The assembly and welding mill for production of pipes includes a tubular billet feed device with a roller table having a longitudinal axis and passing through the assembly and welding stand with radial hold-down roller beams intended for reduction of a tubular billet that travels along the roller table and a longitudinally oriented guide knife, a carriage with rollers enabling rotation of the rollers on the inner surface of the tubular billet being moved through the assembly and welding stand. On the supporting elements of assembly and welding stand there is a laser welding head or a laser-arc hybrid welding head that can travel in transverse and vertical directions and around longitudinal axis. The carriage is rigidly connected with the supporting elements of the assembly and welding stand through a vertically oriented and longitudinally directed connecting knife. The guide knife is intended for tubular billet positioning through opening of edges at 12 o'clock position and is mounted on the supporting elements of the assembly and welding stand configured to enable vertical travel and fixation. On the carriage, there is a hold-down roller facing upwards that can travel in vertical direction to act on the edges of tubular billet from the inner side, while one of the roller beams is installed vertically that can act on the tubular billet edges from the outer side. Technical result: application of a root weld with laser technologies with guaranteed alignment of tubular billet edges regardless of size.

The assembly and welding mill for production of pipes includes a tubular billet feed device with a roller table having a longitudinal axis and passing through the assembly and welding stand with radial hold-down roller beams intended for reduction of a tubular billet that travels along the roller table and a longitudinally oriented guide knife, a carriage with rollers enabling rotation of the rollers on the inner surface of the tubular billet being moved through the assembly and welding stand. On the supporting elements of assembly and welding stand there is a laser welding head or a laser-arc hybrid welding head that can travel in transverse and vertical directions and around longitudinal axis. The carriage is rigidly connected with the supporting elements of the assembly and welding stand through a vertically oriented and longitudinally directed connecting knife. The guide knife is intended for tubular billet positioning through opening of edges at 12 o'clock position and is mounted on the supporting elements of the assembly and welding stand configured to enable vertical travel and fixation. On the carriage, there is a hold-down roller facing upwards that can travel in vertical direction to act on the edges of tubular billet from the inner side, while one of the roller beams is installed vertically that can act on the tubular billet edges from the outer side. Technical result: application of a root weld with laser technologies with guaranteed alignment of tubular billet edges regardless of size.

In order to be able to detect a possible loss of cut during the thermal separation of a workpiece as early as during the separation, the invention proposes a method for detecting an impending loss of cut or a loss of cut that has already occurred, in which energy is input into a cutting region and which comprises the following method steps: a) applying a first alternating signal to the workpiece, b) identifying a second alternating signal caused by the first alternating signal in a measurement electrode spaced apart from the workpiece, c) ascertaining the phase shift between the first and second alternating signal by outputting a phase shift signal, d) comparing the phase shift signal with a prescribed upper limit value and a prescribed lower limit value for the phase shift signal,
wherein, when the phase shift signal exceeds the upper limit value or undershoots the lower limit value, the energy input is changed, for example, by stopping the thermal separation of the workpiece.

In order to be able to detect a possible loss of cut during the thermal separation of a workpiece as early as during the separation, the invention proposes a method for detecting an impending loss of cut or a loss of cut that has already occurred, in which energy is input into a cutting region and which comprises the following method steps: a) applying a first alternating signal to the workpiece, b) identifying a second alternating signal caused by the first alternating signal in a measurement electrode spaced apart from the workpiece, c) ascertaining the phase shift between the first and second alternating signal by outputting a phase shift signal, d) comparing the phase shift signal with a prescribed upper limit value and a prescribed lower limit value for the phase shift signal,
wherein, when the phase shift signal exceeds the upper limit value or undershoots the lower limit value, the energy input is changed, for example, by stopping the thermal separation of the workpiece.

A method for manufacturing an electric resistance welded steel pipe having an identifiable seam portion. The method includes electric resistance welding a steel pipe, cutting an inner surface bead and an outer surface bead of the steel pipe in such a manner so as to cut: (i) a whole the outer surface bead and a part of the inner surface bead to leave an uncut portion in the inner surface bead, or (ii) a whole of the inner surface bead and a part of the outer surface bead to leave an uncut portion in the outer surface bead, coating the steel pipe with zinc phosphate, and cold drawing the steel pipe using a plug and a die to make the seam portion of the steel pipe identifiable.

A method for manufacturing an electric resistance welded steel pipe having an identifiable seam portion. The method includes electric resistance welding a steel pipe, cutting an inner surface bead and an outer surface bead of the steel pipe in such a manner so as to cut: (i) a whole the outer surface bead and a part of the inner surface bead to leave an uncut portion in the inner surface bead, or (ii) a whole of the inner surface bead and a part of the outer surface bead to leave an uncut portion in the outer surface bead, coating the steel pipe with zinc phosphate, and cold drawing the steel pipe using a plug and a die to make the seam portion of the steel pipe identifiable.

A computer-implemented method for optimizing control of a process includes a computer receiving a process definition and a collection of elements to be arranged in a way that optimizes the utility of the process; initializing the process using a collection of discrete elements (stops, events, work orders, tasks, locations, etc.), and producing a solution for said collection by inserting the elements into the solution using the Minimum Insertion Heuristic; modifying the order of the elements to be inserted and continuing the process to produce solutions with better scores; and continuing to produce solutions based on improving the order of insertion until the process is determined to be sufficiently optimized.

A computer-implemented method for optimizing control of a process includes a computer receiving a process definition and a collection of elements to be arranged in a way that optimizes the utility of the process; initializing the process using a collection of discrete elements (stops, events, work orders, tasks, locations, etc.), and producing a solution for said collection by inserting the elements into the solution using the Minimum Insertion Heuristic; modifying the order of the elements to be inserted and continuing the process to produce solutions with better scores; and continuing to produce solutions based on improving the order of insertion until the process is determined to be sufficiently optimized.

An automated system for manipulating a workpiece includes a machining device, a locating device configured to determine a position of a workpiece, and a positioning system operatively connected to the machining device and being configured to adjust a position of the machining device to align a centerline of the machining device with a longitudinal axis of the workpiece, based upon the determined position of the workpiece. The machining device includes a stabilizing mechanism to engage the workpiece to maintain the workpiece in the determined position, and a cutting element for performing a machining operation on the workpiece.

An automated system for manipulating a workpiece includes a machining device, a locating device configured to determine a position of a workpiece, and a positioning system operatively connected to the machining device and being configured to adjust a position of the machining device to align a centerline of the machining device with a longitudinal axis of the workpiece, based upon the determined position of the workpiece. The machining device includes a stabilizing mechanism to engage the workpiece to maintain the workpiece in the determined position, and a cutting element for performing a machining operation on the workpiece.