The Xiris Blog

This past week, The Tube & Pipe Association (TPA) and the International Tube Association (ITA) coordinated the Pipe and Tube Houston 2014 Conference, where Xiris attended to present its WI2000p Weld Inspection System.  The WI2000p system is used to inspect welded tube and pipe immediately after the weld box for forming and weld defects with the goal of performing process control.  Xiris presented on the WI2000p and how it can detect certain defects found specifically in High Frequency and ERW welded tubing. The conference was attended by several hundred members of the tube and pipe community, as well as a variety of equipment vendors.

Xiris also demonstrated the Xiris WI2000p Post Weld Inspection System at the conference’s table top exhibits.  Using actual tube samples from a variety of customers, the WI2000p’s ability to detect a variety of tube weld and forming defects, such as bead height, bead ratio, slope angle, deflection, mismatch, roll, freeze line, scarf width, and undercut.  Detection of all these critical defects was demonstrated as to how the WI2000p can assist operators in controlling their process.  The net result is to help tube and pipe fabricators decrease scrap rates, increase productivity and improve quality of the end product.

For more information about the WI2000p Post Weld Inspection system for tube and pipes, or to learn more about our other products and resources, please visit our website www.xiris.com

Xiris Automation participates in many international trade shows. Our products have immense value across a number of markets, including welding, where we present our XVC-O Weld Camera to the Weld industry. With video demonstrations and expert explanations about how our weld camera can improve weld monitoring, trade shows are hugely beneficial to customer understanding of this technology.

Partnering with one of our large OEMs, ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Xiris was privileged to exhibit the XVC-O Weld Camera for Open Arc welding processes. ESAB was one of only two major welding automation companies exhibiting at the International Manufacturing Technology Show. IMTS is one of the largest industrial trade shows in the world, featuring more than 2,000 exhibiting companies and 114,140 registrants.

ESAB showcased their pre-engineered robotic welding cell using a new tandem MIG welding process called Swift Arc LS. Xiris assisted with the ESAB exhibit by providing the Xiris XVC-O Weld Camera to demonstrate how the operator could view the welding process remotely. The weld camera was mounted on the robot and travelled with the weld torch to provide visitors a clear, live view of the weld arc. Xiris also demonstrated a live weld feed for visitors to see the software and dashboard view of the system (demonstrated above).

This is one of the many trade shows Xiris has attended this year, and will be attending many more! Watch for us at the Sheet Metal Welding Conference in Michigan, US, FabTech in Atlanta, Ga, US and the 5^th Welding Busan Exhibition in Korea this November.

To learn about all of our events and tradeshows please visit our website and be sure to subscribe to our blog.

The construction of large ship vessels is a very complex and hazardous trade. In order to fabricate these large structures, there are various positions and maintenance that needs to be completed for proper assembly. Unfortunately, this increases the risk of accidents. As many shipyards use sub-arc welding, this process involves operators to be suspended high in the air, or exposed to different gases and hazards.

In 2011, two workers were fatally injured on the site of a Singapore shipyard, when a powerful explosion was caused due to the build-up of pressurized air. Fortunately, other team members were inside the nearby building attending a safety briefing when the accident occurred. The explosion shook the entire stretch near Benoi Road, and the loss of the two workers was mourned by various media outlets.  

Sadly, these types of accidents are common in this area of work. The article of this accident is accompanied with a chart that demonstrates that in 2007 14.3% of accidents occurring at shipyards were due to fire and explosions, most commonly associated with welding. The graph below demonstrates a study conducted by the Ministry of Manpower in 2013 of the Workplace Injuries by Industry and Degree of Injury. You will see that Construction, Manufacturing and Marine trades have the highest amount of fatalities and are the most common trades using welding.

These studies demonstrate the demand for increased safety in all of these trades, specifically shipbuilding. These huge constructions involve a variety of complex conditions and trades that need to be completed with efficiency and reliability. Risking a worker’s life by adding hazardous factors to an already dangerous trade is unnecessary and should be avoided. In order to complete reliable and quality welds, it is important that it is monitored, but this does not mean the operator must be where the weld occurs. With the development of welding cameras, injuries and fatalities in this industry can be largely reduced.

Systems such as the Xiris XVC-S Weld Camera for Sub Arc Welding can be added to conditions commonly seen in shipyards. This small addition could have large benefits, and large decreases in the high number of injuries and deaths seen in this prominent trade. It allows welds to be monitored consistently, from a safe distance, which would increase worker safety and efficiency.

Is your shipyard safe? Are your welds consistent and the best quality you can provide? Can you risk any more lost product, lost time, or employee safety?

To learn more about how Xiris Weld Cameras can benefit your business, please visit our website.