submerged arc welding

[TechnicAl]

Its a fixed step over but the head is oscillated so you get a wide bead. The size of it and the drum mean you dont really need watercooling. The flat bed types are difficult because the plate distorts so much. You need some very serious clamping otherwise they just break. Ive seen some massive clamps snap like a carrot.
The secret is in the re-rolling. The guys who did it were very skilled as its all done by eye.

 

[Richard.]

The secret to the flat bed design is in the water cooling. Without it the plate will bend/break clamps like you say but with a good cooling on the plate back distortion is reduced a lot. Ive Tig welded Afew stainless tube systems for those tables in the past.

 

[TechnicAl]

The secret to the flat bed design is in the water cooling. Without it the plate will bend/break clamps like you say but with a good cooling on the plate back distortion is reduced a lot. Ive Tig welded Afew stainless tube systems for those tables in the past.

We did it for some small plates but it never worked on the bigger plates. We even went to see what was described as very successful flat bed method. Turns out it had never made a good plate. Rolling one that was distorted in every direction would be a nightmare.

 

[Richard.]

Yes the ones I've seen are only to accommodate 3x1.5mt plate and these worked pretty well. I've seen them on drums 6mtrs long then cut into half moons before rolled out flat. 2 standard wear plates at a time.

 

[backpurge]

Job I am on with at the moment in Billingham, the sub arc machines are that big they have lifts for the welders to get onto the boom gantry