Horizontal Tank Welder

The Ogden Automatic Tank Welder (ATW) is a submerged arc welding machine designed for welding the horisontal seems for oil, gas, and grain storage tanks in field conditions. Butt welds can be made on the inside or outside in either travel direction.

The tank welder cradle includes frame and operator platform, bearing the operator and system controls, flux feed and recirculation system, welding machine, as well as welding control and wire feed unit.

ATW

Sub arc Lincoln Electric NA3–SF welding control and automatic wire feed unit is installed in the operator platform. The machine is supplied with one Lincoln Electric DC600 or DC1000 welding power source mounted on a separate frame to be located on the ground.

NA–SF and system control block

The welding torch assembly contains a fully adjustable torch, an adjustable flux support conveyor system with flux drop and pick-up tubes. A guide pointer is provided to help locate the torch in the weld seam.

The unfused flux is collected from the flux belt conveyor, and returned to the recovery unit where it is filtered and magnetically screened prior to delivery into the flux hopper.

The flux hopper is provided with heaters to help maintain dry welding flux.

welding torch assembly
and flux conveyor belt

The machine is supported by the top edge of the tank shell or skin plates and joins them to the ones immediately beneath. The machine makes either the inside or outside butt weld in a 3 o'clock position with the one side machines and in the 3 and 9 o’clock positions with the double side machines. Horizontal drive system allows for welding around the entier tank.

When one side is welded, the machine is lifted off with a crane, turned around and placed on the opposite side and the second side is welded.

When a tier is complete, the machine is lifted off with a crane and the next row of plates are tacked in place and the weld cycle is repeated.

ATW is mounted
and ready to weld

A two-sided or double Tank Welder is available for simultaneous welding on both sides of plates with opposing arc spacings of ut to 3" (75mm).

The machine can be separated and one side used as a single unit.

An optional fitted cover with side windows and zip fasteners is available for machine to protect welding zone and operator, and to minimize flux loss caused by gusting winds.

double Tank Welder