High-Reliability Wind Energy Welding Solutions

As the wind power industry moves toward larger-scale and offshore development, welding and cutting technologies face unprecedented challenges: tower heights exceeding 150 meters, single-unit capacities reaching 15 MW, and harsher offshore corrosion environments.

We focus on three critical application scenarios—tower section circumferential seam welding, nacelle base to flange welding, and precision plate cutting—providing end-to-end solutions to help our customers achieve zero-defect welding, millimeter-level cutting accuracy, and 18% reduction in total lifecycle cost.

Background and Industry Challenges

As tower heights rise from 80 to 160 meters, with individual sections exceeding 5 meters in diameter and up to 100 mm in wall thickness, traditional manual welding reveals serious shortcomings:

Fatigue Cracks: A 2.5 MW onshore turbine experienced tower cracking after 3 years due to incomplete penetration in the circumferential seam, causing direct losses over ¥6 million.

Low Efficiency: Manual welding of a 20-meter seam takes 6 hours—only one-quarter the efficiency of automated welding.

Quality Fluctuations: Weld reinforcement deviations of ±2 mm increase the risk of misalignment during tower assembly.

Technical Challenges

MIG 501D Automatic Welding Torch:

● Water-cooled system, supports 500A / 60V continuous output (100% duty cycle)

● Compatible with Φ0.8–1.6 mm wire; deposition rate up to 12 kg/h

● Stable arc control; weld consistency > 98%, significantly improving first-pass UT acceptance rate

Application Scenario and Failure Case

Nacelle flange joints must withstand cyclic loads (200–2000 kN) and high-frequency vibrations (20 Hz). A marine wind farm once reported fatigue cracks in flange welds after only 18 months of operation, causing a 12 mm displacement in the gearbox. Traditional processes face two main bottlenecks:

Excessive Deformation: Uneven heat input results in flange flatness deviations >1.5 mm/m

High Residual Stress: Poor overlap in manual multi-pass welds causes local stress peaks up to 350 MPa (80% of material yield strength)

Technical Challenges

AUTO MIG 501D (Main Welding):

● High current output for vertical/uphill welding positions

● High reliability for multi-pass welding

TIG 18 Water-Cooled Torch (Finishing):

● 100% DC: 320 A | 100% AC: 240 A

● Electrode Size: 0.5 – 4.0 mm

Advantages:

● Precise filler control for dissimilar steels and complex grooves

● Ideal for stress-concentrated area reinforcement and repair

Industry Status and Cost Dilemma

Traditional oxy-fuel cutting of 100 mm thick plates faces several issues:

Accuracy Loss: Thermal deformation causes arc plate curvature deviation > 3 mm/m, requiring post-process mechanical correction

Material Waste: Manual nesting yields only 82% steel utilization, leading to annual losses over ¥3 million (based on 50,000 tons/year)

Bevel Defects: Bevel angle deviations of ±3° at 45° increase risk of porosity in welds

Technical Challenges