tube weld, conducted externally or internally with a camera, can help ensure weld quality. Boroscopy represents a non-destructive testing technique that improves the visual inspection of welds on the internal surfaces of narrow pipes, tubes, ducts, large tanks, and difficult-to-reach chambers. With a…
The strength and corrosion-resistant properties of stainless steel make it highly preferred for a wide range of heavy-duty applications across industries. Chromium in stainless steel reacts quickly with the surrounding oxygen to form a thin chromium oxide layer on the surface that protects the iron in the alloy from degradation…
Extremely low temperatures between -150°C to -273°C set specific requirements for the materials used in cryogenic welding. Manufacturers need to be aware of the cryogenic properties of metals to determine their suitability to withstand low temperatures. Several metals that are ductile at room temperatures become brittle at cryogenic temperatures, which…
Duplex stainless steel is an alloy of steel with two-phase microstructures and an equal proportion of austenite and ferrite. These special materials capture the benefit of both austenitic and ferritic stainless steel grades and provide excellent strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance. And these properties have also made duplex stainless steel…