Cold Cutting and Pipe End Processing Application in Power Pipeline Shutdown Maintenance in South Korea

Project Background

This project was applied at a power facility shutdown maintenance and pipeline service site in South Korea. The work involved partial removal and replacement of circulating water pipelines, auxiliary process pipelines and equipment connection pipes, as well as pipe end finishing and pre-weld preparation. Power maintenance projects are usually limited by shutdown windows, so the site team needed to complete pipe cutting, pipe end processing, weld preparation and follow-up installation support within a short period.

Unlike standard workshop processing, pipelines at power facilities are usually already installed and fixed in place. Some pipelines are close to equipment foundations, supports or other pipelines. The site required not only processing efficiency, but also a stable and controllable cutting method to reduce impact on surrounding equipment and the working environment.

On-Site Application

The project site used LEHUNDI external clamping cold cutting and pipe end processing equipment to perform on-site cutting, end face finishing and pre-weld bevel preparation on fixed pipelines. The equipment was mounted around the outside of the pipe through an external clamping method, making it suitable for segmented cutting and pipe end processing on pipelines that were already installed.

During actual maintenance, the equipment was mainly used for old pipe section removal, local pipeline replacement, pipe end facing and bevel processing before welding. Compared with flame cutting followed by extensive manual grinding, the cold cutting method produced a more regular cut, reduced heat impact and secondary finishing work, and made later fit-up and weld preparation smoother.

Project Challenges

Power pipeline shutdown maintenance sites usually face tight shutdown schedules, limited space around equipment, fixed pipeline installation and high pre-weld quality requirements. The equipment needed to complete on-site processing without removing the entire pipeline section and reduce later manual finishing as much as possible.

The main site challenges included: the shutdown maintenance window was limited and the work rhythm was demanding; some pipelines were close to equipment foundations and supports, limiting operating space; fixed pipelines could not be moved to a workshop for processing; thermal cutting could increase pipe end deformation and later grinding workload; pipe end quality before welding directly affected later fit-up, assembly and welding efficiency.

Application Results

LEHUNDI external clamping cold cutting and pipe end processing equipment was used in this project for fixed pipeline cutting, end face finishing and pre-weld preparation at the power pipeline shutdown maintenance site. The equipment helped the maintenance team reduce manual flame cutting and repeated grinding time, improve pipe end consistency and make pipe section replacement more controllable.

After use, the site reported more stable cut quality, more regular end face processing, smoother follow-up fit-up and weld preparation, and improved pipe processing efficiency within the shutdown window. This case shows the practical value of LEHUNDI external clamping cold cutting equipment in power maintenance, fixed pipeline replacement, industrial equipment service and pre-weld preparation.

Equipment Used

External clamping cold cutting equipment; Pipe end processing equipment; Pipe beveling equipment; Weld preparation equipment; Industrial on-site maintenance support equipment.