Overlay welding, or cladding, is an efficient and costeffective welding process for repairing and protecting parts against abrasion and corrosion by applying filler material. Cladding is of particular value in the gas and oil industry, where offshore pipelines – consisting of pipes, valve blocks and other components – often stretch over hundreds of kilometers and need to be protected against material and environmental impacts.

Fronius Cladding Systems impress thanks to their flexibility, performance and cost-effectiveness. The form, size and weight of the work piece to be overlay welded are the determining factors in choosing a suitable welding system. Fronius has therefore developed a portfolio of cladding systems that meets all qualitative and cost-relevant requirements. The Compact Cladding Cell, for example, is a cost-effective compact cladding solution. It is suitable for overlay welding of smaller work pieces up to a diameter of 1 m and a maximum weight of 2,500 kg. By contrast, the Endless Torch Rotation System (ETR) is designed for larger and more complex component. The centerpiece of the ETR system is the endlessly rotating welding head, which can be used to weld work pieces with multiple bores and different bore angles. Here, the welding torch and the wire feed unit rotate together around the bore axis. Additionally, the fully automatic centering of work pieces reduces production times.

NEW CONTROLLER FOR MORE APPLICATIONS

The ETR Ultimate represents an upgrade to the ETR welding system – it is quite literally the crowning glory of the current ETR. As well as conventional cladding, it also enables work pieces with complex geometries and difficult welding seams to be joined. This is all made possible by a system controller with an entirely new design concept, and featuring a user-friendly 21’’ touch display. The welding technician can create a 3D model of the work piece to be welded simply by importing the construction data from the CAD software. Prior to starting the welding process, an easy-to-operate interface allows the user to set welding sequences. The native software then translates the specified parameters into G-Code, the CNC programming language, before starting the welding process. The innovative system controller drives all axes simultaneously and moves the welding head directly to the target.

FOUR TIMES FASTER

The Pipe Cladding System is a solution specifically for inside pipe cladding. Typical applications include riser pipes in the oil and gas industry. Fronius has significantly improved the performance of its Pipe Cladding System and thus nearly quadrupled the welding speed in the process. In order to achieve this increased welding speed, the wirefeeder and welding torch have been optimized, thus substantially increasing the deposition rate. This new cladding system not only dramatically reduces processing time, it also requires less gas and increases the lifespan of torch wearing parts. The highly efficient cooling of the welding torch, wirefeeder and camera ensures reliable operation despite high temperatures inside the pipes. This high-performance cladding system is setting new standards in welding speed, quality and cost-effectiveness.