What is this strange, old welding positioner?

[Maxim]

I got this as part of a set of things I bought recently (for way too much money ). I'm told its an automated welder for gas tanks but the sellers didn't know too much about it.

The control box has vacuum tubes in it. The top 'arm' can move fore and aft as well as rotate along the center.

I was going to make it into a normal welding positioned, but I wanted to know what it was first.

Any ideas? I don't see a maker or model tag anywhere on it.

[macona]

Best guess there was something that was attached to the end of the arm that had something like a dead center on it. Then is is basically a welding lathe.

[MetaRinka]

Not sure of the tecnical name. But I've heard them referred to as seam welders, girth welders, or track welders.

We use them a lot in the aerospace industry in fact I just set one up today. Pipe would be placed in the chuck and welds would be completed semi-auto in the flat position. Usually by GTAW, GMAW, or SAW. Takes a lot of the operator error out of it, and it's used quite a bit on pressure vessels like gas tanks (but high pressure cylinders like the type to store welding gasses are never welded on EVER)

Also seen lathe's be retrofitted into this type of system by attaching an overhead rail to carry the torch and attaching a direct DC motor or other system to turn them in the 2-15 IPM range.

They are good systems for production runs and if you can keep the tolerances relatively tight. Generally need a controller intergrated into the powersupply that will control the z axis height as voltage and what not will determine your standoff distance.

[Maxim]

So is it worth anything or should I take it apart and make it into a regular welding positioner?

[Dave Cross]

Its a combo of a manipulator and a positioner. It would be a lot more useful if it had z axis travel.

[wippin' boy]

its similar to this (minus daves wanted z /up and down axis)
which i just paid 9 grand for


meta is right on about what it is
with a modern drive you might get a couple bucks for it
but its like anything
you gotta find that someone that needs it

[MetaRinka]

yah wippin' boy nailed it.

they are valuable if you find someone that needs one. However it's a relatively rare in the welding world as the setup and configuration means its only practical on large production runs. We use them in the aerospace world but we do runs for 5+ years

something that old with out z-axis travel probably aint worth much to the types who would actually want to use it for it's intended purpose. You would need to integrate a controller and linear actuator for your z axis and integrate that into the drive mechanism so you could control speed. A controller setup like that costs so much that you might as well buy a modern piece of equipment that was designed to work together.

That being said it still has useful purposes. For instance you can hook up oxy torches and rose buds to preheat parts or do flame cuts (which aren't that critical) and I've seen them used to mount heavy SAW guns to do manual SAW welding with the manipulator bearing the majority of the weight.

If not, you might as well turn it into a normal pipe positioner


p.s: Wippin boy, what are you using that manipulator for if you don't mind me asking?

[wippin' boy]

what are you using that manipulator for if you don't mind me asking?

mounted an NA5 controller and sub arc head driven by a DC600 power supply
in tandem with an old monarch engine lathe (that i retroed with a little dc motor and variable speed control) doing circumferential welds on 18" hydraulic cylinders.
works out just peachy
don't tell johnoder i'm using the monarch
its not a very nice thing to do to a lathe but it kept her in service and out of the scrap hopper