Welding consumables for the wind power industry

5 May 2022 |

To achieve the net-zero emission targets by 2050, wind power will and shall bring a major contribution. Besides a continuous growth in capacity in onshore wind energy, the world will get strong growth in offshore wind.

Because Böhler Welding cares.

Our colleague Erwin Gering, Global Key Account Manager wind energy, pipemills and steel construction with focus on the “Submerged Arc Welding process“, and a real industry expert, working for 13 years for voestalpine Böhler Welding, will talk us through the importance of wind energy and what to consider.

His daily job is to understand the needs of our customers in the wind energy sector, especially concerning the SAW welding process for the manufacturing of wind towers onshore and offshore, as well as the offshore foundations.

Our contribution – creating the ideal product portfolio

voestalpine Böhler Welding has been and still is continuously optimizing welding consumables for different applications within the wind energy industry to fulfill new challenges due to increased dimensions, weights and thicknesses, and also the growing application of steel grades with higher strength.

We understand the importance of a low defect rate, especially when there is also a challenging need to minimize welding time, and costs, further down.

Take a look at our focus products:

From a good understanding we can develop optimized welding solutions and support the manufacturers towards highly efficient welding processes. Clearly, direct contact with the manufacturers is key

Erwin Gering

SEGMENT	COMPONENT	APPLICATION	PRODUCT
Wind Energy onshore	Wind tower (3-5 sections)	Circumferential and longitudinal seam S355 grades	Union S 2 Si - UV 408 TT diamondspark S 56 HP – UV 400
Wind Energy offshore	Jacket legs, Pin piles, Monopiles, Transition pieces, Wind towers	Circumferential and longitudinal seam S355-S460 grades	Union S 3 Si - UV 418 TT diamondspark S 55 HP – UV 418 TT
Wind Energy offshore	Pin piles, Monopile, Transition piece	Grout bead	diamondspark S 55 HP – UV 418 TT diamondspark S 56 HP – UV 400

Union S 2 Si – UV 408 TT

Aluminate basic flux Low amount diffof usible hydrogen (DRY SYSTEM for flux)	Nice weld beads, good operative characteristics Reduced risk cold cracking	Stable welding process with low defect rate Relative low preheat temperature / time & cost saving
Product feature	Product advantage	Customer benefit

Union S3 Si – UV 418 TT

Product feature	Product advantage	Customer benefit
Fluoride-basic flux High strength level Low amount of diffusible hydrogen Good grain strength	Very high toughness, especially for large wall thickness Combination suitable for S355-S460 grades Reduced risk for cold cracking Stable grain size distribution in case of flux recycling	Stable high toughness level in weld metal meeting highest requirements 1 wire and flux for all mixed base metals S355-S460 grades Relative low preheat temperature/time & cost saving Constant welding characteristics, low defect rate

diamondspark S 56 HP – UV 400

Product feature	Product advantage	Customer benefit
Higher wire speed vs solid SAW Better bead appearance Seamless wire design High strength level Special weld metal chemistry	Higher deposition rate and lower flux consumption Easy slag removal Form stable, closed and coppered Combination suitable for S355-S460 grades Very high toughness in multipass 2-run welding	Cost/time saving especially in bottleneck welding stations Low risk for slag inclusions High process reliability, good current transfer, no moisture pick up and extended shelf life (compared to folded wires) 1 wire and flux for all mixed base metals S355-S460 grades Stable high toughness level meeting highest requirements with less limitation for heat input => additional arc time reduction

diamondspark S 55 HP – UV 418 TT

Product feature	Product advantage	Customer benefit
Higher wire speed vs solid SAW Better bead appearance Seamless wire design High strength level Special weld metal chemistry	Higher deposition rate Lower flux consumption Easy slag removal Form stable, closed and coppered Combination suitable for S355-S460 grades Very high toughness in multipass	Cost/time saving especially in bottleneck welding stations Low risk for slag inclusions High process reliability, good current transfer, no moisture pick up and extended shelf life (compared to folded wires) 1 wire and flux for all mixed base metals S355-S460 grades Stable high toughness level in weld metal meeting highest requirements

Video

Onshore and offshore wind power

For the manufacturing of wind towers there are indeed some differences between onshore and offshore, however, both need a constant quality and a constant supply of relatively large quantities of welding wire and flux.

An important difference lies within the requirements for the mechanical properties of the welds, which are on a higher level for offshore.

The most applied welding activity concerns the circumferential and longitudinal welding of the large diameter sections for towers and in the components for the offshore foundations, like monopolies jackets and pin piles. These are mostly welded with the Submerged Arc Welding process (SAW).

What brings the future?

voestalpine Böhler welding wants to contribute to the energy transition for a better future. We want to be a reliable partner for the manufacturing of wind towers and their foundations. Reliable supply and high quality and performance level of welding consumables are key, as well as technical support with our know-how.

As it concerns large-scale serial manufacturing, the key developments are within the standardization of the welding procedures and automation for the highest efficiency. For the new floating foundations offshore this is a new challenge.

We will stay tuned and keep you updated – Because Böhler welding cares.