Process for the remote-controlled semi-automatic welding of two rotationally symmetrical components

Process for the remote-controlled semi-automatic welding of two large-size rotationally symmetrical components (6, 10) by filling an annular chamfer (17) with a welding metal in successive shielded-arc orbital welding passes (20), making it possible to form layers of welding metal (18) in the chamfer (17) by placing metal beads (18) next to one another, each bead deposited during a pass being of a specific type, depending on its position in the chamfer (17), said process comprising performing the following steps, from a control station (14) located at a distance from the welding zone and managed by an operator, for each of the passes:

• (a) setting the welding parameters, the type of pass and the values to be given to the parameters as a function of the type of pass being supplied to the operator by a storage memory means, in which the information relating to the welding operation is stored;
• (b) checking that each of the welding parameters is set at a suitable value according to the type of pass;
• (c) starting the welding operation manually and remotely;
• (d) monitoring the welding operation continuously by means of a remote screen display (38, 40) of the welding zone;
• (e) changing one or more welding parameters according to the image of the welding zone, the limits within which the parameters can be changed being supplied to the operator by the memory means;
• and
• (f) stopping the welding operation manually when the image obtained on the screen (39, 40) corresponds to the end of a pass.