Using our comprehensive knowledge of the motorsports industry, our engineers have perfected the hand welding techniques required to manufacture exceptionally lightweight Inconel and titanium exhaust systems for Formula 1 and other top-level motorsports.
TIG Welding
Our engineers are among some of the elite few in the world who can TIG weld thin-walled super alloys, such as Inconel 625, Haynes 718 and Titanium alloys.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our weld preparation and welding techniques, carried out by our highly-skilled TIG welder/exhaust fabricators who have had many years of experience welding high-performance materials.
Using the latest technology, concentrated arc-low heat input from Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. and a unique inert shielding gas mix, our engineers produce the highest quality, consistent and precise welding in the industry.
All our exhausts are welded using tungsten inert gas welding, more commonly known as TIG welding. This is mainly used as it allows the operator more control over the weld than similar processes, allowing for more focused, stronger, higher quality welds. Qualities that are vital to the production of thin walled exhaust systems.
Some of the advantages of using TIG over other types of welding are:
- Precision
- Highly concentrated weld puddles
- Pure and clean welds
- Low distortion
- Light weight
Back Purging
Even though the quality of the welding on the outside is highly important, it is also vital that the welding is as equally clean on the inside. This is why prior to welding, all of our exhausts are back filled with a pure Argon gas, this forces out the oxygen from inside the pipework and stops oxidation and contamination on the inside of the exhaust as well as the outside.
Oxidation is not only cosmetically damaging but more importantly, it causes the welds to become brittle which can lead to cracking and possible failures, it can also obstruct the gas flow inside the pipe creating unwanted turbulence. A purged weld will be internally and externally smooth, clean and stronger.
Purge Tank
For more oxygen reactive metals such as Titanium, a stricter purging method is needed. At higher temperature these metals become highly reactive to oxygen and therefore oxidation of the heat affected areas is highly likely.
The easiest way to avoid oxidation is to weld the component in a completely oxygen free inert atmosphere. For this we have a custom-built purge tank which the component to be welded is placed inside of. The tank is then sealed and filled with pure Argon gas from the bottom, Argon being denser than air fills upwards displacing the air out of a release valve at the top.
As the air leaves the tank it passes through a weld purge monitor that measures the oxygen content, when the monitor reads the correct amount you are then ready to start welding the component, valves can be shut off on the inlet and outlet to stop any oxygen working its way back in to the tank.