Plasma keyhole (PAW)

The new plasma keyhole installation has been commissioned, and, besides submerged arc welding, offers us more technical capabilities, especially in the field of stainless steel boiler processing. A brand new machine was purchased in mid-2016.

The Plasma Keyhole Welding Process (or Plasma Arc Welding - PAW) is particularly suited for: 
- stainless steel with max. thickness of 8 mm
- weld fill in single layer without weld preparation
- welding of large and small stainless steel tanks
- butt weld (provided there is no deformation of the plate) and fillet weld

In plasma keyhole welding, instead of being bevelled, the plates are tightly clamped together. This welding process usually does not involve the addition of a filler. Quite simply put, the material is fused together, as it were, at a very high temperature. Plasma keyhole welding does not require expensive welding seam preparation, which reduces the total welding costs. The process is suitable for welding together plates or tubes up to 8 mm in thickness. 

Plasma keyhole welding involves a high-speed plasma jet and produces a very good weld quality with a deep weld fill and little chance of weld defects, provided that the pieces to weld fit nicely together. 

At the beginning of April 2019, a second plasma keyhole installation was commissioned, this time complemented with a welding derrick, ideal for welding longitudinal seams without much manipulation.