Sif, the leading Dutch manufacturer of foundations for offshore wind systems, is implementing an innovative welding technique for its XXXL monopiles at its new production facility in Maasvlakte, Rotterdam. This method of tandem and dual close-spaced cold wire tandem dry arc welding (CWTT-NGSAW) will significantly strengthen the welded joints, ensuring greater durability and strength in the connections.
Sif and monopile production
Developed by Sif’s Process Technology and Innovation department, this technique has been successfully tested at its Roermond facility. Although it is not an entirely new technique, its application in mass production is uncommon, especially in the manufacture of monopiles for offshore wind energy .
In addition, Sif has trained its welders in welders welders for this process, achieving very low rejection rates in the initial implementation in Roermond. According to the company, the success is due to the collaborative effort of several departments and the commitment of expert operators.
Production challenges and solutions
Current monopiles can support 12 to 16 MW wind turbines with diameters of up to 11 meters. The latest, with weights between 1,600 and 2,000 tons, are designed for installation in deep water, where strong welds are crucial to their longevity, especially at circumferential joints that experience significant stresses.
The welding precision is critical to the efficiency and service life of these structures, which must remain operational for at least 25 years, according to Sif. For mass production of XXXL monopiles, the company will employ a welding machine with multiple welding heads in a Narrow-Gap preprocessing operation, each with five welding wires.
Sif had already explored earlier versions of this technique between 2016 and 2018, although it was not fully mature for mass production at that time. However, with the growing demand for XXXL monopiles, the company has further refined and perfected this technique for its new plant in Maasvlakte 2, Rotterdam, whose first production line is expected to come on stream this month.
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Source: offshorewind.biz
Photo: unsplash
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