Overview
Autogenous Pipe Welding (2014-429)
Project Team:
- Ingalls Shipbuilding
- Edison Welding Institute
2014
NSRP ASE Investment: $139K
Objective:
Autogenous gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) offers opportunities to reduce build time and the cost of ship construction by performing full-penetration welds in a single-pass; therefore, eliminating the time required to bevel pipes and deposit multiple weld passes. Comparison of autogenous welding and present shipyard manual GTAW pipe welding practice suggests that the use of autogenous GTAW can reduce pipe welding time by approximately 35 percent.
The objective of the project was to develop a technical and business case for the successful use of autogenous GTAW of pipe for shipbuilding applications. The scope of work included: a review of past work and equipment capabilities, identifying candidate piping systems and materials, producing and examining test pipe welds, and reporting the results. Autogenous GTAW trials performed during this project demonstrate the ability of the process to successfully weld Type 304L stainless steel pipes that represent many of the piping systems that are welded during ship construction. Welds had complete weld joint penetration and were acceptable when examined by visual, liquid penetrant, and radiographic techniques to U.S. Navy ship construction standards.
Key Deliverables:
Request Final Report from NSRP – Limited Distribution authorized to the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry and NSRP ASE Program representatives