In orbital welding, the workpiece is held in place while the welding arc moves around it continuously in 360° to melt and connect the two objects being welded together. Orbital welding may also refer to two 180° welders being used in tandem for the same purpose. This process addresses issues that can be challenging for manual welders, such as manipulating a workpiece to accomplish uniform 360° welds or fitting into tight spaces.
Benefits of Orbital Welding
Orbital welding offers a range of benefits that have increased its popularity in recent years. These include:
Efficiency and Productivity
Automated systems in the orbital welding process have significantly reduced the time it takes to finish a weld when compared to traditional methods. Welders can achieve quality welds at a higher volume, which means that overall lead times have also decreased. The other key takeaway from automation is the mitigation of human error. With fewer errors being made and shorter lead times, projects can advance far more efficiently than before.
Consistency
Orbital welders are given complete and total control of the weld pool, which is how the process avoids issues related to human error. Systems can find the correct balance between surface tension and gravitational force during a weld repeatedly with each workpiece. This means that clean, consistent products are reliably produced within tight and predictable tolerance windows.
Versatile Capabilities
Projects with unique or specific requirements have benefited significantly from orbital welding. Computerized systems solve the challenge of welding in tight spaces and can meet project guidelines with high degrees of specificity. Cases where an end product cannot be rotated during the welding process can be easily welded using orbital welding equipment.
As orbital welding systems have evolved, some have even become light enough to move between job sites. This can be particularly useful for operations looking to cut costs on overhead or who need help getting quick projects done on site. Industries that necessitate high quality and high purity final products, such as the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries, have seen great benefits from orbital welding.
Working with Highland
Highland Equipment is an industry leader in stainless steel fabrication and features orbital welding as part of our service offering. Orbital welding is a key part of the manufacturing process for many of the products we provide and service, and it’s important to us that our clients know exactly what they’re getting when they agree to use our services.
The orbital welding services offered by Highland provide clients with a level of productivity and quality that is unmatched by manual welders. We follow stringent weld criteria to ensure that all orbital welds are flawless. These include:
- Full penetration
- Smooth inside and outside diameter surfaces (no excess concavity or convexity)
- Excellent alignment of parts
- Lack of discoloration
These weld criteria are in place to block the growth of microorganisms on a workpiece by ensuring there are no flaws where they may flourish. Our orbital welding process provides products that will support sterilization and cleaning processes.
For more information about orbital welding and its benefits, download our eBook, the “Benefits of Orbital Welding,” contact us, or request a quote.