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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Thursday, 19th November 2015
LaserPipeIn-bore laser welding feasibility study
Feasibility study part funded by Innovate UK
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
LaserPipe demonstration day
• Agenda– Partner company overviews
– LaserPipe project overview
– Laser welding development
– Alignment mechanism development
– Integration testing and trials
– Live demonstration
– Way forward for LaserPipe
– Questions
– Lunch
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
OC ROBOTICS
LaserPipe partner overview
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
OC Robotics – reaching the unreachable
• OC Robotics is a leading provider of robotic systems for use in confined or hazardous environments
• A wealth of experience designing and delivering robotic systems to key industries, such as; nuclear, aerospace, construction, defence and oil & gas
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Borescopes Industrial robotsSnake-arm robots
Small, flexible inspection tools for
accessing confined areas with
limited controllability.
A stiff, stable platform for
repeatedly moving large objects.Snake-arm robots fit in between
borescopes and industrial robots.
They are highly flexible, multi DOF
robots that are able to deliver a
payload into a small confined space.
OC Robotics – reaching the unreachable
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
• Insert system overview– Cartoon of pack and arm or picture
OC Robotics – reaching the unreachable
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
OC Robotics – reaching the unreachable
https://youtu.be/_gU6TWGynkU
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
TWI
LaserPipe partner overview
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
TWI
• Introduction to TWI
• Independent research and technology organisation, established in Cambridge, UK in 1946
• A world centre of expertise in manufacturing, fabrication and whole-life integrity management technologies
• ~700 Industrial Members operating in over 4500 locations worldwide
• In 2014, ~£80m of R&D and training in materials joining and related technologies was performed
• ~1,000 staff world-wide
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
TWI
• Materials processing at TWI– Laser joining of metallic materials
• Laser welding, hybrid laser-arc welding, laser brazing
– Laser cutting of metallic materials
– Laser surfacing of metallic materials
• Micro-machining
• Surfi-Sculpt®
• Laser-based cladding processes
– Additive manufacturing
• Laser Metal Deposition (LMD)
• Selective Laser Melting (SLM)
– Laser processing of ceramic and polymeric materials
– Lasers for (nuclear) decommissioning
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
PROJECT OVERVIEW
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Project overview
• Background– Modern industrial operations often require complex and
extensive pipelines, leading to maintenance issues:
Example of pipelines found in a nuclear
environment (courtesy of Sellafield Ltd)
• Confined spaces• Limited external access to pipes• Hazardous working conditions• Worker dose (nuclear)• External orbital cutting and
welding not viable• Limited operational windows• Significant cost of extended
plant shut down
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Project overview
• Background– Traditional orbital cutting and welding technology not
suitable due to limited access and proximity to other plant.
Typical orbital welding tool for
pipeline (TIG)
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Project overview
• LaserPipe feasibility study– Problem:
• Identify a suitable welding technology to deploy within pipelines for in-bore welding
• Determine a method of access and alignment to reach the weld site
– Solution
• Laser welding - scope for miniaturisation, flexibility of fibre, speed of weld, proven technology across many industrial applications
• Snake-arm technology allowing repeatable access to confined spaces and accurate delivery of payloads, including alignment
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Project overview
• Key objectives for feasibility study– Use of available COTS snake-arm
– Use of available COTS optics
– Identify welding parameters
– Minimising total mass and footprint of payload:
• Alignment mechanism
• Laser welding optics
• Laser welding assembly
• Services (cameras, laser diodes, laser fibre, water cooling, air knives, shielding gas).
– Alignment
– Beam dump and external gas shielding
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Project overview
• Major system components– Laser generator
– Snake-arm robot
– Alignment mechanism
– Welding assembly
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
LASER WELDING DEVELOPMENT
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Key development aims– Using COTS optics produce an assembly capable of multi-
positional in-bore welding to determine feasibility.
• Positions:
– PE, PF, PG, PA
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Key development aims– Successful system must be capable of deployment using
available snake-arm technology:
• Total mass including services and alignment mechanism <5kg
• Capable of >360 degree rotation
• Small enough to navigate in/around then weld standard pipe Inner Diameters (IDs)
– Produce a welding result at recognised standards:
– BS EN 13919-1
• Welding - Electron and laser-beam welded joints - Guidance on quality level for imperfections - Part 1: Steel
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
Target FactorsBenefit Rate
(Target factor x Weighting factor)
Weighting Factor
Scoring system
Beam Bending
Cube (BBC)
Use of Flat Mirror (FM)
Use of Parabolic
Mirror (PM)
Beam Bending Cube (BBC)
Use of Flat
Mirror (FM)
Use of Parabolic
Mirror (PM)
Does not require a focussing lens 4.1% 1=Lens not needed0=Lens needed 0 0 1 0.000 0.000 0.041
Camera Visibility is in the plane of view
3.0% 1=Can achieve in plane view0=Out of plane view only 1 0 0 0.030 0.000 0.000
likely size of Laser head design 10.1%3= Small head
2=Medium head1= Big head
1 2 2 0.101 0.201 0.201
Pipe size (small and Large) 9.5% 1=Big and small pipes0=Big pipes only 0 1 1 0.000 0.095 0.095
Variable focal length to compensate for positional inaccuracies
(rings/spacers)1.8% 1=Yes
0=No 0 1 0 0.000 0.018 0.000
Likely Cost to project 8.3%3= Cheapest cost2=Medium cost
1= Most Expensive2 3 1 0.166 0.249 0.083
Protection system (Air/Argon) 6.5% 1=Air knife0= Ar Knife 1 0 0 0.065 0.000 0.000
Design and build effort 7.7%3= Least intensive
2=Medium Intensity1= Most intensive
3 2 1 0.231 0.154 0.077
Mirror Cleaning ability/ Maintenance 13.0%3= Least intensive
2=Medium Intensity1= Most intensive
3 2 1 0.391 0.260 0.130
Ease of Mirror setup tolerance 13.0%3= Least intensive
2=Medium Intensity1= Most intensive
3 2 1 0.391 0.260 0.130
Extra Feature 1 10.7% 1=Yes0=No 0 1 1 0.000 0.107 0.107
Extra Feature 2 0.6% 1=Yes0=No 1 0 0 0.006 0.000 0.000
Extra Feature 311.8% 1=Freely rotate
0=Not Freely rotate 0 1 1 0.000 0.118 0.118
Summary 100% 15 15 10 1.379 1.462 0.98267.5% 71.6% 48.1%
% of Best Case
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Copper mirror testingW= 75-80 g (f60-f500) (We have f200 & f400)
W= 600g (For f100)
41.83mm
158.17mm(316.34mm ID Pipe)
50.0mm
150.0mm(300mm ID Pipe)
81.83mm
118.0mm(236mm ID Pipe)
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
80.0
100.0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Ma
x. m
irro
r T
aft
er
35
s, 'C
Power requested from laser, W
Water cooled mirror temperatures
41.83mm stand-off50mm stand-off81.83mm stand-off
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Welding assembly design and development
Primary 304L stainless steel pipe for trials
• OD 273.05 ID 264.67mm,
• Wall thickness 4.19mm
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Beam dump and outer gas shielding collar
Collar required for:
• Exterior weld shielding to reduce oxidisation during weld
• Beam dump to safely confine laser
The gas shielding collar features:
• Nitrogen inlet/outlet valves
• 2 hinged regions for pipe placement
• Machined channels for silicon O-rings and copper lining
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Bead on Plate (BoP) trials
• Radiographic analysis (to determine the extent of weld porosity and spatter) show minimal weld defects in visually desirable welds.
• The most favourable weld parameters to take forward for the demonstration provide us with a wide weld width ~4mm.
3mm 3Kw 5mm 3Kw 5mm 5Kw
Speed (m/min) PA PG PF PE
Speed (m/min) PA PG PF PE
Speed (m/min) PA PG PF PE
0.50 0.50 3, -5 0.50
0.75 0.75 3, -5 0.75
1.0 7, -3 3, -3 3, -3 7, -3 1.0 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5 x 1.0 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5
2.0 7, -3 2.0 2, 0 2, 0 2, 0 x 2.0 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5
2.5 7, -3 2.5 x x x x 2.5
3.0 7, -3 7, -3 7, -3 7, -3 3.0 x x x x 3.0 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5
3.5 3, -3 3.5 x x x x 3.5 ?
4.0 3, -3 4.0 x x x x 4.0 3, -5 3, -5 3, -5 x
5.0 3, -3 3, -3 3, -3 3, -3 5.0 x x x x 5.0 ? ? ? x
5.5 x x x x 5.5 x x x x 5.5 ? ? ? x
6.0 x x x x 6.0 x x x x 6.0 ? ? ? x
7.0 7.0 7.0 ? ? ? x
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Initial in-bore pipe welding trials
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Initial In-bore pipe welding trials
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Laser welding development
• Welding parameters identified by trials– Laser power = 4 kW
– Weld traverse speed = 1 m/min
– Beam focus tolerance = +/- 4mm
– Tolerance to joint line = 0.2mm
– Beam biasing to either parent material = not applicable
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
ALIGNMENT MECHANISM DEVELOPMENT
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• Key development aims– Select an available COTS snake-arm suitable for deployment
– Provide a 6 DoF alignment system with resolution of movement to deliver TWI weld parameters
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• COTS snake-arm delivery mechanism– Series II X125 arm (2.5m inc. tool)
• 10 joints
• 22 DoF
• 5kg payload
• Can be skinned to protect against spatter
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• Alignment mechanism– Achieve welding parameters
– Keep mass low
– Remain agile for deployment in/around pipework
Offset of laser orbit
(radial movement)
Rotation of laser
head
Axial seam
tracking
End of snake arm
Tool
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• Alignment mechanism– Key design features:
• Hardware and software based solution
• Embedded collimator to reduce overall length
• Rotating mirror – static collimator and focussing lens
• High resolution control of rotation (roll)
Laser collimator
Fibre coming through link body
(adjacent link or further down
arm)
Clearance for fibre (or
collimator) through hinge
core
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• Alignment mechanism and control– Cartesian control of snake-arm to achieve:
• Translation (forward/back, up/down, left/right)
• Rotation (yaw, pitch, roll)
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Alignment mechanism development
• Design of integrated system assembly with counter weight– OCR trials proved snake-arm system stability suitable for
rotation of welding assembly without counterweight
– Counter weight removed from design
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
• State-of-the-art 6-DoF Cartesian tool motion
Alignment process
- Approximately align head by nose following into pipe
- Rotate tool 120 degrees
- Translate guide laser focal point onto pipe surface at weld line
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
INTEGRATION TESTING AND TRIALS
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Integration testing and trials
• Initial integration at OC Robotics using dummy collimator and laser source
• Testing completed using actual mirror and welding assembly
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Integration testing and trials
• Integration at TWI– Collimator
– Focussing lens
– Fibre
– Services:
• Water lines
• Gas lines
• Shielding gas
• Successful integration
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
Integration testing and trials
• Trial achieving full penetration and good quality weld, although further analysis needed.
https://youtu.be/jpbOE1wH_6w
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
LIVE DEMONSTRATION
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
WAY FORWARD
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
LaserPipe way forward
• Finish current feasibility study– Complete trials
– Analyse results
– Generate report
– Disseminate findings
• Project funding ends 2015
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
LaserPipe way forward
• Options for future work– Improved gas shielding inside pipe – panpipes/skirt
– Deployment system
– Application of technology for cutting/decommissioning
– Alignment camera shutter/air knife
– Further refinement of the alignment process
– Pipe features for pipe alignment and beam dump
– Remoted deployment of replacement/new pipe section
– Miniaturisation of optics / custom optics
– Sealed units without need for cover slides/air knives
– Air cooled optics
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
LaserPipe
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©2015 OC Robotics®COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
OC Robotics
• Greg Udall
– Project manager
• 0117 3144 4700
TWI
• Tony Pramanik
– Project leader
• 01223 899 255
LaserPipe partner details