A new welding technology has recently been applied successfully in Vietnam for the production of pressure pipelines for small and medium-sized hydropower projects.

The project entitled, “Studying, Designing and Manufacturing Large-Diameter, Non-Rotary Pipe-Connection Automatic Welding Equipment Systems” was checked and accepted on September 11 in Hanoi. Dr Hoang Van Chau from the National Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering is the director of the project with the technology for manufacture of pressure pipelines for small and medium-sized hydropower projects.

So far, pipeline projects have usually used the welding technology for joining pipes, with disadvantages such as low productivity, unstable quality of welds, and hard, unsafe work. Moreover, the technology can only be applied at factories, rather than in construction sites where there are large and long pipelines.

The automatic welding technology for connecting large-diameter, non-rotary pipelines has been in place for welding pressure pipelines in the Nam Khanh Hydropower Project in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province, meeting the requirements for welding quality.

The new technology allows for higher productivity (3-4 times against manual welding using handheld welding rods) and stable welds just because it does not greatly rely on welders.

The project is expected for transfer under package or business contracts on welding large-diameter, non-rotary pipelines in construction sites using the equipment, materials, technology and workforce of the Department for Key Test of Welding Technology and Surface Treatment of Hydropower Construction Projects.

By Thuy Hang