LJ Welding’s Growing Line System is purpose-built for high-volume, automated welding of large cylindrical components such as tanks, pipes, vessels, and wind towers. By automating alignment, leveling, fit-up, and indexing, the innovative Growing Line can transform welding tanks from a labor-intensive process into a highly efficient, one-operator job. Our Growing Line systems are capable of handling pipes up to 100 tons and 20 feet in diameter.

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The Growing Line system enables welding automation to drastically improve your production capacity, reduce labor costs, and deliver rapid ROI—often in as little as 13 months.

Benefits of the Growing Line

The Growing Line’s modular automated welding system is engineered for maximum versatility. The system’s rollers align, rotate, and hold heavy wall materials and long seam welds in perfect position, enabling precise, repeatable welding every time. With the Growing Line, you can:

  • Fit-up and tack tanks in under 45 minutes with a single operator. Our Growing Line automated welding system can reduce fit-up time by as much as 65%.
  • Maximize safety and minimize fatigue and operator error in the process of welding tanks, which ensures that the material handling process is safe, more reliable, and easily repeatable.
  • Produce precise welds for wind towers, silos, pressure vessels, storage tanks, and large-diameter pipe.
  • Minimize crane use—load segments and the system handles the rest.

How the Growing Line Leverages DSAW Advantages

 

The Growing Line automated welding system is optimized for Double Submerged Arc Welding (DSAW), the high-productivity process for wall thicknesses from 3/16 inches to 2+ inches.

 

Why DSAW?

 

  • Boost productivity with one-pass internal and one-pass external welds for wall thickness up to ¾-inch with fast travel speeds (minimum 20 inches per minute).
  • Improve quality by squaring butt joints with near-zero gap fit-up — no bevels required for ≤¾”.
  • No back gauging required, unlike GMAW/TIG root welds.
  • Reduced consumable costs and filler metal volume.
  • Excellent penetration and quality control using AC waveform balance.

4 Easy Steps: Deploying the Growing Line

Step 1

  • Load vessels onto the Growing Line’s rollers.
  • Use unit 2 rocker arms to level second vessel.
  • Coarsely shape vessels using arms on all 4 units.
  • Ensure max 24-inch spacing when butted up to side rollers.

Step 2

  • Use unit 2 and unit 3 rocker arms to align seam.
  • Bring together with hydraulic seam space adjust.
  • Finely adjust shape and alignment as necessary.
  • Weld vessel segments.

Step 3

  • Ensure spiders are installed in the vertical axis to assist with horizontal roller pickup.
  • Raise unit 2’s horizontal rollers until contacting vessel.
  • Drop unit 1 and unit 3’s rocker arms, load vessel completely on units 2 and 4.
  • Continue to lift vessels until free from units 1 and 3.
  • Release all arms (aside from unit 4).

Step 4

  • Raise unit 3’s rockers into max position.
  • Move seam spacing cylinders to min position.
  • Using unit 4’s track drive, move vessel near the edge of horizontal roller.
  • Slowly lower vessel onto unit 3’s rockers.
  • Return the seam spacing cylinders to max position.
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HMI: THE BRAINS BEHIND THE BRAWN

At the heart of the Growing Line is LJ Welding’s 19-inch touchscreen Human-Machine Interface (HMI), designed with aircraft-cockpit logic for simplicity and speed. Here’s how it will help you:

  • Reduce training time with color-coded, intuitive controls—operators can be up and running in 2 hours.
  • One-button weld start with fully integrated weld-motion sequencing.
  • One-button weld start with fully integrated weld-motion sequencing.

GROWING LINE SYSTEM SIZES & MODELS

LJ Welding offers Growing Line systems to match any production requirement:

  • 20TGL
  • 40TGL
  • 60TGL
  • 100TGL
  • 100-Ton Wind Tower Style – Optimized for wind tower fabrication

Scalable and versatile, Growing Line systems handle diameters from 6 feet up to 20 feet. Custom options are available.

Side-By-Side Growing Line Systems Comparison

Specifications

40TGL-500 Growing Line For Tank, Vessel & Pipe

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20TGL-400 Growing Line For Tank, Vessel & Pipe

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60TGL-100 Growing Line for Tank, Vessel & Pipe

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40TA-100 Growing Line Pipe Alignment System

40TA

60TA-100 Growing Line Pipe Alignment System

60TA

100TA-100 Growing Line Pipe Alignment System

100TA
Load Capacity 80,000 lbs (40-ton) 40,000 lbs (20-ton) 120,000 lbs (60-ton) 80,000 lbs (40-ton) 120,000 lbs (60-ton) 200,000 lbs (100-ton)
Diameter Range 70" - 150" 48" - 186" 240" - 240" 24" - 216" 24" - 216" 24" - 240"
Minimum Workpiece Length Determined by track lenght 60" Determined by track lenght 144" 144" 144"
Rotation Speed 8 - 120 in/min 10 - 150 in/min 5 - 120 in/min 5 - 50 in/min 5 - 50 in/min 5 - 50 in/min
Track Drive Speed 60 - 360 in/min 48 - 480 in/min 5 - 65 in/min 12 - 120 in/min 12 - 120 in/min 12 - 120 in/min
Input Power 480V, 3-Ph, 60Hz, 15A 480V, 3-Ph, 60Hz, 15A 480V, 3-Ph, 60Hz, 15A 480 V, 3-Ph 480 V, 3-Ph 480 V, 3-Ph
Optional Extras For Fully Automated System Column & Boom Welding Manipulator MNX-100 Subarc Manipulator Column & Boom Welding Manipulator Column & Boom Welding Manipulator Column & Boom Welding Manipulator