The following is an excerpt from an article published on Fabricating & Metalworking, written by Joel Armstrong
Novarc unveils SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy, an AI-driven GTAW solution that automates x-ray-quality pipe spool welding, boosts deposition and speed, and eases the skilled-labor gap ahead of FABTECH 2025.
When high-quality welds are required; when operators are working with exotic metals (stainless steel, duplex, super duplex, Inconel, etc.); when welds are subject to rigorous testing requirements, the benefits of TIPTIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding becomes an essential part of the process.
Achieving “defect free,” high quality welds demands the precision that TIPTIG enables. The patented hot wire feeding system keeps the weld within a very narrow thermal window (which sets it apart from the more conventional TIG techniques) and oscillates the filler metal, disrupting the surface tension of the molten weld pool, allowing for better fusion and increased deposition rates. It’s a process that yields the highest visual, mechanical and chemical quality requirements.
Invented in Austria by Siegfried Plasch, the TIPTIG welding process has become a global welding standard, known not only for its high quality welds, but significantly reducing overall welding time as well.
Proven Across Mission-Critical Industries
A combination of precision, efficiency and high aesthetic finish makes TIPTIG an attractive choice for industries demanding superior weld quality for components where even microscopic defects like porosity, or inclusions or cracks could lead to catastrophic failure:
- Aerospace and defense industries demand metallurgical integrity in the fabrication of thousands of critical components across a number of exotic alloys.
- Nuclear power generation fabrication (reactor piping, pressure vessels and heat exchangers) requires high-quality welds that meet stringent regulatory codes.
- Oil and gas/petrochemical (pressure vessels to offshore structures and pipeline welding) require critical fatigue resistance and corrosion protection.
- Pharmaceutical and food processing equipment demand stainless steel piping and vessels with smooth, clean welds that have ultra-high hygiene and resist bacterial growth.
- Shipbuilding and marine fabricators of LNG tankers, naval vessels and specialty ships rely on TIPTIG for high-quality stainless and cryogenic material welds.
- General heavy fabricators (building heat exchangers, boilers and pressure vessels) require TIG weld quality and higher productivity.
SWR + TIPTIG: Speed, Precision and Accessibility
When paired with Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot (SWR), operators are able to perform the highest quality welds with greater precision, at speeds that are two to three times faster than manual TIG welding. With its ease-of-use, the SWR with TIPTIG dramatically reduces the skill level required for welding, making it accessible to a wider range of operators, essentially enabling a non-TIG welder to perform a TIG quality weld. This new capability takes on significant importance given there are currently 330,000 welding positions that open every year, and roughly 83,000 new welding jobs expected to be filled annually in North America through 2028, according to the American Welding Society.
Real-World Results at DSI
Dynamic Systems, Inc. (DSI), an industry-leading mechanical contractor supplying critical HVAC and plumbing systems in America’s health care and higher education facilities was the first company to implement Novarc’s SWR-TIPTIG process in their 120,000-square-foot fabrication shop in Houston. Using the SWR-TIPTIG process in their Houston fabrication shop continues to enhance productivity on stainless steel pipe spool fabrication without compromising the exceptional weld they are renowned to provide. DSI is now the beta tester of Novarc’s new SWR+TIPTIG Autonomy; an industry-first which is being demonstrated at FABTECH in Chicago, Sept. 8-11, at Novarc’s Booth B-17063.
Read the full article on Fabricating & Metalworking