Our Product: Titanium Rolled Rings Forgings Butt Welding Fittings 

Pipe fitting and welding is a very common activity for welders, and requires different

techniques and a higher skill level than standard flat welds. Many pipes require welds

to be performed overhead or in tight confines, and the welder has to maintain a

consistent bead while continuously moving the equipment around the pipe.

Pipe Welding Preparation

Before the pipes can be fit up and welded, the welder has to prepare the ends of the

pipes. The standard configuration for pipe welding is a single-vee butt weld. In this

case, the outer edge of the pipe is beveled so that when the edges of the pipe are

brought together, they form a vee-shaped groove that will contain the weld. The edges

of the pipe can be beveled using a torch cutter and cleaned up by grinding, or by using

a pipe cutting machine. In some cases, the pipes may be pre-beveled as part of the

manufacturing process. The pipe edges are then cleaned and de-greased to remove

contaminants from the surface that could adversely affect the weld.

Fitting Up Pipes for Welding

After preparing the pipes, the welder arranges the pipes in the location where they

will be installed in a process called "fitting up". This ensures that all of the pipes

are aligned properly before any of the welds are created. To do this, the welder will

tack weld individual joints and verify alignment of each joint until each joint has

about four tack welds. The tack welds provide stability plus a bit of flexibility in

the assembly so that parts can be adjusted as needed.

Pipe Welding Procedures

There are two general procedures for welding pipes in a horizontal position: uphill

welding and downhill welding. Uphill pipe welding is a technique most applicable to

thick walled pipes that can retain heat. The weld begins at the lowest point of the

pipe the welder builds the bead up one side of the pipe to the top of the pipe. The

welder then repeats this process on the other side of the pipe, starting the weld at

the lowest point and moving the bead upwards.

Downhill pipe welding is performed on thin walled pipes that can dissipate heat

quickly. In this case, the welder will start the weld at the top of the pipe and work

the bead down to the lowest point of the pipe, repeating the process on the other side.

Other than orientation, the general welding procedure is no different than flat

welding, and will depend on the type of welding and the material of the pipes.