+Weld View Cameras Mean Better Weld Quality for Tube and Pipe Production

> WELD VIEW CAMERAS MEAN BETTER WELD QUALITY FOR TUBE AND PIPE PRODUCTION www.xiris.com

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Real time monitoring of Open Arc weld processes is essential for Tube and Pipe fabricators. By allowing operators to see deviations in the tube weld zone and to immediately implement the necessary welding parameter changes, you can dramatically limit the need for product rework as well as reduce the cost impact of scrap.

The most effective way to monitor the weld process in real time is to use a camera. However, the image quality from traditional camera-based monitoring systems is not sufficient to allow operators to see the weld pool effectively enough to make the necessary in-process adjustments. What is needed is a Weld View Camera that is able to see both the very bright light source of a weld arc as well as the neighboring dark areas of the background such as the parent material and the weld pool.

Specific Quality Issues Addressed by Using a Weld View Camera

1. Weld Seam:

Ensuring the weld seam is properly aligned with the weld torch or weld cone will result in a better weld.

Ensure that the fit-up of the two sides of the seam are properly matched and lined up.

Alignment of weld to torch

Mismatch of fit-up

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2. The Weld Tip (the Tungsten electrode tip – for GTAW/TIG welding processes):

a. Build-up of dross on the weld tip. Build-up could cause changes in how the arc will flow out of the tip, potentially changing the angle and position of the weld as well as the amount of energy flowing into the process

b. Degradation of the tip. The weld tip could lose material over time by “burning up”, causing changes in the flow of energy to the material being welded

c. Height of the tungsten tip to the surface being welded – known as the “resistance gap” or gap height between tip and welded surface will affect the current and voltage needed to maintain a proper welding arc

d. In welding certain exotic metals such as Titanium, monitoring the color of the weld arc when welding can indicate tungsten tip problems or changes in the shielding gas

Alignment of weld to torch

The importance of seeing the weld pool

The weld pool and its immediate environment contain many of the characteristics necessary to provide the operator with information about the weld quality.

For example, there is a strong correlation between weld pool width and the degree of penetration in tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. In addition, weld pool width, volume and position are important in determining the surface profile of the weld and the likelihood of imperfections such as lack of fusion and penetration.

Monitoring allows for consistency where there is little

As each welding process requires specific parameters, highly consistent conditions and alignment are required for high-quality results. For tube mills these conditions include alignment of the weld tip with the weld seam and material inputs such as welding wire or gas being fed at ideal speeds.

An operator being able to reliably see all the elements of the environment around a weld becomes more effective in trying to control the manufacturing tolerances of upstream operations that significantly affect the quality of the welding operations such as profile cutting and edge preparation, variations in the shielding gas and accuracy of assembly.

> WELD VIEW CAMERAS MEAN BETTER WELD QUALITY FOR TUBE AND PIPE PRODUCTION www.xiris.com

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Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) Weld View Cameras make all the difference

The use of a camera to monitor welding processes is not a new concept, however, the traditional approach has been to use standard cameras with the addition of special filters and/or digitization software techniques to achieve an improved image of the weld.

Such approaches do not allow for reliable evaluations of the welding process due to over or under exposure of some portions of the weld environment.

Typically, a weld tip might be as much as 10,000,000 times brighter (or greater than 140 db Signal to Noise ratio) than the background metal area around it. To image this is a great challenge as most cameras today are capable of only 50-60 dB (about 1,000:1 dynamic range of brightness).

3. Monitor the weld pool to indicate:

a. Cold weld conditions – When the weld is not properly formed because the parent material did not melt fully

b. Freeze line (or center line crack) – Lines that appear during solidification of the weld pool

c. Undercut – When melted parent material has been drawn into the weld and not allowed to wet back properly because of rapid solidification

d. Impurities – Confirm that the surface of the molten pool and the immediate surrounding parent metal is kept clean of impurities

e. Weld Tip Transition – For mills with multiple weld heads mounted in tandem along the weld bead to weld extra thick tube and pipe material, it is important to monitor the condition of the weld pool as it transitions from one weld tip to the next one

Freeze Line/Center Line of Weld

Anatomy of a GTAW (TIG) Weld on a Tube Mill using a WDR Weld View Camera

Weld tip

Weld arc

Shielding gas

Reflection of tip

Weld pool

Solidification of weld bead

Parent material

Bubble

Dross

Weld Undercut

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The result is lost content in the image that masks much needed detailed information of the welding environment, limiting the ability of the welding operator to maximize the performance of the welding process. Ideally, the viewing camera would incorporate an electronic means to create a WDR image right in the camera sensor, removing unnecessary light wavelengths and pixel saturation to be able to clearly see the detail of the weld tip as well as its darker environment.

Features of Weld View Cameras for weld monitoring

The best WDR Weld View Cameras offer fabricators the ability to see a number of features in their welding process with better clarity than ever before, providing numerous productivity, quality and health and safety benefits. Features to look for include:

> WDR Sensor technology with range 140+ db for superior images

> Integrated lighting/focus/cooling

> Ability to provide image processing

> Ability to provide image zoom

> Window de-dusting system

> Rugged enclosure for harsh welding environments

> Ability to record video

4. Monitor keyhole of the weld for:

a. Correct flow of molten material around the keyhole, out of the heat affected zone and into the weld pool

b. Shape of keyhole in the center of the weld

5. Monitor shielding gas for:

a. Sufficient coverage around the electrode

b. Improper flow of gas around heat affected zone

For more information on how Weld View Cameras can help you improve the quality of your tube and pipe fabrication, visit:www.xiris.com

Molten Material Flowing out of Keyhole

TIG Welding Showing Electrode Tip and Shielding Gas

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Better images mean better inputs.The Xiris Weld View Camera provides far more detail to be seen in a welding process than ever before. As a result, tube and pipe fabricators can take real steps towards improving the profitability and efficiency of their weld processes using monitoring with a Weld View Camera.

A Weld View Camera is able to see details of both the very bright light source of a weld arc as well as the neighboring dark areas of the weld environment.

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