Since raising the hub height from 93 to 143 meters can increase the yield by up to 50% (even at low wind locations), it is no wonder that wind towers are getting taller and taller. However, the side effect is that the bottom tower section plate thickness rises even above 65mm at the door frame section. Wind tower entrance door has to be then additionally reinforced with an oval steel frame.
To comply with the design norms, the frame is made of heavy-duty steel plate 400-500mm deep with thicknesses that ranges from 50mm up to 100mm. To attach such entrance door usually requires at least 100 hours of manual welding. If you add manual cutting/bevelling and welding repairs, the total time can exceed 200 working hours. In practice, this means that costly, manual welding turns out to be the main bottleneck of such investment.
What can you do? Either you stay with lower hub and lower income, or you find the solution to lower the welding costs instead. You cannot ignore the entrance door, that is obvious. It is an essential part of every wind tower that provides safe access for operators or technicians for maintenance, emergency response, regulatory compliance and facilitating the construction process. How to lower the welding costs? Replace manual welding and cutting with PROMOTECH MCM – Manhole Cutting, Beveling & Welding Machine and enjoy new standard.
Addressing the door frame challenge with PROMOTECH MCM
PROMOTECH designed a special machine that is not intimidated by these pre-conditions and manages to significantly increase the entire efficiency of the process. MCM is a 5-axis portable CNC scanning, cutting, beveling, and welding machine that enables remarkable precision and a major reduction in welding time and weld filler. It offers the shift which can redefine your business operations.
MCM is up to 6 metres long and 3 metres wide and allows to produce the wind tower door frames up to 1400mm wide and 4500mm high. It is a multitask – cutting/bevelling and welding solution, so all multi-pass work may be done with one machine and one operator.
The future of wind tower entrance door construction with PROMOTECH MCM
Unlike typical robotics solutions, PROMOTECH MCM system does not require:
- Complex CNC programming
- Highly skilled operators
- Additional CAD/CAM software
- Costly optical seam tracking
- Costly and troublesome automatic flux handling equipment
PROMOTECH MCM’s worldwide premiere took place at Essen Welding Show in 2009 in Germany. Now, with numerous successful MCM on&offshore applications delivered world-wide, we are confident that you will receive a reliable solution that has already been tested and proven in practice.
How is PROMOTECH MCM better than the manual welding?
For those companies that still hold on to using traditional, time-consuming manual processes, the primary challenge is the time- and money-consuming attachment of the door frame process. The curvature of the door shape is never 100% identical, so relying solely on manual work, it is difficult to ensure the very much required accuracy and repeatability. Then, remember that the typical frame is at least 2-inch thick and thus, obviously, difficult to maneuver.
Hand-cutting of the frame shell and relying on a simple template obviously lack the precision that only automation can provide. Achieving the essential levels of accuracy and consistency through manual welding alone proves challenging, material-consuming and requires longer working hours.
Redefine the process and maximize profits with PROMOTECH MCM: A Return on Investment
On-site manual welding with the use of hand-held MIG-MAG torches that takes long time, significantly burdens the budget. Depending on the operator’s skills, the tower bottom section plate thickness, and the perimeter of the door frame, this process can take up to 100 hours or even more.
PROMOTECH’s cutting-edge MCM machine is engineered to enhance productivity and maximize profit. This is facilitated by the precise and efficient “3-in-1” process. Time reduction is achieved by the following: laser scanning, oxy cutting & bevelling, door frame assembly and finally, SAW ACDC welding inside and outside of tower section, operating at round the clock basis. Speed control system stabilizes travel speed anables consistent heat input. This way, weld defects and costly repair work are eliminated.
Total operational time at bottom section plate thickness of #60mm for a single operator is 40 working hours. For taller towers with even thicker shells, the working hours increase even more.
By using two MCM machines and a platform, the wind tower manufacturer may achieve an increase in the number of welded wind tower sections with door frames up to 5 bottom sections with door frames per week at plate thickness of #60mm.
- No welding face grinding after finished SAW welding
- Accomplished within 6 operators / 3 shifts / 5 working days
- Welding defect rate reduced to less than 1%.
How easily can you produce the tower entrance door with MCM?
PROMOTECH MCM (Manhole Cutting, Beveling and Welding Machine) is a 5-axis portable CNC cutting/bevelling and welding machine, so all multi-pass work may be done with one machine and a single operator. As the curvature of the inner wall usually vary slightly in each tower, the whole process begins with the operator scanning the tower door frame shape and then, the surface inside of the tower section. Then, the operator do the cutting and bevelling.
Following this, using equipment such as a forklift, the frame is placed beneath the bottom section. You lift a door frame through the cut hole to the correct mounting height. Change the cutting torch to the SAW welding torch and weld ACDC around the frame. After completing the inside welding, the section is shifted on the turning rolls 180 degree. Then the MCM is placed on the top with the use of the platform or the crane to perform the outside welding. This way the job is done – quickly and efficiently.
Uninterrupted workflow: PROMOTECH MCM installation, training and support services
PROMOTECH complete support ensures an easy transition to the new, more effective method. Following comprehensive installation and training services at end-user’s site, you can confidently integrate the MCM solution into your existing process of tower manufacturing. Thus, receiving uninterrupted workflow, day-to-day, 24/7 and enjoying the massive improvement.
Our experienced technicians will visit end-user’s site to install the PROMOTECH MCM and answer all the questions concerning machine operation and maintenance. They conduct the training, sharing their know-how and showing in practice how to do the scanning, cutting and welding with MCM machine.
To further streamline support, the PROMOTECH MCM machine comes equipped with a built-in network router. This feature enables remote access to the MCM interface, allowing our engineers to perform diagnostics, troubleshoot issues, and provide software updates on request. With remote access we can address any concerns promptly, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
PROMOTECH MCM comes with worldwide warranty and post-warranty service. PROMOTECH’s skilled and experienced service personnel are ready to deliver technical support, regardless of your location. Your equipment is covered by comprehensive care, both during and after the warranty period.
Onshore, offshore and more
Over the years, we observe growing demand for MCM machines in both onshore and offshore applications. No wonder. By replacing manual welding with MCM machine, you eliminate the biggest bottleneck – fitting the entrance door frame. MCM’s precision and repeatability directly lead to reduced welding costs.
What is more, it has become evident that PROMOTECH MCM finds applications in other projects involving machining of 100mm thick plates.
MCM has already been successfully used to the fabrication of cylindrical or spherical pressure vessels and to prepare different kinds of holes for: grout, cables, water, sonars or ICCP installation. Also heavy lift jack up vessels, which are the floating units used for installation and maintenance of offshore wind farms, benefited from MCM’s cutting accuracy in the steel plates 80mm thick. Operating in difficult conditions, these vessels elevate themselves at the construction site on their jack-up legs. PROMOTECH MCM MACHINE proved itself as the reliable, precise and quick solution. We are confident that over time MCM will showcase its effectiveness also in other fields. It is not its final word.
Modern, dynamic world brings new challenges and the need for further development of industrial technologies. PROMOTECH MCM will continue to evolve to address those challenges and support innovative solutions in various industries. If you have any suggestions or requirements, do not hesitate to contact us. What else can we do together?
PROMOTECH MCM product specification
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