MK sports Koreaphoto taken on Nov. 29, 2024 shows a smart welding robot at a local company in Chenzhou City, central China's Hunan Province. In recent years, central China's Hunan Province has continuously utilized its manufacturing strengths to develop its agricultural machinery industrial chains, accelerating its transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture. Photo: Xinhua" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-12-01/8ab4be1f-da5c-425b-8b47-628cb5558150.jpeg" />

This photo taken on Nov. 29, 2024 shows a smart welding robot at a local company in Chenzhou City, central China's Hunan Province. In recent years, central China's Hunan Province has continuously utilized its manufacturing strengths to develop its agricultural machinery industrial chains, accelerating its transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture. Photo: Xinhua

China has made new strides in industrial automation with self-developed pipeline welding and inspection robotic system. Entering large-scale deployment now, the system is significantly boosting construction efficiency and establishing a new benchmark in high-end infrastructure tech innovation, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

At the core of this advancement is a team of four intelligent machines—a robotic welding crew designed for efficient and reliable performance. From desert regions to steep mountainous areas, the robots are extending the reach of pipeline construction in complex environments.

According to the report, Jin Hongxing, a welding engineer at China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co, explained that the system boasts four key capabilities: compatibility with pipe diameters ranging from 33 millimeters to 1,422 millimeters, adaptability to various terrains such as mountains, marshes, and deserts, the ability to handle all types of welding joints including straight-to-straight, straight-to-bent, and bent-to-bent connections, and fully automated ultrasonic inspection.

Pipeline welding has traditionally relied on manual and semi-automatic methods, which accounted for nearly 80 percent of operations. This labor-intensive and costly approach often resulted in inconsistent quality, failing to meet the demands of modern energy infrastructure, the report noted.

To overcome the constraints of conventional welding methods, China initiated 15 targeted research programs, ultimately developing this versatile robotic system with comprehensive capabilities.

In the East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project, the system achieved a first-pass welding success rate exceeding 98 percent, demonstrating its precision and reliability in large-scale operations.

Meanwhile, the system significantly reduced consumables and emissions, welding material usage plunged from 2.9 kilograms to 1 kilogram per joint, fuel consumption fell from 30 liters to 10 liters, and carbon and smoke emissions were cut by more than 60 percent, said the report.

The contrast with manual labor is stark. On the China-Russia East-Route pipeline, where each welding joint measures 1,422 millimeters in diameter, traditional manual welding requires approximately seven hours to complete a single weld. 

In contrast, the robotic system completes the same weld in just one hour—an efficiency boost of nearly sevenfold on flat terrain and up to fourfold in mountainous areas.

Additionally, the consistent application of 100 percent solid-core welding wire ensures optimal weld quality, structural integrity, and long-term durability, aligning with the highest standards of modern pipeline engineering.

Globally, the technology has already earned certifications from industry giants such as France's TotalEnergies and Saudi Aramco and is now deployed in major projects in Africa and the Middle East. 

Notably, the system overcame the 30-degree gradient barrier, once a daunting bottleneck in continuous mountain welding, marking a breakthrough in the field.

"The robotic crew delivers three strategic advantages -- exponential welding efficiency, green and low-carbon operations, and intrinsic pipeline safety," Jin noted, adding that the system represents a decisive leap from manual and semi-automatic welding to autonomous robotic construction. 


Global Times