The Task of Welding Thick Sheets

Whoever wants to weld thick-walled steel sheets up to now has to cope with lengthy processes and disturbing material distortions. Deep welding with the Laser-Arc Hybrid Welding saves time and money.

MAG and SAW welds feature outstanding mechanical strength and good tolerance for substandard joint preparation, backed by years of proven field performance. Nevertheless, MAG welding’s slow operating speed and inevitable workpiece distortion lead to poor economic returns.

 

This issue is not limited to shipbuilding. Thick plate welding is also widely required for oil & gas pipelines and offshore wind turbine base structures. All these industries face the same key demand: how to upgrade welding efficiency for better cost performance?

 

Laser welding is another viable option among mainstream welding processes for thick plate fabrication. Historically, however, its large-scale on-site deployment was rarely adopted. The primary drawback lies in its tiny laser spot, which cannot compensate for joint height mismatches and wide root gaps. Up to this point, laser-arc hybrid welding has remained the sole technology capable of meeting rigorous real-world production requirements.