Pipelines and pipes have a vital role in human health and also have strategic importance for all countries. Pipelines are constructed for transport of crude oil, refined petroleum, natural gas, biofuels and other fuels, clean water, hot water, steam transport and irrigation. These liquid and gaseous substances are necessary for continuation of human life, economic growth, industrial production, construction, infrastructure, agriculture as well as energy security.
Today approximately 4,000,000 km of pipeline exists in 120 countries and half of it is constituted by petroleum and gas pipelines. There is a tremendous growth in oil and gas pipeline construction due to increased energy consumption and energy politics of the countries to secure their energy resources. There is also increasing water, piling and construction pipe demand due to increase in population, water consumption per capita, and urbanization. These big pipelines and many steel structures are constructed by means of longitudinally or spirally welded steel pipes.
Total construction time of a long pipeline project is mainly determined by pipe supply time and also pipe laying time. Pipe supply time is depended on pipe production speed of the pipe mill. Capacity and the speed of the pipe mill is directly related with steel plate travel speed and welding speed. In order decrease the pipeline construction time in big projects, total length has been divided 2, 3 or more pipe suppliers, depending on their capacity and location. So, more than one pipe mill produce pipes and deliver to the site for pipe laying steps. High quality and defect-free pipe production is very important, especially on oil and gas pipelines projects, which have strict quality requirements and restricted project timing. Quality of the pipe or pipeline is the result of quality in raw material, pipe production steps; bending, welding, cutting, bevelling, coating and also pipe laying steps; joint welding, testing, insulation, soil backfilling and restoration the disturbed area. The most critical steps which have big impact on total quality, are pipe fabrication welding and pipe joint welding.
Submerged arc welding is the main welding process to produce longitudinal or spirally welded pipes. Depending on the use of pipe, steel type, plate thickness and diameter of the pipe, inner weld and outer weld are done by one or multi wires in tandem submerged arc welding application. Welding properties and behaviour of submerged arc welding fluxes are extremely important to have high quality and defect free weld under high production line speeds at high parameters. Mechanical properties, impact resistance, crack resistance, corrosion resistance, gas impermeability are main requirements from the pipe and weld joint. Inner and outer weld bead profiles are other important criteria’s to have good mechanical properties in the weld joint and homogenous paint and coating thickness. Proper welding flux, wire and approved welding procedure specification shall provide these necessary properties homogeneously through the pipe.
Pipe joint welding is a difficult job due to site conditions. Generally pipelines pass through rural zones, where there is no electricity, cold and windy, ground can be inclined and wet, groove excavation is not always good enough to stand inside, so joint mounting, assembly and welding positioning is really difficult in such places. Welding job has to be performed defect-free, otherwise, cutting the defected pipe, preparation and remounting again is a big time loss for the project. Because of these reasons, experienced project managers and pipe welders pay attention to performance of welding consumables and welding machines/generators. High penetration, wetting and good blending the side walls of pipes, smooth weld profile without undercut, low spatter and easy positional welding, high mechanical properties, X-ray quality have to be provided by welding consumables, welding machines and orbital pipe welding systems.
Magmaweld’s “Voice-of-Customer” oriented product development method has the main role to supply reliable and high quality products to pipe manufacturing and pipeline industries. Submerged arc welding fluxes and wires are developed according pipe mill’s production test results and understanding the detailed quality expectations in different types of pipe production. Special Pipe welding cellulosic electrodes, basic electrodes, high tensile steel electrodes, gas metal arc welding wires and flux cored wires, used in joint welding are tested and developed together with welding machines in several pipeline construction sites. As well as welding performance of welding consumables and welding machines, packaging and protection class of them are also improved according to difficult site conditions, in order to withstand high or low weather temperature, rain, wind, sand, soil and mud. Additionally, ancillary products like carbon electrode, electrode drying oven, cutting and grinding wheels are designed and produced for welder to perform the joint preparation and welding job defect-free, easy and quickly. Required weld quality can be obtained with solarmatic- darkening welding helmets, which provide clear vision of arc and molten weld bath. In addition to these, welder gloves, aprons and other garments are produced with care in order to protect the welder in difficult welding positions during pipe line welding.
Magmaweld has been serving both pipe manufacturing and pipe laying segments by supplying high performance welding consumables, welding machines , ancillary and safety products for many years.