Mobile Helical Pipe Plant With Multi-Wire Welding and Beveled Coils

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile sheet helical pipe factories face limitations in productivity due to restricted welding speed, lack of bevels on sheets, and the use of a single welding wire, which affects fusion quality and efficiency, especially with thicker sheets, and are constrained by the length of pipes that can be produced.

Innovation Solution

A mobile factory mounted on trailers, rafts, or container-type structures that incorporates a beveler for chamfering sheet edges, uses multiple welding wires (2-5), and includes an optional coil driver and additional presses and pullers to enhance production speed and efficiency, allowing for complete penetration welds and reduced energy usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a single welding wire is used for helical seam welding, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity and welding speed are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding speedVSAvoidwelding system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The welding system is segmented into multiple independent welding wires (typically 3-5 wires) that operate simultaneously or sequentially along the helical seam. Each wire contributes to the overall welding process, allowing increased welding speed and productivity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular wire assemblies

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from single-point welding to multi-point simultaneous welding along the helical path. By adding the dimension of multiple wires operating in parallel, the system achieves higher productivity without proportionally increasing complexity, as the wires follow the same helical trajectory

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If sheets without bevels are welded directly, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the welding quality and fusion completeness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding fusion qualityVSAvoidsheet preparation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The beveling operation is performed as a preliminary action before the welding process. By pre-preparing the sheet edges with appropriate chamfers or bevels, the subsequent welding achieves complete penetration and high-quality fusion without requiring complex real-time adjustments during the welding operation itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the geometric parameters of the sheet edges by introducing controlled bevel angles and chamfer dimensions. This parameter modification enables complete weld penetration and improves fusion quality, while the beveling process itself remains a standard manufacturing operation that does not significantly increase overall complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the coil movement speed is limited, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the productivity of the factory is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction speedVSAvoidcoil handling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces manual or simple mechanical coil handling with an automated coil driver system that uses motorized drive mechanisms. This substitution enables controlled high-speed coil movement while reducing operational complexity through automation, allowing the factory to maintain ease of operation while significantly increasing productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Productivity

If pipes longer than 30 meters are produced, then the productivity and utility are improved, but the ease of transportation and logistics deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepipe length capabilityVSAvoidtransportation logistics
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile factory itself acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between production and transportation requirements. By producing pipes directly at the installation site (in loco), the system eliminates the need for long-distance transportation of oversized pipes, allowing production of pipes of any length without logistics constraints

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution significantly increases production speed and capacity, enabling the manufacture of pipes of any length with improved fusion quality and reduced energy consumption, while maintaining a high cost-benefit ratio.

Implementation Method 1

a beveler, with a variable angle, which on milling the sides thereof favors the joint / welding of the top

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMilling: Abrasion

Implementation Method 2

the use of two to five welding wires in the internal and external seam

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWelding: Welding

Implementation Method 3

welding machine assembly; electrical supply source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectric arc: Electric Arc

Data Source

PatentEP4101555B1Mobile helical tubing plant with steel sheet coil
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 MEMPS TUBOS HELICOIDAIS IND E SERVICOS LTDA
  • EP4101555B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4101555B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4101555B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

It consists of a factory for the production of helical pipes that can be mounted on trailers (1), rafts (2), or container-type structures (3) that is distinguished by its high production speed and use of steel sheet coils of up to 1" possible thanks to the use of an optional coil driver (4), a beveler (13) and a wire welding system (18) that may contain two (36), three (37), four (38) or five (39) welding wires per pass (internal and external).