Pipe Rotator, Welding Rotator, OEM & ODM

23 Dec.,2023

 

Pipe Rotator: The Ultimate Guide

Pipe rotator is also named welding rotator, normally especially apply for the pipe. Many people will call them the same products as well.

If you are looking to buy and use a pipe rotator for your own business it’s vital to understand the basics of different pipe rotators. This is a brief yet informative guide to give you insight into various aspects of pipe rotators.

This guide explains what are pipe rotators, what are the essential parts, and common types of pipe rotators along with the industries where they are used. Let’s take a look.

What is a Pipe Rotator?

Modern welding machines have steadily taken over traditional welding processes over time. Welding includes melting, modifying, bonding, and bending various materials and objects.

It used to be a very difficult and time-consuming task. Even more so, in the case of heavy objects. But, like various other technologies, welding technology has also seen its share of innovation and growth as well.

A pipe rotator is one of the most prominent machines used in welding machinery.

These pipe rotators come in various sizes, shapes, and structures that each one of them can fit your custom needs. Pipe rotators are designed and built to improve operations in various organizations across multiple industries.

Conventional Pipe Rotator

What are the Pipe Rotators’ Basics?

A Pipe Rotator is a machine that is used in welding cylindrical and round objects. These objects include pipes, API pipes, heat exchangers, mounted vessels, wind towers, boilers, LPG bullets, barrels, pressure vessels, and tanks.

Pipe Rotators position and rotate circular objects in both light and heavy fabrication shops. Welders don’t need to manually rotate heavy housings as Pipe Rotators rotate these housings themselves.

Supported load ranges and calibers are the main parameters that distinguish different Pipe Rotators. Other features include wheel and surface elements, strength, and surface speeds.

Pipe Rotators are arrayed in sets including a set of twin rolls, one of which is revolved by an electrical engine. This is done with the assistance of a reduction gearbox. These are arrayed in a way that the distance between the rolls can be arranged to hold cylinders of various calibers.

These are positioned on a fabricated case of simplistic shape. A pair of such cases must be arranged on the shop floor at some distance from one another. This helps in holding the cylindrical housings that require welding.

Pipe Rotator Project Automation

Extra consideration is needed to eliminate uncertainties that may cause the workpiece to reverse. Small errors of positioning may involve the rendering of the workpiece along its axis.

Unparallel or non-square Pipe Rotators may cause drag forces that lead to pushing the workpiece with uncertainty. Pipe Rotators are also furnished with steel, rubber, and polyurethane.

Pipe Rotators are uncomplicated positioners, they should be managed in proper service conditions at all times. One should address every task and every piece with extreme care. A standard checklist is also needed along with learning from prior practice.

The free-turning of parts should be determined before the start of the welding procedure. This is done so that no projections interfere with the movement. Also, the longitudinal weight configuration must be monitored to limit overloading.

What are the Features of Pipe Rotators?

Pipe rotators have several features because of which they have ob=vertaken traditional welding processes and techniques.

  • Pipe rotators Support Rotating pipes and Vessels as well as motionless cylindrical housings.
  • Pipe rotators have tremendous Loading Capacities. The capacities range from 3 thousand lbs to over 2 million lbs.
  • Pipe rotators Contain a Dynamic range of Composite Wheels. This feature immensely helps in increasing their utilization potential.
  • Pipe rotators have Accurate Center Distances. This allows them to produce accurate results.
  • Pipe rotators have Effective and Efficient Chassis Design. This makes them solid and durable.
  • Pipe rotators have Overload Discs that shield rubber tires above 5,000 lbs.

What are the Benefits of Pipe Rotators?

Pipe rotators save a lot of time, money, and effort. They not only provide structural benefits but also operational benefits as well. The major structural benefits include:

  • Pipe rotators have High Strength. They are built to handle heavyweights.
  • Pipe rotators are relatively lightweight. They can be moved and arranged conveniently.
  • Pipe rotators have a compact structure. All of their components are neatly packed together.

They are easy to use and modify.

  • Pipe rotators have a built-in stiffness in their structures. They are built to endure over long periods.
  • Pipe rotators can meet the need for a large diameter in low-pressure parts.

They increase the productivity and accuracy of welding pipes and other cylindrical housings while saving a lot of working hours. We can summarize their user benefits as follows:

  • The use of pipe rotators ensures the Safety of workers and the rotator housings.
  • Pipe Rotators are known for producing Reliable and Accurate Results.
  • Pipe rotators can perform Consecutive operations with high efficiency.
  • Use of pipe rotator results in Increment in productivity.
  • Pipe rotators save the cost of operations and thus, are more economical and practical.
  • Pipe rotators’ primary benefits include the time of working hours they save, They are responsible for Decreased operation time.
  • Pipe rotators can weld multiple rounded and cylindrical housings in similar ways quickly and effectively.

What are the Types of Welding Processes Supported by Pipe Rotators?

Pipe Rotators can be used in complex assemblies and circumferential welding processes such as:

A Sub-Arc Welding process, which uses an electric arc to create heat. This heat is then used to melt and join various housings.

These rotator housings react to oxygen and nitrogen in the air when heated to high temperatures. Shielding gas or residue is used to reduce the association of the molten metal with the air. Once cooled, the molten metals solidify to create a metallurgical bond.

A Tungsten Inert Gas Welding process, which welds the rotator housings with the help of a non-consumable tungsten electrode. An arc is formed between a sharp tungsten electrode and the underlying object in an idle environment of argon or helium. This small intense arc provided by the electrode is ideal for high-quality precision welding.

A Metal Inert Gas Welding process, which uses a constant solid wire electrode heated and served into the weld pool with the help of a welding gun. An arc is struck between the wire electrode and the cylindrical object, melting both of them to form a weld pool.

What are the Essential Parts Of Pipe Rotators?

Pipe rotators are designed and built compactly. All of their parts are neatly packed together. This design helps the workers to use and modify the pipe rotators easily and effectively. There are five essential parts of the pipe rotators. They are built-in and can’t be removed. These parts include:

  • Idler
  • Driving Wheels
  • Wheel Frames
  • Transmission Device
  • Controller Direct Current (DC) Motor

Pipe rotators can be modified and engineered to specific needs. Skilled workers are advised to be used for modifying a pipe rotator. Pipe rotators are designed to provide accuracy in welding works.

But if they are tempered, this accuracy might be at risk. Therefore extreme care should be taken while adding to removing various parts of the pipe rotators.

What are the Types of Pipe Rotators?

There are many types of pipe rotators, according to the application and customers’ special requests, there will be many different types. Normally we separate them into two types:

Self Aligning Rotators accommodate the placed rotator objects themselves. They allow any object calibers within a specific caliber range. This type of machine is used to adjust with the change in shell diameter from one object to another.

Pipe Rotator Self Aligning Type

The rotator objects of this type of machine are attached to the bases. These open automatically when a greater caliber object is added. In this type of pipe rotator, each roller section assembly has two distinct roller assemblies to support the job in a wider space.

The ultimate drive is given to both the sets of rollers of the Drive Unit to give better friction to the job. But, in this case, a declutching system is granted to the prime rollers.

This is done to protect the gearboxes. When the object hits the prime rollers first while loading, there is an inclination of rotating the top rollers where it is locked by the gearboxes.

The machine is run by a DC or AC motor to secure a consistent pace. The outer balance load is 15% and electronically commanded by a wireless remote which is connected to a standard 10-meter long cable. The roller wheel contains special heavy-duty tires of 65° enduring hardness.

The Self-Aligned Pipe Rotator can also be used as

  • A hi-tech anti-creep device providing ±5° creep control
  • Hi-stress rubber pad attaches to grasp shock loads and avoid gearbox damage
  • An overload disc to avoid any likely tire damage
  • Conventional Pipe Rotators

A Conventional Welding Rotator consists of two parts:

  • A motorized drive unit;
  • An idler supporting unit.

The power unit is driven by a heavy-duty DC or AC motor which is designed according to international blueprints to guarantee the consistent speed with an external balance load of 15%.

The heavy-duty tires are designed to 65° enduring hardness with high-stress rubber cushion mounts to grasp shock loads and prevent gearbox damage.

The DC electric function or inverter comes with a remote panel with interlocking reversing systems working at temperatures above 60° C.

Conventional Pipe Rotator

Other features include:

  • Oil sight level gauges
  • Skid structure security to limit any deterioration on control box when uplifting center loads
  • Anti-creep device feature allowing ± 5° vessel creep control
  • Overload disc to withdraw any possible tire damage

Other Options Include:

  • Digital indicator LED present speed indicator
  • Synchronizing control accessory for multiple connections of power frames • Synchronising, plug-in lead to customer length
  • Bogie mounted frames
  • Mechanized electric power bogie mounted frames
  • Synchronizing roll rotation and arc start to control system

A few of the various other pipe rotator MODELS include:

  • Unitized rolls.
  • Trac Tred rolls.
  • Tilting rolls.
  • Turbine rolls.

Which Industries Are Pipe Rotators

 

Commonly Used?

The majority of the products we use every day require welding. From mobile phones to cars, we are surrounded by several products that are manufactured by various welding processes.

There are more than 30 different welding methods. Also, various machines help welders in their specific work requirements.

Where there is a usage of metal, whether small or comprehensive, there must be multiple welding procedures behind the scene. It’s impossible to undervalue the importance of welding procedures in today’s world.

Welding machines and techniques are being improved every day as demand for metallic products is increasing steadily. Almost all industries require welding procedures in various phases of their processes.

Below are a few of the industries where welding is the primary part of their business and they use welding machines to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Automotive Industry about Pipe Rotator

MIG welding is the most commonly used welding process in the automotive industry. It creates a tremendous bond between thin metal layers. Various machines help car manufacturers in using the MIG welding process with high economy.

These machines not only save a lot of costs but also consistently deliver high-speed results. Speed is the key in the automotive industry as an average car requires more than a thousand welds. Apart from the speed, welding machines provide high accuracy as well.

  • Construction And Infrastructure Industry

Construction company quite frequently requires the usage of heavy-duty pipe rotators. Most of the cylindrical objects which are modified by the pipe rotators are large. The construction and infrastructure industry deals in heavy parts.

Welding machines provide a great deal of comfort when it comes to the handling and modification of these objects. Machines do all the connected tasks such as lifting, placing, rolling, and rotating with high efficiency.

Traditionally these processes used to be uphill and time-consuming costs. Because of the wider application of pipe rotators these days, the construction and infrastructure industry is growing at a fast pace.

Construction

  • Manufacturing Industry

The manufacturing industry has been at the core of welding services. More than half of all welding services are utilized by the manufacturing industry alone. From a small pin to a large underground gas pipe.

Pipe rotators are creating value by leaps and bounds. Metal provides stability and durability. This is the reason why the majority of the manufacturing industry relies on welding machines including pipe rotators.

The demand and use of metallic products are only going to increase over time, so is the use of pipe rotators.

Manufacturing Industry

  • RailRoads

The railroad industry is practically existence because of the welding services, Without welding, this mode of transportation cannot exist. NOt just railroads, the futuristic hyperloop transportation also require durable and solid metallic structures to operate efficiently.

Whatever the use may be, welding machines are the heart and center of the railroad industry. Pipe rotators are used regularly to modify various cylindrical objects at a high conversion rate.

RailRoads

  • Shipping Industry

Pipe rotators have been the anchors in the shipping industry as well. From small vessels to large-size cruise ships. The entire industry depends heavily on welding machines. Ships especially large-size cruise ships use tons of heavy-weight metal in their construction.

From lifting and placing to converting and handling these heavy-duty metallic objects, pipe rotators perform a smooth job. Without welding rotators, the entire welding process would have been a nightmare.

Thankfully pipe rotators save a lot of time, money, and effort in this regard.

Shipping Industry

  • Aerospace Industry

Just like all the above industries, the aerospace industry is also very metal intensive as well. From rockets to aircraft, durable metal is used everywhere.

The space shuttles require extremely durable and precise welding processes. Pipe rotators don’t disappoint in this industry as well and perform at extreme efficiency and precision.


Aerospace Industry

The use of pipe rotators in the above-mentioned industries is only going to increase in the future. Engineers have been working hard to bring innovation to pipe rotators.

These efforts are targeted to meet the expectations of various industries and improve welding processing services in general.

What are the Other Similar Products to Pipe Rotators?

Automation welding systems consist of many welding machines:

Gear Tilt Welding Positioner is also called 2 axis welding positioner. It is largely employed in some unique formations, assembly hardware, short round objects, etc.

The gear tilt welding positioner is essentially comprised of a worktable, a turnover device, a conductive medium, support, and an electrical cabinet. Its table is operated by a turning device including six slots to guarantee that the object is securely attached to the stand.

2 axis welding positioner

Welding manipulators are also known as columns and boom. Welding manipulator production lines can maximize safety and production.

Welding Manipulator can be classified into three types: platform welding manipulator, column and boom welding manipulator, and portal welding manipulator.

Now, the column and boom manipulator are most adopted and approved. Several sizes are available in the market according to welding requirements.

column and boom

What is the Price Of the Pipe Rotator?

Most companies don’t declare the price of their pipe rotators. It is because their value depends on the quality you are looking for. The average pipe rotators range from $2,000 to $30,000.

The price depends on the size and the functionality you need with your purchase. You can find both new and used pipe rotators in the market. Whatever the case may be, you’ll most probably have to ask for a quote.

The experts will ask for your required usage and will recommend the pipe rotator that fits your description.

How SENLISWELD Supplies the Most Reliable Pipe Rotators?

The market is flooded with so many pipe rotators that it is so difficult to decide which one is best for your specific purpose. If you are looking for the most effective and efficient pipe rotator, SENLISWELD can deliver what you need.

20 Tons Conventional Pipe Rotator

We design and build the most durable and accurate pipe rotators in the market. We constantly improve to bring you the best quality for the best experience.

Our pipe rotators can be adjusted to both heavy and lightweight objects. SENLISWELD provides the ALL-IN-ONE service in providing a wide range of welding machines including the best pipe rotators.

Want more information on Pipe Rotators That Will Make Your Life Easier? Click the link below to contact us.