Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP Open Orbital Weld Head

Overview

The Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP is a series of open orbital TIG weld heads for pipe, built in four sizes: TP 250, TP 400, TP 600 and TP 1000. Orbitalum describes the series as unique in design and function because the drive motor is completely integrated into the housing. That drive concept removes the large, laborious gearing of conventional open heads and gives an extremely compact unit, which is a major advantage on mobile construction sites. Together the four sizes of the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP cover pipe from 8 mm up to 275 mm outside diameter, and the heads can work with or without cold-wire feeding.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP series and its cold-wire and clamping accessories to pipeline, piping and plant maintenance contractors in Oman and the GCC. As a trusted supplier with engineering support in Muscat, we help teams select the head size, wire option and power source that match their pipe schedule.

Operating Principle of an Open Orbital Head

Unlike a closed micro head, an open orbital head does not enclose the joint in a gas chamber. Instead, the head clamps onto the pipe and carries a gas-shielded TIG torch around the circumference on a rotor, while the welding power source runs a stored program for current, travel speed, wire feed and gas. As general welding knowledge, open heads are the usual choice for larger diameters and thicker walls, because they allow filler wire to be added and several passes to be laid down for a full-penetration joint.

On the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP the arc length is kept constant mechanically, and on AVC/OSC versions it is held automatically by electronic arc gap control. The torch can also oscillate across the joint by up to 20 mm, which helps fill wider grooves on multi-layer welds. The motor drive covers the whole nominal diameter range of the TIG torch, so no extra mechanical setting is needed when the pipe diameter changes.

Engineering Design of the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP

Each Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP head has a compact housing without interfering protrusions. The liquid-cooled TIG torch head can be swivelled steplessly, which allows fillet welds or welds on short tube collars, and it sits on an adjustable slide for precise fine-tuning of the electrode position even during welding. The clamping mechanism is infinitely variable and adjusts to the pipe diameter without tools; the heads are centred on the pipe and clamped by levers. Operating buttons integrated in the housing mean no extra remote control is required.

For clamping, Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP 1000 heads use tool steel clamping plates by default, while TP 250, TP 400 and TP 600 use stainless steel (1.4305) clamping jaws, which Orbitalum says give more clamping power and easier, more precise alignment. On cold-wire variants the wire coil, a standard 100 mm, 1 kg spool, is mounted on the head housing, which prevents the wire from twisting during welding, and the wire feed nozzle is adjustable vertically and horizontally. The cold-wire unit can be retrofitted to any Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP head.

Key Features

Orbitalum lists the following properties for the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP series.

• The drive motor is fully integrated in the housing, giving an extremely compact head without heavy gearing.
• Four sizes cover pipe outside diameters from 8 mm to 275 mm.
• Heads can be used with or without cold-wire feeding, and the cold-wire unit can be retrofitted.
• The open arc system and multi-layer capability suit thick-walled pipe.
• A liquid-cooled, steplessly swivelling torch head allows fillet welds and short collars.
• An adjustable slide gives fine-tuning of the electrode position during welding.
• Toolless, infinitely variable clamping adapts quickly to each pipe diameter.
• AVC/OSC versions add electronic arc gap control and torch oscillation up to 20 mm.

Industrial Applications

Open orbital heads such as the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP are used where pipe is larger and walls are thicker than micro heads can handle: process piping in refineries and petrochemical plants, boiler and heat recovery piping in power stations, stainless and alloy lines in desalination and water treatment plants, and piping spools for food, dairy and pharmaceutical facilities. In Oman these needs come up in the industrial areas of Sohar and Duqm, in gas processing and LNG facilities, and in independent water and power projects along the coast, where repeatable weld quality and documented parameters help meet inspection requirements.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP with the control cable, ground cable and cold-wire kits that each project requires, from our base in Muscat. Many fabrication shops pair orbital heads with conventional equipment for tack welding, repairs and structural work, for example the Lincoln Electric Power Wave S500 or the ESAB Rebel EMP 285ic, and use submerged arc wire such as LongTeng EL8 for long seams on carbon steel. See all heads and power sources in our orbital pipe welding systems category.

Technical Specifications

The values below for the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP series come from the attached Orbitalum datasheet, which covers all four sizes. Orbitalum states that technical specifications are non-binding.

Choosing a Variant

Each size of the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP is offered in a plain version and a KD version with cold-wire feed; TP 400, TP 600 and TP 1000 are also offered as AVC/OSC versions with the KD3-100 wire unit. As a general guide, plain heads suit thin-walled pipe welded without filler, KD versions suit thicker walls where filler wire and several passes are needed, and AVC/OSC versions suit demanding multi-layer joints where automatic arc gap control and oscillation improve consistency. Remember that for every Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP head the control cable and ground cable are mandatory accessories ordered separately.

Call To Action

To request the Orbitalum ORBIWELD TP, send Seven Star LLC the pipe diameters, wall thicknesses, material, whether filler wire is required and the power source you use, and our Muscat team will prepare a formal quotation for Oman and the GCC. The manufacturer datasheet for the series can be downloaded from this page. Seven Star LLC supplies Orbitalum equipment as a trusted supplier with engineering support in Muscat, so contact us today.