ORBITAL

"Design, development and evaluation of an orbital laser welding head"

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The introduction of laser welding for the manufacturing of heat exchangers and steam generators can introduce some improvements in the manufacturing process such as the increase of the welding speed and of the quality level. Furthermore the automation of the process, involving the use of the laser welding technology, would permit to reduce the time between welding operations. Implementation of the laser welding process in industrial applications where orbital moving is needed involves the development of a special laser welding head. This is why a consortium of SMEs, consisting of companies with complementary expertises, have asked to LABOR, IWS-Fraunhofer and AIMEN to design and develop an orbital laser welding head for using in tube to sheet applications. The ORBITAL system consists in the design, development and construction of a new laser welding head adapted to the specific requirements of the orbital laser welding process and tailored for tube-to-sheet joints used in the production of heat exchangers. The system will be developed in order to enhance the characteristics of the laser welding process: high-speed welding, real-time control, easy automation, data exchange, accuracy. The ORBITAL laser welding system will be designed in order to satisfy the conditions of orbital welding applications, providing a good shielding gas atmosphere and a repeatable and robust positioning of the laser respect to the tubes to be welded thanks to a mechanical finger inserted in it. In order to achieve the objectives, it will be necessary to develop the three following technical aspects: an optical path in order to focus the laser on the workpiece, an electro-mechanical system in order to move and control the speed and path of laser beam around the tube circumference with a high positioning accuracy, and a control system that will be able to control the different parameters of the welding head and all the laser installation in order to perform the welding process.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

EU-funded scientists developed a tailor-made laser welding system to accommodate the challenging tube-to-sheet joints of large industrial heat exchangers. The technology has already received a warm welcome from manufacturers facing intense competition.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The European industrial shell and tube heat exchanger market is currently subject to intense competition and facing challenges due to rising metal and energy costs. The welding process itself provides a large window of opportunity to regain lost ground. Replacing conventional welding procedures with automated laser welding could increase product quality and welding speed while decreasing energy consumption. It requires overcoming current challenges related to compatibility with the large tube-to-sheet joints and interference from vibrations on the factory floor.

With input from industrial partners, scientists developed the prototype for a novel laser welding head tailor-made for operations to produce large industrial heat exchangers with EU funding of the project http://www.orbitalproject.eu/ ('Design, development and evaluation of an orbital laser welding head') (ORBITAL). Orbital welding for joining tubes together has been around since the 1960s. In its current version, it employs computer-controlled rotation of a conventional welding gun around the tubes to be joined (i.e. in an orbital) with significant benefits over manual welding. Employing lasers in orbital welding under conditions of heavy external vibrations and, further, extending the process to cover joining of tubes to sheets are the important contributions of the ORBITAL project.

The ORBITAL system consists of the orbital laser head, the industrial robot on which it is mounted (the computer numerical control (CNC) system), and the coupling and positioning systems. The laser head contains the lenses that shape and guide the laser beam to the workpiece. The control system ensures high accuracy, high-speed processing and real-time control. The robot is coupled to the orbital head for auto-centring of the welding head when it enters the tube and for enhanced accuracy and repeatability. The positioning system is clamped to the workpiece during welding and innovative mechanical coupling blocks vibration transmission from the workshop to the welding head.

Scientists successfully delivered the required orbital laser welding system for tube-to-sheet welds required in the production of industrial heat exchangers. Given the continued growth of the European heat exchanger market and the stiff competition, ORBITAL technology is expected to have significant impact on EU manufacturers and the EU economy although the unit cost including installation is high.