PUSHING BOUNDARIES. UPHOLDING TRADITION.
Taylor-Winfield’s new Eclipse X1 is the most technologically advanced laser welder for metals finishing and galvanizing lines to date, eclipsing all other current systems on the international market. Made in the USA, the Eclipse X1 joins steel grades from LCS through AHSS and UHSS, as well as other metals such as aluminum and copper. Our laser welding system overcomes variation in strip shape and presentation and offers real-time feedback to ensure the highest weld quality.
Taylor-Winfield has a long and substantial history of providing the highest quality coil joining welding machines to the metals processing industry. Our new Eclipse X1 solid-state fiber laser welder is no exception. The development of this machine evolved from our vast experience manufacturing coil joining welders and the shortcomings we have seen from laser welding machines on the current market. After collaborating with the world’s top laser welding experts on its technical design, the Eclipse X1 is the most modern fiber laser welding system for coil joining applications.
Strip Material Specifications:
| Min. | Max. |
| Coil Width | 80” (2030mm) |
| Coil Thickness | .250” (6.3mm) |
The forces required for flash-butt welding are established by the forge strength of the materials being welded. The strength classifications of steel are:
The selection of a standard machine or the design of a special welder will be determined by the upset forces, along with the necessary clamp forces required as a result of the sectional area of the material being welded.
Flash welders consist of the three main sections each of heavy duty construction.
The MAIN FRAME is made of heavy duty welded construction and designed for maximum accessibility for ease of maintenance and adjustability. Mounted to the frame are the welding transformer, upsetting mechanism, upset slide/clamp, stationary clamp, four sealed main bearing boxes with precision roller bearings.
The WORK CLAMPING MECHANISMS are normally vertically operated pivoting lever-arms mounted integral with the fixed and movable platens. Each consists of steel clamping levers on heavy duty hardened and ground pivot pins and bushings. The ends of the pivot-pin bearings are sealed to protect them from weld flash. Lubrication of the bearings is through single point Alemite fittings.
The clamp levers are usually operated by double acting direct cylinders, either pneumatic or hydraulically operated. The piston rods are protected by sewn leather bellows. Depending on the application, these clamp levers are designed to provide from .5 to 2.5 times the upset force. Other types of clamping mechanisms are available optionally as required.
The Upper Electrodes are recessed in the clamping levers. They can be arranged for adjustable/fixed or self-equalizing alignment with the lower dies/work piece.
The Lower Electrodes are often supplied so that the electrode on the movable platen is adjustable horizontally and the electrode on the stationary platen is adjustable vertically. This allows precision alignment of the welded parts.
UPSETTING MECHANISM: The motor operated device for controlling the flashing and upset movement of the upset slide is a gear box mounted Flashing Cam on which a steel roller runs. The cam shaft is supported by an outboard anti-friction bearing with the flash/upset cam located between the outboard bearing and the first bearing in the gear box.
A variable speed 3 phase, 60 hertz, 230/460 volt motor provides a flashing time range of approximately 3 to 1. The cam shaft carries timing cam switches to turn off and on the welding power and stop the motor after each weld cycle. The upset slide is returned to the load die position by a single acting air cylinder.
When welding non-ferrous materials the upsetting action may be controlled by the addition of necessary pneumatic devices between the flashing cam and the upset slide to increase the upset speed for greater control of the forging force.
The flash and upsetting action may also be controlled hydraulically by use of a double acting hydraulic cylinder in place of the motor driven gear box and flash cam. An electro-hydraulic servo control with provisions for multiple welding programs and data recovery is available.
All welders are provided with control interlocking features to provide maximum safety to the operator and to prevent damage to the welder or work spoilage because of improper operator actions.
These welders may be provided with one of three types of power sources.
SINGLE PHASE welder transformer rated at 50% duty cycle per RWMA standards selected for KVA rating based on power required for welding and production considerations.
SINGLE PHASE D.C. power pack with silicon diodes arranged for full wave rectification of the weld transformer secondary current.
THREE PHASE D.C. power pack with silicon diodes arranged for full wave rectification of the weld transformer secondary current.
The power supplies are mounted at the rear of the main frame and are sealed to prevent flash particles from entering the power supply area. They are connected to the stationary and movable platens by heavy water-cooled copper buss bars and flexible band connectors. Transformer primary tap switches are included for a wide range of welding applications.
Welder sizes range from the B-2.5 Butt welder for band saws, providing 2.5 KVA, 1 phase transformer and 1200 pounds upset force, to the B-1600 Butt welder with 1600 KVA transformer and 1 million pounds upset force for aircraft landing gear.
Machine frame sizes are standardized according to upset force such as 5000, 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, etc.; the electrical rating varies proportionally with the power required and the duty cycle of the machine.
| SEAM WELDER MACHINE TYPES | MACHINE UPGRADES |
|---|---|
| TwinLap | Post Weld Induction Annealing- Inline & free-standing systems |
| CFLAT | Weld Seam Monitoring |
| MegaLap | Welder Control Systems |
| Horizontal Narrow Lap (HNL) | Weld Testers/ Weld Wheel Dressers |
| PrepLap | Machine Reconditioning Service |
| OverLap | Punching/Notching Machines |
The main frame of these seam welders is of heavy, rigidly reinforced welded steel construction for a minimum of mechanical deflection but a maximum of accessibility and neat appearance. The lower conductor support or knee is a heavy steel fabrication keyed to the frame for accurate vertical adjustment. The upper conductor is insulated from the frame, while the lower conductor is grounded to the frame, therefore work support tables or conveyors can also be grounded.
In addition, we stock a complete inventory of replacement parts and in-stock components can be shipped within 24 hours of order receipt. When you buy from Taylor-Winfield, you get sound technical advice, competent service and continued performance backed by single source responsibility.
• Heavy, reinforced welded steel construction with current collector bearings.
• Straddle type bushing bearings are provided for longitudinal configuration.
• Tapered roller bearings carry the weld force load with absolute minimum friction and maintain precise alignment.
• Oil bath for lubrication and heat dissipation with water cooled shaft and copper housing; provide high welding capacity at high duty cycle with a minimum of maintenance
• Exceptionally low friction air cylinders.
• Highly efficient water cooled welding transformer with Class F (155°C)
• Insulation made in accordance with RWMA specifications.
• Speed control valves to control ram movement.
• Upper head adjustable for in/out wheel alignment.
• Tap switch for multiple steps of transformer secondary voltage.
• Two stage foot switch with pressure switch interlock.
• Bushing type secondary current bearings; class 2/class 3 alloy combination.
• Variable speed D.C. motor for wheel drive.
• Single gear, single knurl or single friction drive.
• Pair of wheel electrodes, RWMA Class 2.
• Single phase AC or three phase MFDC.
• Weld force chart, force vs. cylinder air pressure.
• Open drain water system with inlet manifold and flow adjusting valves.
• One set of instruction manuals and standard flint gray paint.
Circular – wheels are perpendicular to the welder throat and are the most popular for making long seams in flat sheet or around flanges, as in fuel tanks or around a cylinder.
Longitudinal – wheels are parallel to the welder throat and the lower conductor is usually an unsupported round horn which allows clearance in welding the longitudinal seam of a cylinder or barrel.
Universal – Capable of conversion to either circular or longitudinal rotating the upper weld head and replacing the lower arm. Two lower arms would be provided
Flash-Butt Welding is an ultra-fast joining process with fusion occurring over the entire weld area simultaneously. It is the only resistance welding technique in which surface scale has little or no effect on the weld quality and consistency — a major reason for its use in pickling lines. After trimming, flash-butt welds are as thin as the strip itself and pass readily through subsequent reduction and forming equipment. In most cases, the welds lose their identity and continue on into the consumer product. Flash-Butt Welders predominate in pickle lines, but are also used in heavy-gauge Coil Preparation, Shot Blasting, Side Trimming and Slitting Lines, and Welded Tube and Pipe Mills. Combination Flash-Butt Welders, appropriately named because they have a built-in, draw-cut weld trimmer which, in one stroke, removes the excess metal extruded to the surfaces of the strip during the upsetting (forging) portion of the welding cycle. A transfer mechanism successively moves the joint to the trimming station and other optional work stations, which include an edge punching or notching station and/or induction post-heating system. The latter minimizes costly strip breakage by tempering the heat-affected zone in alloy steels susceptible to treatment.
Weld equals parent metal thickness
| Name | Min. | Max. |
| Coil Width | 52″ / 1320mm | 100″ / 2540mm |
| Coil Thickness | .046″ / 1mm | .375″ / 9.5mm |
Forgiving welding process compared to Laser and other joining processes.
The most popular types of fusion (Arc) welding processes are:
GTAW– Weld near parent metal thickness
GMAW– Weld near parent metal thickness after inline trimming
| Min. | Max. | |
| Coil Width | 24″ 610mm | 84″ 2135mm |
| Coil Thickness | 0.45mm (0.018”) | 25mm (1.0”) |
Forgiving welding process compared to Laser and other joining processes.
Many of today’s “automotive grade” Advanced and Ultra High Strength Steels (AHSS and UHSS) including Dual Phase, TRIP, high boron and other complex phase steels require post-weld induction annealing to temper the weld interface and restore ductility for subsequent processing in the production line.
Post-weld induction heating can be fully 
integrated into an existing welder with complete operator interface through an HMI or provided as a free-standing system with independent operation and control. All systems include weld temperature pyrometer control and power supplies with automatic load tuning that adjust the heat input based on feedback from the pyrometer.
Solid state IGBT based microprocessor control Kilowatt range sized to application, machine and cycle time requirements Pyrometer controlled temperature regulation Automatic load tuning “Upper Level” communication capability available Full machine integration available, including: Annealing temperature control Welder and Annealing system compatibility Single Operator HMI Interface Welding parameter matrix updated to include annealing temperature control Full system diagnostic capability Interactive display for initial set-up, tuning and maintenance of power supply Power supply screen will display: Start Stop Ready Power Voltage Current Frequency Energy All fault conditions (individually specified) Pyrometer annealing temperature reading.
Forgiving welding process compared to Laser and other joining processes.
The Research and Development Center can help improve part quality, quantify existing processes, create reliable parts production expectations, and establish machine performance criterion.
Taylor-Winfield’s Aftermarket Spare Parts & Copper Products Group provides “life support”, parts and ancillary equipment for existing machines worldwide.
Taylor-Winfield’s technicians have mechanical, electrical, & programming skills, enabling them to provide timely, quality service, and to supervise or perform on-site machine evaluations, repairs, & upgrades.
