ISSUE Two: June 2019
In June’s Issue:
• Focus on Distributor: Spain
• 2019 Calender of Exhibitions and
Events
• An Australian Welcome
• Product News: PurgEye Nano,
Inflatable Stoppers and More
• Technical Article: Titanium in
Motor Sport
WELD PURGING PRODUCTS
INNOVATORS, MANUFACTURERS and
INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED SPECIALIST
Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT® are proud members of:
www.huntingdonfusion.com
2 CONTENT
WHAT’S IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE
Weld of the Month and Distributor Feature 3
TWI UK Welding and Joining Exhibition 4
Industry News 5
HFT / Product News 6-7
Technical Paper 8-9
A WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Reader,
Welcome to June’s issue of the newly titled ‘Weld Purging
World’.
In May, we launched our new look Magazine and it was
received incredibly well. Thank you to everyone who took
the time to read the issue. With a few tweaks, including a
new title, I’m delighted to share June’s issue with you.
In this issue read about how we got on at the TWI Welding
and Joining Exhibition, our visit to Australia and find our
where we will Exhibiting next.
As I said last month, although the magazine will
predominantly feature news about Huntingdon Fusion
Techniques, we’d be happy to feature any welding or weld
purging related news.
If you have any news or would like to be featured in our
magazine, then please get in touch.
Thank you for reading!
Best wishes,
Michaela
Marketing and Social Media Manager
WELD OF THE MONTH 3
Weld of the Month goes to one of our Instagram
Followers Brad Bingham (@binghambuilt) for this
incredible titanium weld! Head over to his page to see
more of his work.
If you are using our products and would like to enter
to have your weld featured as Weld of the Month, tag
us in your weld photos. We will try and repost them on
our Instagram page too. Extra points if you can get our
product in the photo [email protected]_fusion
FOCUS ON DISTRIBUTOR: SPAIN
Exclusive Distributor in Spain: Comercial de
Soldadura, S.A.
www.codesol.com
Created in 1979, Codesol is a company
dedicated to the manufacture and distribution
of equipment, consumables and accessories
for welding. This year, they celebrate their 40th
anniversary, giving them experience, knowledge
and progress, which allows the company to grow,
innovate and offer continuous improvements to
meet the requirements of their customers.
With offices in Barcelona, Madrid, Álava, Murcia, Girona, Lleida, Baleares and Tarragona, Codesol
are motivated, committed and specialised professionals in various sectors of the welding market.
Their goal is to provide complete welding solutions to their customers, offering a technical knowledge
of equipment and presenting their products in a clear and simple way, advising them in such a way
that they obtain confidence and security in the acquired product.
The personalised attention to their clients is
implemented within their engineering department,
which after carrying out a personalised analysis
of each project, designs and manufactures in
accordance with the specific requirements of the
applications of each client.
In turn, to maximise efficiency, maintain quality and reduce capital costs, their customers have
the option to rent welding equipment, rotators, columns, positioners and other products related to
welding. Codesol has been an Exclusive Distributor of Huntingdon Fusion Techniques for over 20
years and also represents Lorch, CEA, Orbitalum, Trafimet ... companies recognised as leaders in
welding technology.
Range of products: ● Welding Equipment, ● Orbital, ● Abrasives, ● Welding and Cutting Torches,
● Welding Automation Robots, ● Manipulators, ● Welding Consumables, ● Accessories, Rental Equipment
If any of our Distributors would like to feature here, then please get in touch!
4 EXHIBITIONS
TWI – UK WELDING AND JOINING EXHIBITION
In May we exhibited at The Welding Institute’s (TWI’s) Welding and Joining Exhibition.
Our CEO Georgia attended the Event and said: “The TWI’s Welding
and Joining Exhibition was a fantastic event. All the big names in the
Industry were there and we were able to showcase our products and
services.”
“On display was our range of Weld Purging Systems, designed to save
welders time and money by restricting the volume required for purging
during the welding of reactive metals. Coupled together with a Weld
Purge Monitor® so they know exactly what the oxygen level is and when
to begin welding, it really takes away any guess work.”
Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit us! We are excited for
the next TWI Event!
INSIDER MAGAZINE
Georgia recently featured in May’s Insider Magazine discussing how exports, innovation and eye on
costs have boosted business.
Titled ‘The Way of the Welds’ Georgia talks to Douglas
Friedli about riding on a tide of success, how innovation
keeps HFT® ahead of the competition and implenting fresh
ideas quickly. Georgia says: “I saw something yesterday
that I thought was cool, where you can scan a QR code
with your phone, and it would link straight to the user
instructions. I’ll probably have that in place in three months
on a couple of the products, on the box or maybe on the
product itself.”
Head over to Insider Media to read the article in full!
AN AUSTRALIAN WELCOME
In March, HFT®’s Technical Sales Manager Luke visited
Australia. During his visit Down Under, Luke was invited to
the British Consulate in Sydney.
Luke said: ‘It was a good trip organised by The Welsh
Government during the Trade Mission for the consulate
to provide some information on importing/exporting into
Australia.”
The Department of International Trade Australia Tweeted: “A warm welcome to our Welsh Trade
Delegation who arrived here in Sydney this week. This morning we are discussing the, “Long-
standing, vibrant and trusted relationship between the UK and Australia”. #BusinessisGREAT”
INDUSTRY NEWS 5
A VISIT TO SANTANDER
In May, The WNF (Wales Nuclear Forum)
was invited to sign a Memorandum
of Understanding with the Cantabrian
Nuclear Cluster.
Georgia (pictured front row, second from
the left, said: “Cantabrian exist to promote
the businesses of Cantabria to the outside
world and promote the region as a place
for companies to set up.
“It was a great visit. The Welsh Government provided some financial assistance for 10 x member
companies to travel to Santander to meet members of the cluster. The selected companies had to
be able to provide equipment or services within the brief of the Cluster and we were delighted that
HFT® was selected.
CALENDER: EVENTS IN THE INDUSTRY
4 – 7 June 3 - 6 September
ITM Poland Mach/Tool SPE Offshore
Poznan, Poland Aberdeen, UK
16 – 21 September 18– 20 September
EMO Hannover
Hannover, Germany tube
Exhibiting! bangkok, Thailand
11 - 14 November
Fabtech Exhibiting!
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA 11 - 14 November
Adipec
Adnec, Abu Dhabi
Distributor Exhibiting! 26 - 28th November
27 - 28 November Stainless Steel World
MetalMadrid MECC Maastricht, The Netherlands
Ifema, Madrid, Spain
6 HFT / PRODUCT NEWS
LOW COST WELD PURGE MONITOR FOR WELDING TITANIUM
Weld Purging Techniques are now used in most industries
especially when welding reactive metals. Whilst the welding
torch provides a protective cover to the top of the fusion zone,
inert gas coverage is also required at the weld root.
By sampling the gas and testing the oxygen content around
the weld, the welder knows when to start welding for safe
results.
The basic-entry level PurgEye® Nano will show oxygen
levels down to 1 ppm (accurate to 10 ppm), which can be
used to monitor the oxygen content when welding titanium, zirconium and all other reactive metals.
Our low cost PurgEye® Nano is a no frills monitor, perfect for those with restricted budgets. The
Monitor is small, lightweight and easy to use.
The PurgEye® Nano has been developed for weld purging where data logging, alarms and machine
control are not necessarily required. The monitor has been developed with a unique long life sensor
that has a warm up time under 60 seconds.
PRESSURE TESTING PIPEWORK UP TO 6 PSI WITH INFLATABLE STOPPERS
Vessels such as pipelines, gas cylinders and fuel tanks are
often pressure tested for strength and leaks.
A range of standard and non-standard Inflatable Stoppers
for tanks, chambers, tubes, pipes, pipework fabrications and
ductwork is available.
Our range of Inflatable Stoppers can be used for carrying
out pressure tests as an alternative to mechanical test plugs.
Depending on the size plug, these Inflatable Stoppers have an inflation pressure of up to 10 Psi (680
mb) and will hold a back pressure of 400 mbar (5.8 Psi).
Along with pressure testing, these versatile Inflatable Stoppers can also be used for sealing gas,
water, oil and sewerage pipes made of any material, with Heat Resistant Covers available to protect
them against high temperatures. We also have a range of specialized rubber Inflatable Stoppers
that are suitable for petrochemical applications and are resistant to all hydrocarbon fluids and gases.
The range of Inflatable Stoppers can be used as “overnight stoppers” to provide a strong barrier in
pipeline activities, to prevent foreign bodies entering the line during downtime.
HFT / PRODUCT NEWS 7
SAFE PIPE REPAIR WITH ACCU-FREEZE™
Pipe freezing for temporary pipe isolation has now become the safest, quickest and most cost-
effective method for pipeline leak testing, maintenance work or for making pipe repairs including
valve and other control system replacements.
It is still very common for maintenance workers to drain down entire
systems before repairs can be made but this can lead to time lost
spent draining and disposing of the product.
To dramatically reduce costs whilst maintaining the highest level of
safety, Accu-Freeze™ pipe freezing systems are available.
Accu-Freeze™ uses liquid nitrogen (LN2) to freeze stationary liquids in a section of pipe or tubing.
The nitrogen is passed through a coil surrounding the pipe producing a frozen plug inside and hence
preventing flow through the part to be removed.
Accu-Freeze™ ensures very little drain-down or refill and little to no system downtime. The ice plug
only forms beneath the Accu-Freeze™ coil wrap, jacket or aluminium clam jacket. The system is
effective on 6 - 12” (150 to 300 mm) pipe or tube. The ice plug does not expand outside of the range
of the jacket or coil.
The LN2 injections are automated which reduces the operators’ workload and the amount of LN2
consumed, keeping operating costs low. Accu-Freeze™ can also be operated remotely, which makes
it ideal for use inside ‘hot’ nuclear areas where personal exposure must be kept below certain limits.
SECONDARY INERT SHIELDING GAS APPLICATION WITH TRAILING SHIELDS
A secondary inert shielding gas application is often required
when welding reactive metals such as titanium alloys and
stainless steels, to protect the weld from oxidation until it has
cooled to a safe temperature.
The low cost Argweld® Weld Trailing Shield® provides
additional inert gas coverage during welding and is available in
flat and radiused versions.
Our Trailing Shields® simply attach onto any TIG/GTAW, PAW/Plasma and MIG/GMAW welding
torch, ensuring that the weld stays under a protective inert gas coverage while the hot weld metal is
cooling, preventing it from oxidising on contact with air.
The Trailing Shield® is connected to the inert gas supply, diffusing gas without turbulence through
multi layers of stainless steel mesh built into the body of the shield. At each side, replaceable silicone
rubber side shields provide a barrier to prevent the gas escaping sideways. As the welding torch is
moved forward, the weld remains under an inert gas shield until the welded metal has cooled below
its oxidation temperature.
8 TITANIUM IN MOTOR SPORT
With the progressive development of racing cars has come a need to embrace fusion welding as an
essential part of the manufacturing process.
Whilst dramatic improvements in engine design have made a significant contribution to track
performance, reduction in weight and aerodynamic refinements have also been important. Safety
conventions need to be continuously revised to protect drivers in the event of accidents.
Welding has played an increasingly important role during production of body parts. Reduction in
weight has been achieved by using slender suspension and steering components and replacing
steel with lower density titanium.
Fabrication of titanium alloys however requires skills orders of magnitude greater than steel: they
are difficult to form and challenging to weld.
During the mid-1960s the use of titanium was seen as
a crucial element in advancing racing car development
and led directly to major improvements in performance of
sports cars in North America.
The Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) was
a sports car racing series introduced from 1966. It was
governed by rules under the FIA group 7 category with
unrestricted engine capacity and few other technical
restrictions.
The cars were as close as any major international racing series ever got to have an “anything
goes” policy. As long as the car had two seats, bodywork enclosing the wheels, and met basic
safety standards, it was acceptable. Maximum engine displacement was unlimited, but the minimum
displacement was 2.5 litres.
The early years were dominated by European cars, primarily Lola, McLaren and Porsche with drivers
including Bruce McLaren, Mario Andretti and John Surtees. By 1969 a revolutionary car designed
by Peter Bryant from the UK and built in the USA made a significant impact on the sport. Bryant
recognised that weight and lack of ground effect was holding back advances and a car emerged that
used lightweight titanium body parts for the first time.
Titanium components are stronger than the steel equivalent and are barely half the weight. Called
the Ti22 (chemical symbol and atomic number of titanium) the car set new standards in performance.
Bryant built two cars, the MkI in 1969 and the MkII in 1970. They achieved several podium finishes
and over their lifetime scored more points in Can-Am racing than any other American built car. The
success of the Ti22 cars was sort lived because of funding constraints. Both cars were destroyed in
the Can-Am era.
In 2015 Bob Lee in the USA acquired original Ti22 MKII drawings and rights to the MkII history. He
assembled a team of fabricators led by Ilia Burkoff and began work to build a new car employing
his Burkoff’s expertise in fabrication of titanium. It became apparent early in the construction that a
major hurdle to be overcome was welding. The fundamental problem in welding titanium alloys is the
elimination of atmospheric contamination1 from the weld zone. Contamination of the weld metal and
the adjacent heat affected zones will increase tensile strength and hardness but only at the expense
of ductility loss. This can lead to cracking even in conditions of only moderate restraint. The most
likely contaminants are oxygen and nitrogen, picked up due to air entrained in the gas shield or from
impure shield gas, and hydrogen from moisture or surface contamination.
TITANIUM IN MOTOR SPORT 9
The molten weld pool can be protected by the normal gas shroud but the cooling weld and its HAZ
will need additional protection. The underside of the weld also needs similar protection through the
provision of an efficient gas purge. Atmospheric contamination however is best avoided by the use
of a welding chamber or glove box that can be filled with inert argon. Metal glove boxes are available
but these can be very expensive.
Lee solved the problem by using a flexible welding enclosure together with an oxygen monitor. This
combination allowed him to weld all the sensitive titanium components in his car, the Ti22 MkII. They
included roll bars and braces, front and rear sub-frames, suspension parts, brake throttle and clutch
pedals, engine firewall and mirror mounts.
Currently available advanced flexible enclosures exploit the opportunities offered by advanced
engineering polymers. These innovative products offer many attractions over metal glove box
alternatives; significant reduction in cost, very small floor footprint and availability of a range of sizes.
The products supplied for use on the Ti22 car were developed by Huntingdon Fusion Techniques Ltd
in the UK and have rapidly becoming the globally preferred welding enclosures.
The vertical sides are made from translucent material and
the top is constructed using optically clear sheet. Ultra violet
stabilized engineering polymers are used throughout during
manufacture. Material thickness is nominally 0.5 mm (480
microns).
A principle access zip is fitted and this has a total length
typically 60% greater than the enclosure diameter i.e. a 900
mm enclosure will have a 1400 mm long main zip. Additional
entry points provide for operators gloves. A service panel
incorporates access ports for welding torches and for
electrical leads and cooling water supplies. A purge gas entry port and an exhaust valve to vent
displaced gas to atmosphere are incorporated into each enclosure.
Size for size the cost of a flexible enclosure is less than 10%
that of a metal glove box. The welds are free of discolouration
and the mechanical properties are unaffected. Size and shape
can be made to meet customer requirements. Weight is very
low and the enclosures occupy little space – the collapsed
volume of a 1.25 metre diameter system is less than 0.2
cubic metres and weighs only 8 kg. They can thus be moved
easily and stored efficiently so floor footprint is minimised.
The entire upper section is manufactured from optically
transparent ultra-violet stabilized engineering polymer. This
offers the opportunity for use by several operators at the
same time – ideal for training purposes.Systems can be
manufactured with numerous access locations for personnel
gloves and gas/electrical entries. Large leak-tight zips afford
easy access for components.
Measurement and control of oxygen content in the purge gas was assured though the use of a
PurgEye® Nano Weld Purge Monitor®. These instruments extract purge gas from the vicinity of the
weld and employ a zirconium based sensor to measure oxygen levels.
Argweld®
Purge
Accessories
Weld Trailing Shield®
Flexible Welding Enclosures®
Weld Backing Tape™ Nylon Plugs
Water Soluble Film®
INVENTORS, INNOVATORS,
DEVELOPERS and MANUFACTURERS of
WELD PURGING ACCESSORIES
www.hFuonltlinogwdounsfusoionn:.com