LINDE STANDARD

Welding of Al-piping
prefabrication and site welding LS 145-19

Page 1 of 7

Contents

1  Scope ................................................................2 
2  Normative references ........................................2 
3  Terms, abbreviations and definitions ................2 
4  General..............................................................2 
5  Welding process ................................................2 
6  Types of welding seams....................................2 
6.1  Circumferential seams ......................................2 
6.2  Branch welds .....................................................3 
6.3  Fillet welds.........................................................3 
7  Welding with CrNi-backing ring .........................4 
7.1  Weld seam preparation .....................................4 
7.2  Installation of backing ring.................................4 
8  Weld details .......................................................5 
9  Recommendations for the avoidance of
porosity ..............................................................6 
10  Alignment of unequal wall thicknesses .............7 

Remarks on the current issue:

Revision: LS 419-80 for application in the People's Republic of China added
Previous issues: 01.1976, 02.1983, 03.1986, 03.1988, 10.2007, 01.2008, 02.2012
Responsible department(s) for the technical content: GCQ, LEHQ-MFWT
Confidentiality class 2 in accordance with LS 104-03: For project specific use only

LEHQ-MFWT / Heistinger
X 05 08.2013 GCQ / Henn DQ / Alekseev
LEHQ-MFWT / Wimmer
LEHQ-MFWT / Heistinger LEHQ-ENM1S /
X 04 02.2012 GCQ / Henn
LEHQ-MFWT / Wimmer Alekseeva
Status Issue Date Prepared Checked Approved

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 2 of 7

Dimensions in mm
1 Scope
This Linde Standard (LS) applies to the welding of aluminium both for pre-fabrication and on site
- circumferential welds in pipes,
- branch welds for pipe nozzles and T-pieces,
- fillet welds.
2 Normative references
This LS contains provisions which, through dated or undated references in this text, constitute provisions of
other publications. The normative references are cited at the respective place in the text and the publications
are listed below. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do
not apply. For undated references, the issues valid at the effective date of contract shall apply.
LS 419-01 Backing rings for welding of Al-pipes
LS 419-80*) Backing rings for welding of Al-pipes and components according to China National GB code
LS 145-22: 10.2010 Welding end preparation, figures, pipe wall thickness adjustment
*) LS 419-80 may be applied alternatively to LS 419-01 for application in the People's Republic of China
3 Terms, abbreviations and definitions
Branch A piping component diverging from a run pipe (reinforced, unreinforced, tangential nozzles, welded T-pieces)
4 General
Deviations from weld bevel preparations specified in this LS are only permitted with prior written approval from
Linde AG.
Pressure bearing welds are to be carried out with full penetration and with at least two passes. If internal access
is possible, a GTAW welding seam is to be applied simultaneously from both sides. If not possible, a GTAW
counter pass can be made from the inside as an alternative.
Pipes with different wall thicknesses to be welded together shall be adapted in accordance with Para. 10.
5 Welding process
Manual GTAW welding for root, filler and cover passes.
6 Types of welding seams
6.1 Circumferential seams
Table 1: Seam selection for circumferential welds
Circumferential Wall thickness Weld detail
Diameter Welding process
welds [mm] acc. to Para. 8
on backing ring
≤ DN 100 / NPS 4 all 25
acc. to LS 419-01
≤3 1 GTAW
> DN 100 / NPS 4 one-sided weld, on
≤ DN 600 / NPS 24 >3≤5 41 rotating device
>5 42
Prefabrication *) ≤7 3 GTAW both sides
GTAW (root pass) simultaneously
>7<9 4 GTAW
single-sided
> DN 600 / NPS 24 (filler/cover pass)
both sides
GTAW (root pass)
simultaneously
9 35
GTAW
single-sided
(filler/cover pass)
Site assembly ≤ DN 100 / NPS 4 all 25
on backing ring
welds > DN 100 / NPS 4 6 31 GTAW
acc. to LS 419-01
(fixed position) >6 32
*) Depending on the project, CrNi backing rings can also be provided for prefabrication welds >DN 100 / NPS 4.
In this case prefabrication seams shall be welded on backing rings, if the welding both sides simultaneously or
counter welding from the inside is not possible.

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 3 of 7

6.2 Branch welds

 Branch pipes are to be set on the run pipe:
- for run pipes  DN 150 / NPS 6,
- for run pipes > DN 150 / NPS 6, when the branch wall thickness  run pipe thickness and/or
DN branch = DN run pipe.

 Branch pipes are to be set in the run pipe:

- for run pipes ≥ DN 200 / NPS 8 with branch wall thickness > run pipe wall thickness and
DN branch < DN run pipe.

 If, according to Table 2, welding on a backing ring is not foreseen, then access to the inside shall be
guaranteed either through the branch or the run pipe. The branch or run pipe shall be cut at the
required distances if necessary:
- run pipe on one side at a distance of run pipe DN + branch DN/2 from the branch axis,
- branch at a distance of run pipe DN/2 + branch DN from the run pipe axis.

Branches ≥ 60° shall be made as defined in Table 2. In case of doubt, the Linde AG site management shall be
contacted.
Branches < 60° are not permitted, as the fabrication of a proper welding seam in the acute angle between run
pipe and branch is not possible. Permissible DN run pipe / DN branch combinations for tangential branches are
given in Table 3.
Table 2: Seam selection for branch welds
Wall thickness Weld detail
Branch (90°) Nominal diameter Welding process
[mm] acc. to Para. 8
 3 ≤ 5 *) 103
Branch GTAW both sides
> 5 ≤ 10 *) 112
 DN 100 / NPS 4 simultaneously
set on > 10 *) 116
GTAW single-side on
Branch 108 or 109
All*) backing ring acc. to
< DN 100 / NPS 4 or 123
LS 419-01
set in > 3 ≤ 8 **) 181 GTAW both sides
-
(inserted) > 8 **) 185 simultaneously
*) Branch wall thickness **) Run pipe wall thickness

Table 3: Permitted DN-combinations for tangential branches

DN 100 150 200 250 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Run pipe
NPS 4 6 8 10 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40
DN min. 25 40 50 65 80 100 150 150 200 200 200 250
Branch
NPS min 1 1 1/2 2 2 1/2 3 4 6 6 8 8 8 10

6.3 Fillet welds

Fillet welds are always shall be carried out as flat or concave fillet welds with the specified "a" dimension.

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 4 of 7

7 Welding with CrNi-backing ring

7.1 Weld seam preparation
The pipe ends to be connected shall, if necessary, be worked by adjusting the inner diameters and ovality, in
welded pipes by removal of the root up to a length of 15 mm from the end of the pipe so that the backing ring
can be slid in using only light pressure.
7.2 Installation of backing ring
a) Into pipes  DN 100 / NPS 4 (acc. Para. 8, Fig. 25). Position the ring in the pipe end so that the middle of
the drilled hole in the ring lies exactly in line with the middle of the welding seam. With a horizontal pipe
axis, locate the drilled hole in the welding position between 10 and 2 o'clock. Make sure that the ring does
not move during further preparation work.
b) Into pipes > DN 100 / NPS 4 (acc. Para. 8, Figs. 31, 32). Take the aluminium ring, measure exactly to fit
in the pipe and cut to length. Weld the two ends together and smooth off any excess weld metal in the
circumferential groove of the ring. Take a length of CrNi steel strap and measure off so that it will be a
tight fit in the groove of the aluminium ring. Cut to length, lay the strap around the ring and weld the two
ends of the strap in a butt joint. Smooth off excess weld metal. The CrNi steel strap may not protrude out
of the groove at any place on the aluminium support. Insert the backing ring into the end of the smaller
diameter pipe (middle of the backing ring = middle of the welding seam) and tack weld the aluminium ring
to the pipe: at least 6 tack welds, each 20 mm long, seam thickness a ≈ 0.7 x ring thickness.
c) Preheat the second pipe end to approx. 100°C and slide it onto the backing ring. For very large pipe
diameters, temporary thin sheet metal shims provide assistance for assembly. Any pipe ovality is evened
out by the use of clamps.
d) Adjust the pipe ends for the gap acc. to the appropriate welding figure and tack weld 3 to 6 times
depending on the pipe diameter.
e) Strike the arc at a seam bevel and move the arc commuting towards the inserted welding rod, until a melt
pool has formed. Avoid under all circumstances when tacking and welding that the arc burns through to
the CrNi steel strap. If the CrNi steel ring starts to melt or burns through, stop the welding immediately
and assess the contaminated seam area. Eventually remove any porous weld metal by carefully filing or
machining away.
f) Clean the welding area and the tack points again using a CrNi steel brush just before starting the welding.
With a horizontal pipe axis, start to weld slightly ahead of the overhead position. Fuse the tack welds
completely into the seam and remove any faulty or bridging tacks.
g) If repairs are required remove all swarf and remove any remaining weld metal if  1 mm thickness to
avoid porosity when welding the first repair pass.
h) Prevent any marks (e.g. scratches, pressure marks, grinding marks) on the surface of backing rings,
since these may cause unacceptable indications on radiographs.

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 5 of 7

8 Weld details
The weld details defined in this LS have been taken from LS 145-22.

EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE BEIDSEITIG / BOTH SIDES BEIDSEITIG / BOTH SIDES EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE
60°

0-0,5 6 +1
4 ±1 -2 +2
4 -1 SS

AL- Wurzelkante abgeschrägt Unterlage

AL- ROOT EDGE BEVELED 06.00 06.96 10.10 BACKING STRAP 10.10
1 3 4 Tol. +5° 25

EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE BEIDSEITIG / BOTH SIDES EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE
60° 60° 60° 100°
Al Al

1,5 +0,5
+0
7 +2 0-0,5

8 -1
4+2 6 +2 -1

Unterlage SS Unterlage SS
BACKING STRAP BACKING STRAP Al- Wurzelkante abgeschrägt
10.10 10.10 10.10 AL- ROOT EDGE BEVELED 10.10
Tol. +5° 31 Tol. +5° 32 Tol. +5° 35 Tol. +5° 41

EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE BEIDSEITIG/ EINSEITIG/ EINSEITIG/

100° BOTH SIDES SINGLE SIDE 0-1 proviso- SINGLE SIDE 0-1
a

rische SS
Badsi- Unterlage

45°
45°

cherung
BACKING

5 ±1
5 ±1
4 ±1

STRAP
SS
3 +0,5

0-0,5 R3 TEMPORARY 20x2

a
a

,2 SS BACKING
R3 R3
,2
Al- Wurzelkante abgeschrägt Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin. Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin. ,2 Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin.
AL- ROOT EDGE BEVELED 10.10 Smin.>10: a=7mm Smin.>10: a=7mm Smin.>10: a=7mm
10.10 10.10 10.10
Tol. +5° 42 Tol. +5° 103 Tol. +5° 108 Tol. +5° 109

BEIDSEITIG / BOTH SIDES BEIDSEITIG / BOTH SIDES EINSEITIG / SINGLE SIDE BEIDSEITIG/
SS BOTH SIDES
SS <10mm,t=4mmx30
SS >10mm,t=5mmx30

45°

a
t
5 ±1 8 ±1
45°
45°
45°

8 +2
5 ±1

-1

8+2
-1

a R3
a ,2
a

R3 R3
3 ±1

,2 ,2 R3 5 ±1
,2
Al

Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin. Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin. Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin. Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin.

Smin.>10: a=7mm 10.10 Smin.>10: a=7mm 10.10 Smin.>10: a=7mm 10.10 Smin.>10: a=7mm 10.10
Tol. +5° 112 Tol. +5° 116 Tol. +5° 123 Tol. +5° 181

BEIDSEITIG/
BOTH SIDES
a

45°

R3
,2
4 ±1

6 ±1
Smin.<10: a=0,7xSmin.
Smin.>10: a=7mm 10.10
Tol. +5° 185

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 6 of 7

9 Recommendations for the avoidance of porosity

Following work flow should be carried out:
a) Keep the working area dry, dust-free and protected from wind;
b) Wear clean working clothes (especially gloves); do not touch welding rods or weld edges with your bare
hands;
c) Keep the preparation and welding areas apart, if possible;
d) Avoid draughts in the welding area, especially inside the pipes;
e) Avoid pneumatically powered tools to prevent the introduction of oil into the weld bevel; use special
machining tools to prepare the weld edges, where possible;
f) Keep the argon hose lengths to a minimum (4-metre hose package);
g) Use new shielding gas hoses of suitable material to the welding machine and to the welding torch, e.g.
rubber hoses fibre reinforced; never use PVC hoses;
h) When changing gas bottles, check the fitted pressure reducer for leaks using a foaming agent;
i) Use argon with a purity of at least 99.998% (Grade 4.8); the humidity of the shielding gas should be
below 10 ppm, which corresponds to a dew point of -60°C;
j) Before starting the welding work, check the welding equipment for pore-free welding behaviour by
welding a two-pass melt run without filler on an aluminium sheet in the overhead position; then grind the
weld surface and check visually for porosity;
k) Purge the argon hoses with N2 for a period of 15 minutes before start of welding, if necessary;
the hoses should be hung up vertically as preference.
l) Preheat the weld region to 80-100°C, depending on the air humidity and the wall thickness to be welded
(>8 mm);
m) Perform the welding immediately following the weld seam preparation and tack welding to avoid the
formation of oxide, and complete it without interruption;
n) Before starting to weld, and after any interruption in the welding, heat up the torch on aluminium sheet to
evaporate and drive off any moisture in the torch;
o) Enable the shielding gas flow prior and after welding, manually if necessary;
p) Ensure that no surrounding air can get into the hose package at the torch after switching off. Seal off the
nozzle at the end of the shift. Clean the nozzle regularly to remove welding spatter and dirt;
q) Set the torch angle so, that the arc meets the surface of the work piece at right angles;
r) Set the shielding gas flow so, that the outgoing gas flow is not too large and doesn't whirl surrounding air
into the welding pool.
s) Melt the tip of the tungsten electrode initially to a ball-shaped form, when welding aluminium;
avoid contact with the liquid welding metal;
t) Never remove the tungsten electrode from the sphere of shielding gas during the welding process;
u) Make sure of a stable and continuous voltage supply to the welding machines;
assign a maximum of 3 welding machines to one generator.

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)

 Linde AG, Engineering Division Issue 05/08.2013 LS 145-19 Page 7 of 7

10 Alignment of unequal wall thicknesses

For alignment of unequal wall thicknesses a mechanical adaption are required, so that the inner diameters at
the weld bevel shall be aligned and an inner misalignment shall be avoided. The following assemblies are
permitted.

Type A (without backing ring) Type B (with backing ring)

16°±2°

°
30 ° ± 2
10 for < DN100 / NPS4
20 for > DN100 / NPS4

Type D (without backing ring) Type E (with backing ring)

16°±2°
16°±2°
16°±2°

2°
30°±
10 for < DN100 / NPS4
20 for > DN100 / NPS4

Type C (with and without backing ring)

16°±2°

Refer to protection notice ISO 16016. File name: LS 145-19 (EN)