摘要 |
A water cooled orbital welding apparatus permits continuous welding of pipes and tubes in a limited space by including a liquid cooled plate inside a head assembly to remove heat from the gear carrying the welding electrode around the tubes being welded. A plurality of spring loaded ball bearings maintain the rotating gear in tight contact with the cooling plate. By keeping the gear and electrode cool, thermal expansion of the internal components of the welding head is minimized. Since thermal expansion is not a major factor, noncompatible materials in terms of thermal expansion characteristics may be used in the construction of the device. A removable cassette of symmetrical design allows a cassette to be mounted on the head from either the right or from the left, thus allowing the operator to open the clamps on the cassette from either the front side or the back side of the weld head. An offset hinge on the cassette permits the cassette to be removed from the welded tubes in confined space. The cassette is provided with a colored glass window to permit viewing of the welding operation.
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