Keywords
Citation
(2002), "Welding polyethylene pipes with confidence", Industrial Robot, Vol. 29 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2002.04929bab.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
Welding polyethylene pipes with confidence
Keywords: Welding, Plastics, Polyethers
A e 1M European-funded project has just been completed. It developed a fusion welding machine with an integral ultrasonic non- destructive examination (NDE) system (Plate 2). This has the potential for providing complete confidence in the long-term quality of each weld produced.
The project was managed by TWI and involved twelve other organisations from five European countries.
The objectives were to:
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Optimise three ultrasonic NDE techniques for butt welds in PE pipes (TOFD, tandem and creeping wave)
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Establish the limits of such an NDE system
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Determine critical defect sizes and levels of particulate contamination in PE pipe butt fusion welds
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Design and manufacture a prototype welding/NDE machine
These objectives were all met and the results were very encouraging. Work carried out during this project has important implications for the pipeline industry.
Plate
2 A close-up of the ultrasonic probe assembly mounted in an automatic butt
fusion welding machine
Although the project only covered one grade of PE, using one welding procedure, the advantage of a combined TOFD, tandem and creeping wave system is that it should be applicable to other grades of PE using other welding procedures as it does not rely on a specific shape or size of weld bead.
For more information, please contact: Mike Troughton at TWI. E-mail: mike.troughton@twi.co.uk