New precision welding system for the instrumentation industry
New precision welding system for the instrumentation industry
Keyword: Welding
A new precision welding system, designated the SIGMA 2000 welding system,has been developed by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited for the welding of thin, circular metal components in the Instrumentation industry (see Plate 7).
One part of the system is a precision pulsed micro plasma welding power supply with a capacity to weld material thicknesses from 0.02 to 3.5mm. The welding power supply has a precision weld timer and a remote interface to allow it to be used for mechanised and automated functions.
The other part of the system is a precision welding lathe which can accommodate components ranging in diameter from 3 to 300 mm and weighing up to 50kg. The lathe has a speed regulator to provide very accurate speed control for all sizes within its range to give a welding speed from 30 to 2,000mm per minute.
Plate 7 Techweld TM Sigma 2000 precision welding system
A machine type, straight barrelled micro plasma welding torch is mounted on a torch post, saddle assembly which can be precisely positioned along the bed of the lathe, using the hand wheel on the end of the linear lead screw. Front to back positioning of the weld torch is also achieved by a hand driven lead screw on the cross slide.
A further facility enables the torch angle to be precisely repeated while an option allows front to back tilting of the torch as well.
One of the key advantages of this system is that it can be used without an arc gap setting device, thus making the system 30 per cent cheaper than an equivalent system using a TIG or micro TIG welding power supply.
The Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited's micro plasma arc is columnar which allows the part to be welded 1 to 10 mm from the torch, whereas TIG systems have a conical arc which demands an expensive gap setting device to ensure repeatability of welds.
Additionally, the micro plasma process allows the pilot arc to stay on all of the time, rather like a pilot flame on a gas cooker. The arc is then transferred to the workpiece when a weld is needed, without the attendant problems encountered with the TIG process, of electrode erosion and high frequency interference every time an arc is generated. Two thousand welds before the electrode needs to be dressed is not uncommon with the micro plasma process.
This system can be used for the manufacture variety of products in the instrumentation industries including transducers, transmitters, load cells,temperature measuring probes, thermowells, metal thermometer bulbs,accelerometers, bellows sealed devices, bourdon tube instruments, capsule gauges and others.
Further information from the Company at: Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Limited, Stukeley Meadows, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE18 6EJ, UK. Tel: + 44(0) 1480 412432; Fax: + 44 (0) 1480 412841; E-mail: hft.ltd@dial.pipex.com Web Site: http://www.huntingdonfusion.com
