Automated SAW system speeds up production of large-diameter shells

Situation

Custom Steel Fabricators Inc. was established in the early 1970s in Columbia, Tenn., to fabricate stainless steel plate and nickel alloys for industrial markets. Today, with 40 employees in two workshops covering about 50,000 sq. ft., the manufacturer processes 300 series stainless, duplex steels, 6% moly grades, and most nickel alloys for such industries as power, chemical, and cement.

“As the scope of our work and our customer base grew, one of the challenges we faced in our fabrication process was the fitting and welding of large-diameter shells,” explained Tony Sciotto, president. The company was using turning rolls and a welding manipulator with submerged arc welding (SAW) to produce the shells, but as the requested diameters continued to grow, the system proved inadequate.

While manual fitting was accurate, it was also slow. The company needed to improve fit-up speed while maintaining accuracy on the large cylinders.

Resolution

To help ensure better fitting and welding of the shells, the manufacturer recently purchased equipment from Pemamek: a Pema TW5000-25 assembly station with side-support arms and integration to a Pema MD 4.5×5 column and boom with a single SAW head.

The automated system has made fabrication of the large-diameter shells faster and more efficient. “By using the side-support arms, we are now able to support the cylinder as we fit the joint and also throughout the welding process. No more manual fit-ups,” Sciotto said.

It also has improved fit-up quality on the company’s current project: a 1/2-in.-thick alloy 2205 duplex stainless cylinder, 156 in. in diameter.

“I believe we will be seeing even higher results as time passes; we are improving daily and learning the right methods to utilize Pema machinery,” Sciotto concluded.

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