Welding Line BWU 221.22

BWU 221.22 is a custom-built industrial production line designed for welding large weldments and high-capacity pressure vessels under heavy-duty conditions and high hourly workloads. It can operate in manual or automatic mode and includes advanced productivity functions, communication with the welding power sources and a clear touchscreen-controlled user interface for setting welding parameters.

Due to the complexity of the system, the production line is supplied only as a bespoke project. Its technical feasibility and final configuration are determined after a detailed consultation and are based on the customer’s products, application requirements and production program.

The production line consists of two independent workplaces, two welding towers and three roller-bed units, each containing two roller positioners. Both welding towers can operate simultaneously or independently on all three roller-bed units.

Each tower is equipped with a welding head, cross-slide unit and the selected welding technology. The torch position is controlled in three axes:

* Y-axis – longitudinal torch movement, * Z-axis – vertical torch movement, * W-axis – torch extension.

The welding heads can also be equipped with a weaving unit, torch arm and fine-adjustment head, depending on the selected welding technology.

A weld-seam tracking sensor monitors the torch position in the Y and Z axes. Each tower also includes a camera system that allows the operator to fine-tune the torch position in the Y, Z and W axes during welding. Manual camera-based correction has priority over automatic seam tracking. When the operator changes the torch position, the sensor accepts the new position as its reference point and continues tracking from it.

An infrared temperature sensor with laser targeting continuously monitors the weldment temperature. A maximum permitted temperature is set in the welding program. When this limit is reached, the system completes the current weld but prevents the next welding program from starting until the weldment temperature falls below the defined value.

Both welding towers have an independent workstation equipped with the control system and a Windows-based industrial computer. The user interface is displayed on a 19-inch widescreen touchscreen with a durable glass surface. The HST CREATIVE control environment provides clear visualization and convenient adjustment of all key circumferential-welding functions. It supports touch scrolling, context menus and touch gestures.

The digital camera image can be displayed directly within the control interface, allowing the operator to monitor the welding process without using a separate screen.

Each workstation is equipped with a fully proportional joystick for real-time control of the Y, Z and W axes. The movement speed depends on the degree of joystick deflection.

Welding parameters can be stored as individual programs for specific weld seams. The number of stored custom programs is unlimited. If the temperature limit is reached, the active welding program is completed, but the following program remains blocked until the weldment has cooled sufficiently.

Product rotation is provided by three independent roller-bed units. Each unit consists of two roller positioners with four synchronized drives, meaning that all rollers are powered. The production line therefore includes twelve drives in total.

The synchronized drives minimize unwanted product drift during rotation. All three roller-bed units can be controlled independently from either workstation, allowing the operator to set their parameters from both control computers.

The transverse spacing of the rollers can be adjusted according to the product diameter to ensure optimum load distribution. The selected position is secured by locking pins.

The distance between the two positioners within each roller-bed unit can also be adjusted according to the product length. The left positioner is fixed, while the second positioner moves along linear guides after releasing a pneumatic-mechanical brake.

Each roller-bed unit includes lateral support rollers that hold the product in position and prevent unwanted sideways movement during rotation.

Additional machine movements are controlled manually in standby mode. These include:

* longitudinal movement of the welding towers in the X-axis along linear guides, * vertical movement of the welding heads along the tower supports using hydraulic lifting units.

All motion axes are protected by limit switches defining their end positions. The lifting movement of the welding heads is additionally limited by the hydraulic system.

The production line can be equipped with the HST CREATIVE CW 09 cold-wire feeder. It is fully integrated into the control system and provides extensive adjustment of wire-feeding parameters, including wire-feed reversal.

An additional rotary positioner is integrated into the production line and shares control with both welding towers. Welding on the rotary positioner is possible only with the second tower, as the first tower cannot reach it due to the machine layout.

The rotary positioner includes the main electrical cabinet containing the complete wiring of the production line and the positioner mechanism. The electrical installation is arranged in two pull-out compartments to provide convenient access during maintenance and servicing.