FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Could the K-TIG welding system benefit my business?

K-TIG (Keyhole GTAW or Keyhole TIG) has similarities to keyhole plasma arc welding (Keyhole PAW), and so a good first indication is whether or not you think keyhole PAW is a possibility. Of course this is not the whole story, but you will be looking at a welding application with the following constraints:

1. You are most likely looking at production lines rather than jobbing shop work
2. The welding must be automated
3. Welding will be in the down-hand (flat) or perhaps the horizontal position
4. You want to improve welding productivity
5. You have good joint fit-up and presentation
6. Material is typically 3mm thick or greater
7. Material is not highly conductive (such as aluminium or copper)
8. You desire a single pass process with simple I-joint preparation (i.e. square-butt)
9. Full penetration is very important

What sorts of applications does this process suit?

One of the most obvious applications would be in a tube mill. In such a well controlled environment, you can expect to get the most from the process with a minimum of disruption. If you consider, say, seam welding 6mm stainless steel at 500 mm/minute (20 inches/minute), without using any filler wire, the process could pay for itself within weeks. Of course the process can handle up to 12mm austenitic stainless steels in a single pass operation.

Another application could involve joining large plates. Now you will need to take care with joint fit-up and your mechanisation system. But, the more expensive the material, the more you will like the process. The difference between joining plates and operation on a tube mill is that you will be more concerned with opening and closing the keyhole.Run-on and run-off tabs provide one simple and effective solution.

Pipe-to-pipe and pipe-to-flange work is another very suitable application. Here the savings can be massive (depending on the material and wall-thickness) but keyhole opening and closing must be properly addressed. There are a variety of methods to deal with this, including programmed start and stop routines or the use of “Y” preparations with a keyhole root run followed by a filling pass, (a small sacrifice in productivity in return for ‘no hassles’). Back-purging will be essential for most materials, and K-TIG’s patented purging system will not only protect your welds, but enhance the process. You will be surprised at what you will be able to achieve. Either way, our controller will handle your requirements.

At this time, the pipe or flange must be rotated so that the weld can remain in the flat position, or alternatively, the welding may be conducted in the horizontal position. Further development is currently underway to provide all position capability in a small footprint field unit greatly increasing weld productivity (typically 10 to 100 times over current TIG methods) with increased weld quality. For those that need more technical material, you can find a small sample of typical macro / micro sections on range of material products by clicking here.

What is my investment?

If your business involves welding exotic material then K-TIG provides a unique opportunity to greatly reduce cost through decreased weld time (10 to 100 times faster), lesser dependence on skilled welders through automated welding, minimised rework with improved weld quality and major savings on gas and filler consumables.

We ask you to consider not only what K-TIG will cost, but what it will do to your bottom line.

We know all businesses have different needs and that’s why we have a range of very cost effective solutions that will meet most business’ budgets, so why not contact us on info@k-tig.com or phone +61 8 7324 6800 to discuss your special needs today.

Our packages are competitively priced, and offer outstanding value for money. However, you will need to contact us for a quotation as we provide a range of packages depending on your requirements and existing facilities.