Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK) presented at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum (PMGF-2025) a self-propelled welding complex "Samosvar", designed for the construction of pipelines using laser welding technology. The self-welding unit is mounted on a tracked chassis and operates in automatic mode.
The complex includes unique Russian-made equipment designed to connect non-rotating annular butt joints of pipes using a laser in a protective gas environment. It is placed in a welding tent, which is installed at the pipe junction with the help of a manipulator. After installing the tent, a belt is fixed along the outer diameter of the pipes, along which welding carriages equipped with laser heads move. The seam is formed due to a directed laser beam, which melts the pipe edge and melts the filler wire supplied automatically.
"Samosvar" was developed by specialists of the TMK Research Center and is intended for the construction of pipelines with a diameter from 720 to 1420 mm with a wall thickness from 15.7 to 38.1 mm made of steel of strength class up to K70. The laser seam is characterized by a minimal thermal impact zone, reduction of welding stresses and deformations while maintaining high viscosity and plasticity. The strength of the seam during such welding is identical to the strength of the base metal.
"The complex consists almost entirely of components of domestic production and this year was pilot tested at the customer's landfill, where the high technical characteristics of the seams were confirmed. Thanks to its unique technical solutions, it will reduce construction time and improve pipeline reliability. The implementation of the project has once again demonstrated TMK's willingness to develop unique solutions for the tasks of our partners," said Igor Pyshmintsev, TMK's Director of Research and CEO of TMK Research Center.
The complex of laser welding of annular pipe joints has become a continuation of the project for the production of large-diameter pipes using hybrid laser-arc welding, mastered at the Chelyabinsk TMK site. Previously, K70 strength class pipes with a diameter of 1,420 mm, manufactured by TMK Pipeline Solutions, successfully passed field tests as part of a project to develop technologies for the construction of new-generation main gas pipelines designed for pressures up to 150 atmospheres.
