Press Release 03/2015
Innovative welding technology is a breath of fresh
air
Valmont benefits from using EWM’s forceArc® welding process
when joining brake discs for wind turbine generators
Mündersbach, 4 March 2015 – Using energy-saving welding machines
and emission-reduced welding processes makes the construction of
renewable energy plants both environmentally friendly and economical
– resulting in a classic win–win situation. Wind power is an important
future market. It is already the number one renewable energy resource
in terms of power generation, with a share of over one third. There are
almost 25,000 wind energy plants in Germany alone.
Although the wind turbines might not look very big from a distance, their
size is striking. Anyone who has seen a rotor blade being transported
on the motorway will have gained a realistic impression of their
remarkable dimensions. Therefore, it goes without saying that the
turbine’s brakes also need to be very large in size as they are one of its
most important components and need to comply with very specific
requirements in the unmanned plants. The rotor brake protects the wind
turbine from turning too fast and acts as both a holding brake and an
emergency stop brake. The brake discs alone have a diameter of four
metres.
One of the biggest manufacturers of these safety-related components is
Valmont SM of Denmark, part of US company Valmont Industries – one
of the world’s leading suppliers of technical solutions and services for
infrastructure. Based in Roedekro, southern Denmark, the industrial
Press Release 03/2015
enterprise with a 650-strong workforce produces parts for power plants
including wind energy plants, for which it supplies constructional
steelwork for the towers and manufactures the rotary housing, complete
with integrated brake discs. In the past year alone, the plant’s 650
employees have processed 100,000 tonnes of steel during 1.2 million
working hours. Approximately half of them are involved in welding
tasks.
Valmont relies on EWM for the welding of brake discs
Joining technology is of paramount importance to Valmont SM,
Denmark’s undisputed market leader, who occupies a unique position in
the market with the manufacture of these components. Wherever you
look, the focus is on welding in virtually all areas. Around 50 welders
are involved in the construction of the rotor housing, with six of them
working exclusively on joining the brake discs. “We manufacture them
by cutting four ring segments out of a large steel plate in order to keep
wastage to a minimum,” explains Frede Holdt Jensen, welding engineer
and project manager at Valmont SM. The quarter arcs are mounted on
a clamping table so they can then be connected together to form one
circular piece.
“For the past two years, we’ve been relying on EWM’s highly efficient
forceArc welding process to carry out this work,” says Carl A. Petersen,
technical welding specialist (EWT/European Welding Technologist) and
welding supervisor for offshore projects and rotor housing. He read
about it in a trade journal almost three years ago. After that, everything
happened very quickly. The welding tests carried out on the brake discs
were fully satisfactory and the subsequent procedure test yielded a
positive result. Valmont initially ordered four Taurus 451 Synergic S
welding machines from EWM, quickly followed by another two.
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Press Release 03/2015
Using forceArc cuts costs by 30 per cent
The power sources are used in joining the four pieces to make one
brake disc, which involves welding S355 structural steel in thicknesses
of 50 and 60 millimetres. To do this, Valmont uses a flux cored wire
electrode with the classification T466MM1H5 and a M21 shielding gas
mixture. Thanks to the new welding machines from EWM, the Danish
company is benefiting from the innovative forceArc process. Previously,
MIG/MAG welding with flux cored wire only allowed an included angle
of 60 degrees, but the welding experts at Valmont were able to reduce
this angle to 34 degrees using EWM welding processes. According to
the welding procedure test, it would even be possible to work with an
angle of 30 degrees, but the current solution is reported to be very
profitable.
“This allows us to make a cost saving of 30 per cent overall,” says a
pleased Jensen, the welding engineer responsible. “With forceArc, we
were able to shorten the weld preparation and the entire production
time for the welding of a brake disc by up to 30 per cent, which means a
considerable saving in a high-wage country like Denmark. In addition to
power consumption, material consumption was reduced by up to 50 per
cent, as fewer passes are now required due to the smaller included
angle.”
The energy-reduced, heat-minimised joining process also results in less
distortion. Previously, welders had to turn the workpieces three times,
but they now only need to do it twice with the new EWM welding
process. This means a greater reduction in downtime. “A crucial factor
is also the significant reduction in errors,” adds welding engineer
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Press Release 03/2015
Petersen. “Basically, errors in the joining process are no longer an issue
for us and the quality has improved considerably.”
Welders impressed by the benefits
This view is also shared by the six welders involved, who work in three
shifts from Monday to Friday and two at the weekend. Although initially
they were a little sceptical about changing their familiar practices, the
benefits soon won them over. The significantly shortened time spent on
welding, the reduction of weld passes to be deposited and the absence
of errors with forceArc are all good arguments in favour of this
technology. “Our people will no longer consider any other process,”
underlines Petersen.
For Valmont, a further important argument was the guarantee of quick
service and access to a supply of spare parts at short notice. Steen
Paulsen of EWM’s Danish sales partner Jydsk Vaerktoj was able to
provide assurance of both of these without any restrictions, making the
decision to purchase the new welding technology an easy one for
Valmont. “Particularly since we had never encountered a supplier
before who was so well prepared for our specific situation,” emphasises
Petersen.
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Press Release 03/2015
Efficient EWM welding process in other areas
While the welding experts at Valmont rely on submerged arc welding for
very long seams of more than one metre and large wall thicknesses of
20 millimetres and above, and also partly on the TIG joining process for
finishing, they are now planning to switch to the forceArc MIG/MAG
process in another area. Jensen can imagine this welding process
working very well in the manufacture of other components for wind
energy plants. “The prospect of achieving savings similar to those we’ve
seen when welding the brake discs is obviously very attractive,” he
says, noting that forceArc enables significant technical and economical
improvements and development. “Purchasing the EWM welding
machines was certainly worthwhile and they have paid for themselves
very quickly through their efficiency,” states the Valmont welding
engineer.
He reports that, overall, forceArc has already helped reduce working
time by so much that welding activities now account for only a small
part of the whole manufacturing process and this is a very important
factor for further improving competitiveness. “Ultimately, it is ideal to be
able to use highly innovative energy-saving and emission-reduced
welding technology to manufacture essential components for plants that
generate renewable energy from wind power. EWM has enabled us to
do this,” says Jensen. For that reason, it is clear to him and his
colleague Petersen that, in the future, Valmont will continue to rely on
technology from the German market leader based in the Westerwald.
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Press Release 03/2015
Images:
Fig. 1: Brake discs for wind energy plants
As a leading supplier, Valmont manufactures wind turbine brake discs with a
diameter of four metres. The Danish company uses EWM’s forceArc welding
process to connect the four ring segments that have been cut from a steel
plate. This enables them to save considerable working time, material and
power.
Photo: EWM AG
Fig. 2: Less distortion and a significant reduction in errors with forceArc
EWM’s Taurus 451 Synergic S welding machines are the only machines that
are used to weld the brake discs. Welders benefit from less distortion and a
significant reduction in errors thanks to the energy-reduced and heatminimised forceArc welding process. This saves valuable work time for
finishing work. Valmont has been able to cut the production time for a brake
disc by up to 30 per cent.
Photo: EWM AG
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Fig. 3: Valmont welding experts rely on EWM
Valmont’s Frede Holdt Jensen, welding engineer and project manager (left),
and Carl A. Petersen, European Welding Technologist and welding
supervisor, have been using arc welding technology from Germany's largest
welding machine manufacturer for two years.
Photo: EWM AG
Fig. 4: Perfect weld seam joins ring segments to form brake discs
Valmont welders manufacture a brake disc from four ring segments of S355
structural steel in thicknesses of 50 and 60 millimetres. In the joining process,
EWM welding machines use a flux cored wire electrode with the classification
T466MM1H5 and a M21 shielding gas mixture.
Photo: EWM AG
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Press Release 03/2015
Fig. 5: Reduction of the included angle results in savings EWM’s forceArc
welding process enables Valmont to reduce the included angle to 34 degrees
from its previous 60. This in turn leads to a reduction of up to 30 per cent in
working time and of up to 50 per cent in power and material consumption.
Photo:EWM AG
Fig.
6:
Win–win
situation
with
energy-saving
welding
The use of energy-saving and emission-reduced welding machines in the
production of renewable energy plants is a win–win situation.Valmont
achieves a cost saving of up to 30 per cent on selected components with arc
welding
technology
from
EWM.
Photo:EWM AG
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Press Release 03/2015
Fig. 7: Valmont SM headquarters in Roedekro, southern Denmark
Valmont SM employs 650 people at its Roedekro plant in southern Denmark.
Around half of them are involved in welding tasks and constructing large steel
components for energy plants.For two years, Valmont has been benefiting
from using EWM’s forceArc welding process for joining brake discs used in
wind
turbine
generators.
Photo:Valmont SM A/S
About EWM:
EWM AG is Germany’s largest welding machine manufacturer and a world
leader in arc welding technology. On account of its many highly innovative
developments in the welding field, the company is acknowledged both within
the industry and by users as a major driving force in welding technology.
Thanks to EWM's BlueEvolution initiative and its technological derivative
Multimatrix, customers are able to save money, secure jobs and protect the
environment, thereby increasing their competitiveness. At the same time, they
are able to carry out welding tasks in an improved, safer, more convenient and
more environmentally friendly way. EWM provides a complete range of
systems, from welding machines with all required components and welding
torches to welding consumables and accessories for manual and automated
applications. Customers benefit from dealing with a single-source supplier who
takes care of all the technological requirements of their entire welding process.
A strong global presence is assured thanks to a workforce of around
600 employees at 10 locations in Germany and 6 locations abroad plus over
400 sales and service outlets worldwide.
Press contact:
Elke Witkop
EWM AG
Dr.-Günter-Henle-Str. 8 / 56271 Mündersbach / Germany
Tel.: +49 2680 181 377 / [email protected]
High-resolution images: www.ewm-group.com
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