Abstract: A device for connecting the ends of pipes, which are aligned, tack-welded and made of steel, by an orbital welding process using a welding joint formed by the pipe ends and using tools which can be orbitally moved about the welding joint for welding and checking the seam. The device includes guide base plates placed on both sides at each pipe end in the region of the welding joint and rigidly clamped to the pipe ends. The guide base plates centrally have a circular recess with a radial opening for the feed-through of the pipes to be welded. The guide base plates include clamping elements rigidly connected to each guide base plate face facing away from the welding joint, and a frame for receiving the welding and checking tools, the frame rotatably mounted between the guide base plates and centrally pivotal about the pipe ends by at least 360°.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for connecting the ends of pipes, which are already aligned and tack-welded and which are made of steel in particular, by means of an orbital welding process using a welding joint which is formed by the pipe ends and using tools which can be orbitally moved about the welding joint for welding and checking the welding seam. The device includes guide base plates which can be placed on both sides at each pipe end in the region of the welding point and which can be rigidly clamped to said pipe ends. The guide base plates centrally have a circular recess with a radial opening for the feed-through of the pipes to be welded and for centrally receiving said pipes in the recess.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for connecting thick-walled metal workpieces by welding. In order to create the weld joint, the cross-sections are provided with a maximum of three weld regions according to wall thickness, the welding being carried out by a combined use of welding methods: the first weld region (root) is welded by means of laser beam welding or hybrid laser-arc welding, the second weld region is welded by means of hybrid laser-arc welding, and the third weld region required occasionally depending on the thickness of the sheet metal is welded by means of hybrid laser-arc welding or simply arc welding. The invention also relates to a seam preparation corresponding to the respective welding method used.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for connecting thick-walled metal workpieces by welding. In order to create the weld joint, the cross-sections are provided with a maximum of three weld regions according to wall thickness, the welding being carried out by a combined use of welding methods: the first weld region (root) is welded by means of laser beam welding or hybrid laser-arc welding, the second weld region is welded by means of hybrid laser-arc welding, and the third weld region required occasionally depending on the thickness of the sheet metal is welded by means of hybrid laser-arc welding or simply arc welding. The invention also relates to a seam preparation corresponding to the respective welding method used.