Pipe Rotators For Welding – The Complete FAQ Guide

You might think that there are numerous kinds and types of pipe rotators for welding, when in fact, there’s only a few but a ton of variations! In this post, we’ll be taking out all the myths and misconceptions you might have with pipe rotators for welding by feeding you with essential updated information about it!

We’ll give you all the crucial information about pipe rotators for welding such as what they are, how they can be useful for you, what pros and cons they have, how you can take advantage of them, and so on!

What is a Pipe Rotator?

A pipe rotator, from what it’s called alone, is one of the many different supplemental and complemental types of welding machines or equipment in the industry.

It is a machine that is used for the handling and working on cylindrical and/or round parts, objects, and components, where it’s chucked and clutched for the workpiece to be easily repositioned, manipulated, and tilted to achieve cleaner and more accurate welds.

What is a Welding Rotator?

By definition, a welding rotator is a supplementary welding machine that’s closely related to welding positioners. It is a mechanical device that is used for the rotation, revolution, and the tilting of round and cylindrical vessels.

Are Pipe Rotators and Welding Rotators the Same?

So, the big question here is – are they the same? Are there any type of difference between choosing pipe rotators and welding rotators? Or are they the same machine?

The fast and easy answer to that is yes, pipe rotators and welding rotators are the same machine. These two (2) terms are just used interchangeably, but that does not mean that they are different.

Now, in comparison to welding positioners, pipe or welding rotators are very much different. The reason why they’re different is because of the fact that positioners “reposition” or “move” the weldment or workpiece, whereas pipe or welding rotators do its job by rotating round or cylindrical objects and vessels.

What Are the Uses of Pipe Rotators?

Ideally, pipe rotators are machines that aid and supplement the welding procedure of parts and components that are of the same form and size as pipes, tubes, containers, vessels, tanks, and other cylindrical workpieces and weldments.

Apart from that, pipe or welding rotators can also be used in various business niches and industries that have big weldments in this form. It can be used for:

• The mounting the workpiece or weldment
• Assembly of parts and components
• Coloring and polishing
• Adjustments and modifications to the workpiece
• And many more!

Pipe rotators are extremely useful and versatile piece of equipment, and therefore, you won’t find anything that would not have any use of it.

Furthermore, there are quite a few different advantages and pros of using pipe rotators for welding. So, let’s tackle it a bit more and find out the top advantages and benefits of pipe rotators!

Benefits of Using Pipe Rotators

As most of us know, pipe rotators hold too few benefits, paving the reason why they’re considered by a lot of businesses and companies in various sectors that have welding. Among the many benefits and advantages of these pipe rotators, the most commonly sought-after are:

Safer and More Secure For Welders

Heavy and big-sized weldments or workpieces would be risky and dangerous for welders to handle on their own. Even if you are manned with more than 10 people, imagine a 10-ton pipe fitting – do you think they’ll be able to handle that? They won’t.

By using a pipe rotator, though, workers and operators can perform smoother and more seamlessly as they’ll be able to focus more on the weld rather than keeping their safety and security in check.

Faster and Swifter Production

Another advantage of using pipe rotators for welding would be in terms of production. Companies and businesses can expect a production that is faster, swifter, and more urgent than what they’ve been used to since these machines will carry and perform more than half of the work – by carrying, aligning, and by rotating the workpiece without the need for people.

The Welds Are Consistent and Stable

Big projects would require excellent levels of alignment. Therefore, pipe rotators can give you this particular guarantee since, in terms of alignment, everything would already be automated. So long as the weldments or workpieces are measured and sized up accurately, all works and projects will be perfectly accurate and precise.

The Welds Are Better and Higher Quality

Last but most definitely not least in our list of pros and advantages would be the fact that the welds are going to be ultra-high-quality, thanks to the exact and accurate measurements, alignments, and the focus that the welders would have since this would already be off their plate.

Workers and welders won’t have to worry about how to position and handle the weldment or workpiece, whereas manual welding would still need them to have a specific type of position to be safe, for the weld to be better, and for the quality to be high.

These are among the top benefits or advantages of using pipe rotators for welding. They might seem few for you – but, remember, these are just the fundamentals, the basics! You will see it with your own eyes once you start using and operating pipe rotators for welding more!

Are There Drawbacks to Using Pipe Rotators?

Like with any other machine, these pipe rotators are extremely convenient for any type of structural or construction project that requires welding. And while the advantages or pros seem promising, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect – there are a couple of negativities and crucial things or cons involved, too.

Higher Initial Cost or Capital

Of course, as businessmen, we need to look at the amount of money needed in order for a particular project to push through. And, if we are talking about pipe rotators for welding, then the cost of that would be high – it will be expensive!

This is if it is compared to hiring at least three (3) more welders for like five (5) months. You would usually need to pay not just for the machine, but also for another experienced operator, space, as well as other components, leading us to the next factor, which is…  

Experience Requirements

Welding pipe rotators aren’t the easiest of machines and equipment to operate. Most of the time, only experienced and skilled workers will be able to operate on them smoothly. Therefore, it would add up to the costs you need to pay apart from the machine.

You can train someone in your current team. However, training for that can take you anywhere between 2 weeks to a full month, and you’d already need to start using the pipe rotator at full capacity.

Larger Space

And, of course, we can’t deny the laws of physics – in order for you to fully commit to saying that you have a pipe rotator, it needs to fit within the vicinity of your manufacturing plant. These are large pieces of equipment and they are not as easygoing as you think they are.

Ensure that you have ample space where it’ll be put. Moreover, it needs to be close to where the raw materials are gathered, as well as the location in which they can easily be seen and inspected to see if there are imperfections to it.

To be direct, a lot of businesses and companies don’t really care about these cons or drawbacks, as they think that the advantages and pros of pipe rotators for welding are enough for them to get started. Nevertheless, it’s good to consider these cons too so you have better control at the quality of welds you will be able to produce.

What Business Industries Use Pipe Rotators?

Many businesses, especially those in the field, make use of pipe rotators as a part of their daily routines. However, there are a couple of industries and sectors that use them more than the others.

And although it would be impossible to identify and name all of them at the same time, we would be enumerating the most common ones!

• Industrial Sector for Energy and Renewable Energy
• Electricity and Technical Industry
• Oil & Gas Sector
• Pressure Tank and Vessel Industry
• Aerospace and Automotive Industry
• Shipyard and Shipbuilding Industry
• Transportation Sector (Railroads, Buses, Trucks, Etc.)
• Heavy Equipment Manufacturing
• And Many More!

The list will go on and a day wouldn’t be enough for us to discuss all these. Hopefully, you get the point! These industries are those that actually get pipe rotators for welding, positioning, assembly, and even assessing and checking to enhance and speed their operations up.

What You Need to Consider Before Buying Pipe Rotators

Not all pipe rotators are made equally. In fact, you will find rotators that have a ton of different functionalities, while you will find those that don’t have any.

To make things simpler and easier for you, here are some of the most crucial and most important things you need to consider before you go for a pipe welding rotator.

How Much is the Load Capacity of a Pipe Rotator?

Not really the first, but one of the most important factors in choosing a pipe rotator for welding would be its load capacity. The load capacity, in case you don’t know, is the total amount of weight that the rotator could handle during operation.

The bigger and higher the load capacity is, the more flexible and useful a rotator would be. There are instances, though, where businesses won’t need a high pipe rotator simply because their projects would only be minimal.

Choose the pipe rotator that would exactly befit the projects and tasks you have at hand.

What Are the Best Wheels For My Projects?

Yes, you read that right – even the rollers have different types. In fact, there’s a particular type of wheels that are just right for projects – there are rubber wheels, steel wheels, urethane wheels, and even phenolic wheels or Micarta.

The type of wheel you’ll choose will actually have a specific benefit or advantage over the material that will be worked on or processed.

How Big is the Pipe Rotator?

The size or the overall measurement of the rotator is also an important factor to note when it comes to pipe rotators for welding. This is because companies would need to check and see if the rotator will fit the manufacturing plant just right.

If it does not fit, then, the manufacturer or the company needs to double-check and find a way how to house their pipe rotators without it being exposed to rain, sunlight, snow, or any other element that could cause its wear.

So, choosing a pipe rotator that is just right will be one of the most important things you can do. Refrain from choosing a welding rotator that’s big for your projects, let alone, one that is extremely sized that it would not properly fit within the manufacturing plant.

What Features Does the Pipe Rotator Have?

Last but most definitely not least would be the features. As we keep on mentioning, not all pipe or welding rotators are made equally – there are certain units that are just naturally made better than others, while those that are worse.

Double-check the specifications and other properties of the pipe rotator and see if those added features would be of help to you. If they are, then you can consider keeping them, otherwise, you can opt not to choose them to make way and choose a different one.

These are just a few of the considerations you need to have before you go on with a specific pipe rotator for welding. It’s not that complex, and you might think these are already something you apply, a lot of people actually miss these!

How Much Are Pipe Rotators?

As we mentioned above, not all pipe rotators have been created and manufactured equally. You will find cheap pipe rotators, expensive rotators, rotators that have certain properties and pipe rotators that are only sent to clients for rent purposes.

Nevertheless, the price of a regular pipe rotator can be anywhere between $2,500 and $200,000. Usually, $2,500 would be the manual rotators that would not have any type of additional functionality in it – it’s going to be just a regular rotator with low-quality rollers.

To up it a bit, the most commonly purchased welding pipe rotators would be priced at $8,000 to $22,000. These would already be advanced rotators equipped with heavy-duty turning rolls.

Anything above the $30,000 range would already be pipe rotators for welding that have a complete and comprehensive set of tools and functionalities and would mostly be used not only for welding but also for assembly, modification, and other activities, too.

Where Can You Find High-Quality Pipe Rotators?

Excellent-quality pipe rotators are found everywhere – there are some in the US, in Australia, in Canada, the UK, and other countries in Europe. All of them are great and have one thing in common – they’re expensive.

The fact that they’re from first-world countries make them an expensive option, but the quality is always there. So, if you’re trying to get a grasp of high-quality pipe rotators without the need to shell out a ridiculous amount of money, get it from a Chinese manufacturer.

Don’t be afraid to work with Chinese manufacturing companies because they’re actually one of the best, if not the best in the welding industry not only because of their cheap rates and prices, but also because of the quality of service they provide.

And if you’re drowned with all the options for Chinese pipe rotator manufacturers, no other supplier is worth working with than us here at MISA Welding.

Being experts in the welding industry for over 2 decades, we have garnered a ton of useful information (as well as we’ve innovated) on the many different angles of the industry.

MISA Welding can be your choice if you need help with welding manipulators, column & boom welding systems, tank turner rolls, CNC plasma cutting machines, and many other machines and equipment!

Wherever you are, MISA Welding will be there to help you get the pipe rotators that you need!

Why is MISA Welding the Best Pipe Rotator Manufacturer?

You might be wondering why MISA Welding is considered the best, and it’s not just because of physicality. Overall, MISA Welding has produced excellent-quality pipe rotators for welding, as well as for other structural and construction projects, too.

Apart from that, though, our clientele made the decision to choose us because of other reasons, including:

• All our products are OEM and are sourced from top suppliers in the country
• We are employed with the country’s most trusted and most experienced engineers and welding professionals
• We have superior experience in welding, combined experience of our people is 60+ years
• All our machines and equipment have guides and have a strict 1-year warranty

Unsure of where you can get the best pipe rotators for your welding projects? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us and give us a call or message! We’ll be more than happy to help you with what you need!

Contact us today and we’ll send a free quotation over!