A welding rotator is auxiliary welding equipment, it rotates the cylindrical workpiece normally.

According to the adjustment method, it is divided into self-aligning rotator and conventional rotator. There are some other types, for example, fit-up rotator, tank rotator, track wheel rotator, and so on. It depends on your workpiece and requirement.

Welding rotators consist of 5 parts:

1. Base foundation
2. Wheel roller
3. Motor and bearing
4. Electric box
5. Remote control

If it is a fit-up rotator, there will be a hydraulic system.

A welding rotator consists of one driving wheel and one idler wheel, the 4 wheel rollers support and rotate the workpiece. The material depends on your workpiece.

You could control the speed through the remote hand control or foot panel, it can rotate forward and reverse.

Self-aligning Welding Rotator

Conventional Welding Rotator

A Welding Rotator is a machine used to increase welding efficiency and decrease the manufacturing rate.

In those situations when you have to handle heavy round objects for welding, it plays a crucial role. All performance of the Weld Rotator depends on its wheel roller, motor, reducer, and base frame.

Once the object is all set to rotate, the machine then starts the automated welding process. There is a thing to be noted that the Welding Rotator is normally suitable for round object welding because of its rotating movement.

The welding rotator is generally used for the assembly, sharpening, and welding of tubing, tanks, oil tanks, and other containers.

A welding rotator may be used in combination with a column and boom and a SAW device to obtain in and out longitudinal welding.

The unit may do all types of auto or manual welding. It’s able to enhance welding accuracy, reduce welding labor, and increase productivity.

Self-aligning Welding Rotator

This type of welding rotator can work on several sizes of metal works without adjusting or changing the distance of wheel rollers.

The self-aligned rotator can be used for rotating cylindrical parts such as fuel drums, pressurized containers, silos, oil tankers, pipelines, etc.

Self-aligning rotators are made of two units. One drive unit and one idler unit, each unit has four wheel rollers.

Conventional Welding Rotator

Conventional Rotator varies from 2 to 2000 tons with greater loads and larger diameter ranges, for both Polyurethane wheels with excess disk and all steel wheels depending on the performance.

Adapt to workpieces of various diameters by manually adjusting the distance between the rollers.

The structure and rotator base are carefully crafted to ensure proper balance to support the weight of the vessel or workpiece.

Features of Conventional Welding Rotator

• Applications such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers, boilers, pipe welding, and so on.
• More productive and reliable options for expanded power in energy, engine, shipbuilding, other sectors, etc.
• Rapid development and efficiency enhancements
• Welder exhaustion may be minimized.

Fit-up Welding Rotator

Fit-up welding rotator normally used to pipe-to-pipe connection welding process. It will operate with at least one set of the drive unit, for example, a conventional rotator or a self-aligning rotator.

Place the 2-section pipes on the welding rotators, and adjust the height of the rollers through the hydraulic system, so as to realize the alignment of the docking positions of the 2-section pipes.

The primary difference between a self-aligning rotator and a conventional rotator is the automatic adjust and manual adjust wheel roller distance.

Self-aligning rotator has four wheel rollers for each unit, and the conventional rotator has two wheel rollers for each unit.

When we say one set of welding rotators, there always have one drive unit and an idler unit. The drive unit has power to make the wheel roller rotate.

Welding rotators have several structural parts that are quite distinct from others due to the design of the welding rotator. Generally, the structural parts of a welding rotator include;

• The rotating vessel, usually wheels – is the part that turns or rotates the cylindrical vessels and circular materials to be worked on.
• The power motor – This part supplies power to the machine and also aids in speed regulation.
• The idler – this part that supports the rotation of the device and as such can alter the direction of the output shaft.
• Motor – it provides the power to drive and rotate the workpiece.
• Reducer– this part is connected to the motor so that the speed of rotation can be adjusted.
• The remote controller – wireless remote, hand remote, foot remote. Could adjust the rotation direction and speed.
• The electric box – these are the integral parts and as such are needed for the effective running of the welding rotator.

Welding rotators are typically powerful, and as such, maintenance cannot be overlooked.

Here are a couple of ideas for maintenance:

• When using any unit, such as a welding rotator, search it for loose screws, nuts, and nails. Before you use the machine, tighten the screws.
• Before starting a new project, make sure there are no weld bits or remains on the unit. This can result in an obstacle in the system.
• Keep an eye out for odd and unexpected noises and movements from the unit, as well as unpleasant scents. Until you use it, do the required repairs.
• Ensure that the welding operation’s job load is appropriate for the welding rotator in usage. For hard welding products, do not use a welding rotator with a lower capacity.

You can effortlessly avoid accidental damages during transportation by using proper safety protocols. The safety protocols you need to apply;

• Wearing proper leather gloves: Always follow the general rule of thumb, and apply your safety first. Whether you are welding round objects or any irregular shape object; make sure that you are wearing welding leather gloves for your hand protection.
• Eye protection: How can you neglect the importance of eye protection in the welding process? Whether you are a welding expert or a beginner, wearing eye protection is a must. Wear high-quality eye protection so that the rays don’t pass it.

So, if you apply the mentioned safety protocols perfectly, then we guarantee, you can perform and transport safely during welding.

Many people get confused with these two terms and also about the fact that they have few similarities. They both rotate spherical and cylindrical welding materials but differently. They increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your welding operation.

Welding Positioner: Some objects are complex in shape so you have to wonder how to weld and position them. A Welding Positioner is a welding tool used to rotate, move, and hold two complex shape objects for the deep and precise weld.

The welding rotator is quite similar to a welding rotator but they are not the same. The welding positioner is a device that carries out its welding operation by grasping and limiting the motion of the welding material at a fixed point but rotating it according to the degree of the angle.

Due to this structure of the welding positioner, it can be used for any shape and form of welding material. However, for welding rotators, the case is different. The welding rotator tends to be operational only on spherical or cylindrical welding materials due to the constant rotary movement of the wheels.