Column & Boom Welding Machines – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

It sounds funny, but have you ever heard of what a column and boom welding machine is? I won’t blame you if you haven’t yet, because when I was in your position, I was so much worse! In case you didn’t know, a lot of businesses, companies, and organizations are trying to get a hold of quality column & boom welding machines, and we’re here to help you with that!

In this article, we will piece together what a column & boom welding machine is. Not only that, but we will also be providing all the necessary information about it so you know what to expect!

What is Boom Welding?

Column & Boom Welding, sometimes just referred to as “Boom Welding,” is a type of a welding system that’s used for workpieces and weldments that are large in size and that welders would find difficult and hard to reach.

Try to imagine a 2-ton giant pipe that you need to weld – you wouldn’t be able to finish that in a day! Luckily, a column & boom welding system is here to save the day!

What is a Column & Boom Machine?

It is a special type of machine that’s used for welding massive and gigantic components and infrastructures such as metal vessels, big oil rigs, steel tubes, and other big products that require service.

This machine is used for its ability to perform both longitudinal and circumferential welding. It is a versatile welding machine that’s made to copy or imitate the skill of an experienced welder while having a 6-meter lift or increase in height and in longitudinal reach.

Structure and Design of a Welding Boom

When it comes to the design and overall structure of a column & boom welding machine, you can actually think of it as a robot. It’s like a robot that can be adjusted in height and its reach is superior with a weld head at the end of the arm.

The overall design and engineering of a column & boom welding system is like a robotic arm. The welding head is continuously and constantly moved and transfigured around the workpiece’s surface to perform the necessary.

Can’t picture it? Don’t worry, we got you! The most common structure of a column & boom welding machine would be:

• Boom Motor
• Boom Arc Swing
• Cable Chain
• Gear Box
• Gear Box Base
• Rack

Out of all the additives to it, these are the components and parts of a column & boom welding machine that is essential. Without just one of these, a column & boom welding system wouldn’t function properly.

What is a Welding Manipulator?

A welding manipulator is a type of welding equipment where its design and engineering is for the welding head to move over the workpiece. Unlike “welding positioners” that position the workpiece or weldment for the welder, manipulators change, manipulate, and modify the weld head according to the needed positions.

The main factor that distinguishes welding manipulators from positioners and rotators is the moving variable – the welding head.

What Are the Parts of a Column & Boom Machine?

We touched up on the different components of a column & boom machine above, but we didn’t actually dive thoroughly and discussed it. So, to help you gain a better and a more fruitful understanding of what it is and how its parts all come together, here are the components of a column and boom welding machine:

Motor

The motor is like the machine’s mind – without it, all the automatic operations wouldn’t be possible. In simpler terms, without the motor running it, it’s as good as a manual welding manipulator where operators need to move and go places in order to reach certain areas and locations.

Vertical Column

Part of the primary bases of a column & boom welding system is the vertical column. It is where the horizontal boom is attached in order to achieve a variety of heights that a regular welder wouldn’t be able to reach.

It’s usually adjustable depending on the angle that a welder wants.

Horizontal Boom

This, on the other hand, is the horizontal piece in a column & boom machine. It carries the welding head at the end of it and is the one controlled by the program to go from point A to point B, and vice versa.

Weld Head

Like all other welding parts and components, the weld head is the component responsible for performing the weld on a given workpiece, and that’s also a crucial part of a column & boom welding machine. It’s located at the end of the boom.

Base

The base is the piece that holds all of these together upright. Without the base, there wouldn’t be balance in a column & boom welding system because it serves as the foundation of the entire machine. For some, it’s also where all the gears are stored, but for most – they have a separate gear box.

Gear Box

It is the part of the machine where all the gears are collected and contained. Some manufacturers assemble it and include it inside the base, but they’ll still be enclosed inside a box so that they don’t spurt out every single time they are used.

Mechanical Parts and Components

Apart from these raw components, column & boom welding equipment also have a few mechanical parts that are essential to its overall structure. We’ll discuss the mechanicals for boom and column separately:

Column Mechanical Parts

• Brackets
• Column & Elevation Gear Box
• Column Strikers
• Elevation Pinion
• Column & Safety Rack

Boom Mechanical Parts

• Boom Pinions
• Cable Chains
• Feet/Base/Gear Box
• Motor
• Plate Adjuster
• Shaft
• Rack
• Limit Switch

Is Column & Boom a Type of Welding Positioner?

No, it’s not. The most common misconception people have with it is that it is a classification of a welding positioner. In reality, though, it is a welding manipulator – why? Because the weld head is the one that moves throughout the exterior or the rough surface of the weldment or workpiece.

Remember, a welding positioner moves the product or the weldment; a welding manipulator manipulates the positions and angles of the weld head.

How Do You Choose a Column & Boom Welding System?

Whether or not you have a go-to manufacturer to get welding machines from, it’s still imperative that you know several considerations in choosing your column & boom welding machine. So, here are five (5) key considerations and factors you want to note before you decide to go on with a manufacturer’s column & boom welding system:

Total Reach

Reach refers to the total length of the boom in relation to the welding activity. Ensuring that your column & boom welding machine has enough reach to weld far-off places and spots (such as SAW or submerged arc welding activities), you’ll be able to justify the price as well as the effectiveness of the machine you’ll purchase.

Total Height

Height simply refers to how tall the column is. Identifying the height of your column & boom welding machine is simply measuring it from the base to the top of the column. This gives you enough data to check and identify whether a column & boom welding machine is going to be within the requirements of the project or not.

Load Capacity

This refers to the total capacity that your column & boom welding is able to carry. The more load it can take, the stronger and more durable it is – by the basic and fundamental laws of physics.

Adjustability and Flexibility

Most column & boom welding machines and equipment wouldn’t be made flexible. Oftentimes, what you see is what you get. However, several manufacturers and companies add a bit of flavor to their machines by producing other components that would aid the welding procedure.

Safety and Security

Last but most definitely not least would be the safety and security – and we’re talking about both the project that you’re working on as well as the operator or the welder who is manning the project. Try to ask about the safety features from the manufacturer you purchased it from and see if it just fits right to what you require.

Before you point your finger to a column & boom welding machine or to a manufacturer you want to work with, try to check these considerations out first. Especially if it’s your first time doing so, you want everything to be perfect.

Pros of Using Column & Boom Welding Machine

There are quite a few benefits and pros of using a column & boom welding machine for your structural, commercial, and industrial projects. The most sought-after advantages and benefits of it are:

• Exponentially Increased Production
• Maximum Flexibility With the Welding Head
• A “required” component for automatic and semi-automatic welding for better precision and accuracy
• Your welders and workers are kept safe since they don’t need to climb high heights
• It can reduce your need of hiring more labor or manpower
• You have a full 360-degree access to the weld head
• It’s durable and long-lasting that you can use it for multiple projects
• Reduced floor space because it eliminates the need for forklifts and other heavy machinery
• It can greatly decrease welder fatigue

These are some of the pros and benefits of using a column & boom welding machine for your projects.

Cons of Using Column & Boom Welding Machine

While it may seem that they’re ultimately helpful in every way, you will, of course, encounter a few mishaps and disadvantages when using them, too. These drawbacks and disadvantages aren’t as heavy as you think they are. In fact, the pros or benefits easily outweigh them in terms of number and functionality.

• There are limitations to the projects you can do
• Operating these require skill and experience – you can’t just hand it off to anyone
• It has a high initial cost; you could rent though but you don’t have complete control over the time
• You will feel the need to eliminate other workers and operators

What Can You Work On With A Column & Boom Welding Machine?

Ideally, column & boom welding machines are versatile pieces of equipment that you can use with submerged arc welding (SAW). Furthermore, you can also use it with TIG or tungsten inert gas welding, plasma welding, as well as MAG or MIG welding, too.

Application-wise, column & boom welding systems are typically used for the structure of pipes, tubes, pressure vessels, rigs, and other gigantic components or workpieces that regular welding methodologies can’t work on.

What Business Sectors and Industries Need a Column-Boom Welding System?

Today, construction and structural businesses are the sectors that are in dire need of these types of welding machines. However, as the years went on, several industries felt that they needed or wanted to have these, too.

The sectors or industries that would be benefited from using column & beam welding machines are:

• Boilers
• Automotive and Aerospace Industry
• Bio and Petrochemical Sectors
• Mineral and Coal Mining Industries
• Water Tanks and Storages
• Shipyard and Ship Building Industries
• Oil & Gas Generation Industries
• Pressure Tanks and Pressure Vessel Industries
• And Many More!

So long as you think you need a column & boom welding machine to pursue the processes you need, you can try out using a column & boom welding system for it.

Where Can You Get Premium Quality Column & Boom Welding Machines?

China is one of the best, if not the best source of all types of welding machines and equipment you need. A lot of times, businesses and organizations from all across the globe travel to China to see equipment LIVE.

And here in the country, there’s no other manufacturer considered to be the bread and butter but us here at MISA Welding. For 20+ years, we here at MISA Welding have provided excellent services to whatever business that comes to us for our aid.

We have had clients from Southeast Asia, North and South America, Africa, Europe, and even in the Middle East! Our products have been regarded as “world-class quality” for all materials have appropriately been sourced out from China’s best suppliers.

MISA Welding has produced thousands of welding equipment and have exported it to numerous countries.

Why You Should Choose MISA Welding

For one, we don’t have language barriers. We can easily communicate with you wherever you live and reside in the world. Apart from that, here are a few of the reasons why our clients keep on coming back for our products and services:

• We have engineers, experts, and welding professionals employed with over 80 years of combined skill and experience
• All our products and materials are from China’s top manufacturing and sourcing companies
• We’ve worked with numerous businesses and organizations – some of them even the biggest names in the industry
• Our pre-sales and after-sales services are topnotch – good-quality English
• We offer installation guides and manuals so you don’t get lost!

While we are the best when it comes to column & boom welding systems, our experts and engineers here at MISA Welding are also equipped with the right skill in producing and manufacturing high-quality welding manipulators, welding positioners, H-beam production lines, CNC plasma & flame cutting machines, and many other equipment for a whole array of business industries!

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world – so long as you think you need a column & boom welding system, we’re more than ready to help you with what you need!

Message us or dial us via any of the social channels that we have and we will send a free quotation over to you!