Thick-Wall Pipe Cutting and Beveling Application in an Indonesian Power Plant Maintenance Project
Project details
Project Background
This project was carried out at a power plant maintenance site in Indonesia. The work mainly involved plant pipeline maintenance, partial pipe section replacement and bevel preparation before welding. Power plant maintenance is usually limited by a shutdown window, so the construction team needed to complete pipe removal, pipe end processing, weld preparation and subsequent welding work within a relatively short period.
Most of the pipelines on site were already installed and fixed. Some pipe sections were located near equipment or supports, leaving limited operating space. Compared with workshop processing, on-site maintenance placed higher requirements on equipment setup speed, cutting stability, bevel consistency and welding preparation efficiency.
On-Site Application
The project site used a LEHUNDI external clamping pipe cutting and beveling machine to process power plant maintenance pipelines on site. The equipment was clamped around the outside of the pipe, allowing cutting and beveling to be completed without removing the whole pipeline from its installed position.
During operation, the machine was used for old pipe cutting, pipe end facing and bevel preparation before welding. The mechanical cutting and beveling method reduced secondary grinding after flame cutting and also helped avoid inconsistent bevel angles caused by manual grinding.
Project Challenges
Power plant maintenance sites usually require high operating efficiency and short downtime. At the same time, pipe materials and wall thicknesses may vary, which places higher requirements on machine stability and cutting tool adaptability.
The main site challenges included: the maintenance window was limited, so the equipment needed to be installed and put into operation quickly; the pipelines were already fixed in place and could not be moved to a workshop; some pipe sections were close to equipment or supports, limiting the available working space; thick-wall pipe cutting and beveling required sufficient machine rigidity; pipe end quality before welding directly affected later fit-up and weld preparation.
Application Results
The LEHUNDI external clamping pipe cutting and beveling machine completed cutting, end facing and bevel preparation on fixed pipelines in this project. Its clamping structure was suitable for on-site pipeline maintenance, helping reduce manual grinding time and improve pipe end consistency.
According to site feedback, the equipment completed the planned processing work within the maintenance window. The pipe ends were more even, and subsequent welding preparation became smoother. This case reflects the application value of LEHUNDI pipe cutting and beveling equipment in power plant pipeline maintenance, shutdown service and thick-wall pipe weld preparation scenarios.
Equipment Used
External Clamping Pipe Cutting and Beveling Machine; Pipe Beveling Machine; Pipe Weld Preparation Equipment.