Today’s tube and pipe manufacturers are required to have increased versatility in the creation of products for their customers that also adhere to the strictest quality standards. To date, most welding equipment has been used in singular applications that restrict a manufacturer’s ability to produce multiple products on the same production line. Meanwhile, the most competitive manufacturers have adopted new, variable output, precise heat input control, HF welding machines that give them the flexibility to win more business by producing multiple products as orders come in.
To meet this growing challenge, Thermatool has become the leading producer of variable frequency HF welders, offering an industry-leading range of welding frequencies. The stabilized power output is available from 50 kW to 2000 kW, which allows manufacturers to produce 1.5” diameter pipes in the morning and 3.5” pipes in the afternoon, combined with Thermatool’s easy-to-use operator console that stores recipes for future use.
“When we were running the Electric Resistance Welding Copper Wheel system before, we had to make sure the seam was straight up, the profile was just right, and start the welder by producing scrap to allow the copper wheel to heat up before everything was ready to go,” explained the Plant Engineer of the Cooling Equipment Manufacturer. “But now that we have a Thermatool machine with HAZControl™ Technology, all we have to check before starting the High Frequency Welder is that the recipe profile that we’ve saved in our system matches the pipe we plan to fabricate, and, once started, the system takes over right where it left off and adjusts automatically from there.”
Peter Meglin, Director of Sales at Thermatool, says, “In contrast to our competitors who focus on adding new parts at the risk of old ones becoming obsolete, Thermatool continually focuses on providing tube welding process knowledge to our customers so they can optimize their mills.” This focus provides proven HF welder performance rather than a discussion about the latest transistors.
Thermatool’s machines not only offer the widest range of frequencies, but they also give operators the ability to maintain a stable welding frequency and stable power output, even at low power levels. That means every tube has the same weld quality, from startup to full speed to shut-down, and scrap is kept to an absolute minimum.
“We knew going to an HF welder would consume less power than the copper wheel,” the Plant Engineer of the Cooling Equipment Manufacturer explained, “so we installed a power data logger on both machines to see exactly how much power we saved: With our Thermatool machine, we’re utilizing 54% less energy compared to the weld wheel system we used to have. In addition, we’re not consuming any power at all on standby mode. Plus, we’ve seen our run time percentage reduced by 50.1% while our mill speed increased by exactly 25%. It’s miles ahead of what we’ve had in the past.”
“Our goal is the same as the customer’s goal,” said Peter from Thermatool. “That’s why it’s critical that Thermatool HF Welder users can provide their customers with quality tube and pipe, produce it consistently, and cut down on their energy bills, maintenance costs and downtime. If it is important to our customers, it is important to Thermatool.”
The Cooling Equipment Manufacturer’s team has discussed upgrading their machines for almost eight years, “and when we finally upgraded, it was one of the best decisions this company has made. The power and scrap savings alone are worth it; never mind the quality and the control,” said the Plant Manager. “It’s a huge step in the right direction.” The Largest Manufacturer of Cooling and Heat Transfer Equipment has now confirmed a third installation of the Thermatool HAZControl™ Technology HF Welder.
To find out more information about how Thermatool can service your needs, please contact us at 1.203.468.4100 or info@thermatool.com.