Tilting Internal Welding Head for Tube End Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing internal clamping and welding devices for metal pipelines face challenges such as 'hi-lo' problems due to offset between tube ends, circularity defects, and inefficiencies in maintaining alignment and centering during welding, leading to suboptimal weld quality and increased risk of cavitation.

Innovation Solution

An internal clamping and welding device with a tiltable welding head and pivot mechanism that allows independent alignment with the tube end plane, combined with translational movement and robust clamping means, to maintain coaxiality and withstand significant axial and radial forces, ensuring precise positioning and efficient weld bead formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the welding head is fixed relative to the clamping means, then the device structure is simpler, but the alignment precision with the tube end plane deteriorates due to squareness defects and circularity defects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice structureVSAvoidalignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The welding head is made tiltable relative to the longitudinal axis of the device through a pivot mechanism, allowing dynamic adjustment of the welding head's orientation to match the actual tube end plane, thereby compensating for squareness defects and maintaining precise alignment despite structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The tilt angle parameter of the welding head is adjusted to compensate for squareness defects and circularity defects in the tubes, allowing the welding head to maintain optimal alignment with the tube end plane while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the clamping means are positioned far from the joint plane, then the device has greater freedom of movement, but the alignment stability and centering precision during welding deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefreedom of movementVSAvoidalignment stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping means are positioned close to the joint plane in the axial dimension, while the welding head is mounted on a pivot that provides rotational freedom in the angular dimension, thus achieving both stability in positioning and freedom of movement for alignment adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Manufacturing precision

If the welding head is positioned independently of the first clamping means, then the alignment precision with the tube end plane is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment precisionVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The welding head is mounted on a pivot mechanism that allows it to tilt independently relative to the longitudinal axis and the first clamping means, providing dynamic alignment capability with the tube end plane while maintaining a relatively compact and simple overall device structure through shared support components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12257653B2Internal clamping and welding device

Publication Date: 2025.03.25 SERIMAX HLDG

AI summary

An internal clamping and welding device for joining tubes by their distal ends, the device comprising movement means in order to be moved inside the tubes, separate clamping means for cooperating with the inner surfaces of the tubes to be welded, and a welding head mounted so as to be able to both rotate about a longitudinal axis of the tubes, and also pivot in order to be tiltable relative to a support of the clamping means.