The Hindu : Front Page : BHEL installing advanced welding machine

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

BHEL installing advanced welding machine

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited is in the process of installing in its production bay the first of the two state-of-art automatic tubular panel welding machines (TPMs) as part of its capacity augmentation scheme here.

The machine is supplied by a Japanese Company, Kusakabe Kikai (KKK).

The speciality of the TPM, used for joining tube to tube with fins in between (to form membrane panels that are assembled at site as walls of a power boiler furnace) is its capacity to weld panels of 2.5 metres width and 24 metres length, through advanced MIG/MAG (metal inert/active gas welding) processes at a speed of 700 mm per minute whereby the plant’s capacity to manufacture boiler components can be scaled up.

With the machine, welding is done using 20 torches, 10 from the top and 10 from bottom, each with a separate power source controlled by a remote.

When the Rs.732-crore capacity augmentation scheme under second phase, the plant’s biggest ever, is slated for completion by March 2009, BHEL, Tiruchi, will be equipped to manufacture power equipment with capacity to generate 15,000 MW a year.

The Rs.190-crore first phase expansion that was completed in December 2007 equipped the industry with a 10,000 MW capacity.

Proposals for third phase of expansion are under consideration.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page