A&P Southampton and its engineering division - Helifusion, have announced that they have recently achieved Lloyds Register certification for a new weld process to supplement their existing class approved process Fleetfusion.
The Fleetfusion spiral welding process originated in 1979 as a result of demand from the M.o.D for a cost effective repair for Hydroplane shafts on submarines, this process has served Helifusion well for many years and will continue in certain applications. Utilising the M.I.G. welding system however has its limitations in that the maximum deposition is 2.5mm per run thus inter run machining is required for multiple layer build ups.
It was only after Helifusion was acquired by A&P, that serious thought was given to developing alternative welding methods to reduce consumable wastage and maximize machine utilization. After extensive research and development and a switch to the Tungsten
Inert Gas system the process was submitted and subsequently accepted by Lloyds Register. The main advantages of this process are better control of the welding parameters, with superior bonding, less distortion on thin sections, less wastage of filler wire, weld can be applied to a greater thickness, and there is no machining requirement between runs if multiple layers are required.