Unit for welding housings of apparatus

A unit for the automated welding of internal and external circular joints in the housings of apparatus 400-1600 mm in diameter and up to 10 m long has been developed. The unit consists of cantilever, active and dummy idlers, and flux backing. The mechanical portion of the cantilever includes column with vertical-displacement mechanism, a carriage with a horizontal-displacement mechanism, and a cantilever which travels in the guides of the carriage rollers. The welding head is affixed to the front face of cantilever on a parallelogram suspension. The suspension, together with the support roller for the head, maintain the established departure of the electrode in the welding process, irrespective of the vertical displacement of the head with respect to cantilever. Unit operation is detailed.