Worldpoly makes safety equal to productivity and quality in butt welding

There’s been a shift in thinking about the safety of operators and butt welding equipment, with many asking whether it is possible to ensure operator safety while reducing welding times and operator variability.

Australia’s Worldpoly has answered the call by investing in major research and development work with hydraulics leader Bosch Rexroth to produce a new benchmark in butt welding – the PolyForce630.

Unlike other machines, PolyForce630 uses Rexroths’ Mobile PLC; this allows the provision of safety and welding controls previously unavailable.

Two-handed controls are simple to navigate and prevent the operator from multi-tasking.

Worldpoly Chairman and CEO Rob Hall admits, “We’ve left no stone unturned when it comes to the level of expertise and investment in the automatic high pressure range of equipment, but we’ve kept operation as simple as a smartphone.”

Opinion from overseas concurs

Leo Diez from Termopro Chile said: “The PolyForce630 brings major improvements in overall welding efficiency, and most important of all a huge leap in the operational security aspect leaving practically no space for human error, which at the end of the day saves lives.”

Shawn Pretorius from Hydrodifusion South Africa described the introduction of the PolyForce machine in Africa as a “Quantum leap forward, the biggest breakthrough I have seen in the 17 years I have been in the polyethylene market.”

Answering the call in Australia

With the opening up of the coal seam gas (CSG) industry in Queensland, Worldpoly recognised the need for a single platform solution for the needs of contractors.

 “Following detailed analysis of the supplied equipment, and at the request of the contractors involved, the team saw the opportunity to improve on safety, hydraulics, performance and operability,” said Mr Hall.

 “From an operational perspective, it is impossible to crash the heating plate and facing tool with the pipe clamps, and changeover time for 630 mm SDR 11 is consistently less than five seconds.”

The PolyForce630 is now being used by CSG operators in Queensland, and cannot be matched in terms of the consistency, safety and reduction in welding times that it delivers.

Another benefit of the PolyForce630 is that, being associated with Bosch Rexroth, customers can source parts almost anywhere in the world.

When asked to sum up what he believes are the greatest benefits in companies choosing the PolyForce630 over existing equipment, Mr Hall said: “Removal of operator variables; safety; ease of operation; allowance for future advances in technology; and it’s made in Australia.

“But above all, it means you can be safe in the knowledge that every weld is a good weld and no-one got hurt in the process.”