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Fronius All-Digital Equipment Sets New Standard for Welding Precision Software-Based Technology Powers North Texas Pipeline Project
A 23-mile stretch of Energy Transfer pipeline from Eagle Mountain to Ponder, Texas, proved again the efficacy of digital-to-digital technology in the welding process. Despite several days of limited production because of bad weather, the pipeline contractor was able to finish the project on schedule, thanks largely to fully digital welding equipment.
The innovative all-digital power supply used on the pipeline project was pioneered by Fronius, a leader in the technology of welding as well as in the manufacture of quality welding equipment. "This was a job where we needed to keep on schedule in spite of the conditions," said Johnny Morris, superintendent for contractor M. G. Dyess. "Even with welders who were new to this digital equipment, we could keep up our productivity and come in on time."
Completed in June, the North Texas project involved 1,543 mechanized welds in 36-inch, X70 pipe with wall thicknesses of .497, .597, and .643 mms. The target production goal was 50 welds per day, and on one especially productive day, the welders achieved 91 welds. Overall, with weather-affected days taken out of the calculation, the average was 49.3 welds per day. "The all-digital system was the factor that made the difference," said Morris.
On the project, a combination of the Fronius TransPuls Synergic 3200 and the CRC-Evans external welding machines P450 and P600 permitted the precise control that digital-to-digital equipment offers. The TPS-3200 allows the operator simply to select the wire diameter, the material and the operating mode. Then the welding process can be started. The simplicity of the digital interface between the power supply and the welding equipment has many advantages. On the job, welding parameters can be customized by changing software rather than hardware.
In conventional welding systems, the constant adaptation from actual to command value is carried out using analog components. But an all-digital setup can be totally responsive and consistent, so repeatable and easily controlled that it is far superior to other equipment in terms of productivity. The result is 100% reproducible welding, as many times as required. The operator can achieve an absolutely perfect arc, which means perfect ignition, welding and unique reproducibility of weld seams.
Fronius digital technology is robust under difficult climate conditions from sub-zero temperatures to the tropics, from deserts to offshore. In the field, it has demonstrated that it is "pipeline hardy" under the toughest circumstances. The TPS-3200 is lightweight and portable, and goes anywhere without operating difficulties.
The company has developed an exclusive arrangement with CRC-Evans Automatic Welding to produce digital power supplies that complement CRC-Evans equipment. Together, the two companies have researched and field-tested the all-digital concept over several years, and now the technology is foremost in the industry. CRC-Evans/Fronius digital welding systems include power source, wire feeders, gas flow control, and remote programming unit all on the same interface - a complete pipeline welding package for single wire, tandem wire, and the new root pass CMT process.
"Fronius was looking for a partner to enter the pipeline welding field with their power supply business. They chose us," said Shankar Rajagopaian, vice-president of engineering and new product development at CRC-Evans Automatic Welding. "Our experience with Fronius has been consistently impressive. They are a great technical partner, willing to work very closely with us, and the technology that has resulted is exceptional."
Fronius is a privately owned family business founded in Austria in 1945. Its main products were welding power sources, battery chargers and solar grid inverters. Today, the company's welding technology division is the market leader in Europe, and one of the world's leaders in the arc welding market segment. Fronius has grown to nearly 2500 employees, including a North American sales and service network based in Michigan in the U.S., Mississauga in Canada, and Monterrey, Mexico.
"One of their strongest assets is their service network, which is virtually worldwide," said Rajagopaian. "We have found that their Austrian-trained technicians can respond for technical help or warranty work quickly and effectively anywhere the equipment is, whether it's Russia or Asia or India or in the U.S. They have several layers of support that can solve any problem with the shortest turn-around time."
The North Texas pipeline project is just the latest using the Fronius/CRC-Evans digital system. With an increasing demand for all-digital equipment, CRC-Evans has stocked more than one thousand Fronius machines for current and future pipeline
projects. Digital technology has set new standards for the industry, and Fronius is in the vanguard.
Date 26th October 2007
GE Energy releases software for oil and gas transmission pipeline industry
GE Energy has released Smallworld Global Transmission Office* 4.1—the latest version of a suite of natural gas and liquid applications with a comprehensive global data model for the management of the assets in a pipeline transmission network.
This spatially-enabled network management solution brings together the essential applications needed to help pipeline transmission customers manage their networks and meet regulatory requirements in the industry.
The suite of integrated applications allows transmission companies to leverage the GIS data to make better-informed decisions about their assets. It is the only solution provided by a vendor that also provides the base GIS technology, giving customers a one-stop solution for their needs.
Key benefits for the customer include:
· The global pipeline-specific data model can reduce time to “go live” by shortening the database design phase by as much as 80%
· The standard application code and standard data model reduce total cost of ownership through minimized administration and by providing a standardized and smooth upgrade path
· Product provides applications and standard methods for pipeline integrity management and compliance reporting to satisfy regulators
“The Smallworld Global Transmission Office provides our pipeline customers with a standard ‘off the shelf’ product geared toward helping them operate and maintain their assets more efficiently, reduce costs and comply with regulatory requirements,” said Bob Gilligan, general manager of GE Energy’s transmission and distribution business. “We are excited about providing a GIS pipeline product that will upgrade from one revision to the next, enabling our customers to reduce their total ownership costs.”
Typical applications for the new suite include global data model to capture pipeline asset information, high-consequence area analysis, cathodic protection manager, alignment sheet generator, auto stationing and linear referencing, dynamic segmentation viewer, pipeline anomaly viewer, profile generator, close interval survey viewer, integration to integrity management and network and hydraulic analysis tools, inventory reporter, pipe book exporter, critical angle identifier and survey point manager.
Date 26th September 2007
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