摘要 |
A welding apparatus, for welding pipe sections (1, 2) together to form an underwater pipeline, is arranged to weld pipe sections (1, 2) together when they are in a generally upright orientation with the bottom of an upper pipe section (2) abutting the top of a lower pipe section (1) that defines the en d of a pipeline. The welding apparatus includes a rotary equipment holder (5) mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis (8) and having a centra l opening (5A) through which pipe sections (1, 2) are able to pass as a pipeli ne is laid, a plurality of welding heads (12) angularly spaced about the rotary equipment holder (5), each head (12) being associated with a respective sect or of the rotary equipment holder, and a welding head guide assembly (11) for fixing around a pipe section (1). The guide assembly (11) includes a guide track (14) for guiding movement of each of the welding heads (12) around the pipe section (1). The respective sector of the rotary equipment holder (5) i s able to revolve around the pipe section (1) as the associated welding head (12) revolves around the pipe section (1).
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