Pipe T-Branch Punching for Filler-Free Internal Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for creating a T-branch in pipes, such as drilling and punching, are inefficient and unsuitable for larger diameters, leading to deformation and requiring external welding or filler materials, which is not ideal for production efficiency or environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that use a tangentially moving punch tool with an expandable inner support to create a hole in the main pipe, allowing for internal welding of a branch pipe of similar size without deformation or the need for external fillers, by shaping the punch tool with an arc and straight edges to match the branch pipe's inner surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If drilling is used to make a hole in the main pipe, then the hole can be created, but chips and cutting fluid are produced requiring cleaning and washing, and the process is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the drilling process (which uses cutting fluid and produces chips) with a punching process that mechanically removes material through a punch tool with cutting edges, eliminating the need for cutting fluid and producing minimal waste material that does not require washing
Solution Approach 2:
The punch tool extracts and removes the material to be discarded from the main pipe in a single action, creating the hole without generating harmful byproducts that would require additional cleaning steps
2Productivity
If a punch tool is used to make a hole in the main pipe, then the process is faster and cleaner, but the pipe deforms without internal support
Solution Approach 1:
An expansible inner support is introduced as an intermediary element inside the main pipe to prevent deformation during the punching process. The inner support expands to contact the pipe's inner surface, providing the necessary counterforce to maintain pipe stability while the punch tool creates the hole
Solution Approach 2:
The inner support is positioned and expanded in advance before the punching operation begins, preparing the pipe structure to withstand the punching forces without deforming. This preliminary support ensures the pipe maintains its shape throughout the hole-making process
3Ease of manufacture
If a typical round punch tool is used, then the hole can be made, but the hole shape does not match the branch pipe end surface, requiring external welding or filler materials
Solution Approach 1:
The punch tool is designed with different local qualities: the cutting edges have specific angles for clean cutting, the tip has a curved surface matching the branch pipe's end geometry, and the body has the necessary strength. This localized differentiation of properties allows the tool to create a hole with a shape that perfectly matches the branch pipe end surface, enabling direct internal welding without external fillers
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a round hole and then adapting the branch pipe or using external fillers, the punch tool is designed to create a non-circular hole shape that directly matches the branch pipe's end surface geometry. This inverted approach - shaping the hole to match the branch rather than forcing the branch to match a round hole - eliminates the need for external welding operations
4Force
If the punch tool blade is tapered and sharp-pointed, then it can pierce the pipe, but it is only suitable for thin-walled pipes and soft materials, not steel pipes with typical wall thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The punch tool blade parameters are optimized for steel pipes with typical wall thickness: the cutting edges have specific angles (30-45 degrees) that provide sufficient mechanical advantage for cutting through steel, the tip geometry is designed to distribute forces appropriately, and the overall blade dimensions are scaled to match the pipe dimensions. These parameter changes make the tool suitable for steel pipes while maintaining piercing capability
Data Source
AI summary
The object of the invention is a method and a device for making a pipe T-branch by connecting the shaped end of a branch pipe with internal welding to the edges of a hole in a main pipe. The hole in the main pipe (T) and the arcs corresponding to the main pipe at the end of the branch pipe (P) are cut mechanically by removing one solid part from the hole and two (22) solid parts from the end of the branch pipe in a dry mechanical process, wherein the cleanliness of the joint areas remains suitable for welding. The shaped end of the branch pipe (P) is placed around the hole in the main pipe and the joint seam (21) between the pipes is welded by internal welding without the use of a welding filler. A suitable branching hole is made by punching tangentially from the side of the main pipe such that the tangent of the pipe, which is parallel to the direction of movement of the punch tool, is located inside the punch tool (1).