FX Series Anti-Slip Pads: Improving Stability in Large-Diameter Pipe Welding
During butt fusion welding of large-diameter PE pipes, pipe stability is a common concern.
As pipe size and weight increase, slight movement can occur during alignment, pushing, or holding pressure, especially under real jobsite conditions.
To address this, FX series butt fusion machines for large diameters are equipped with an anti-slip pad system.
The purpose is straightforward: to help keep the pipe more stable during welding.
Basic Function: Reducing Pipe Slippage
The most direct function of the anti-slip pads is to increase friction between the clamp blocks and the pipe surface.
By expanding the effective contact area, the pipe is less likely to shift during movement and pressure holding.
This is a structural support feature.
It does not change the welding process itself, but helps the pipe remain steady under standard operating procedures.
Adjustable Design for Non-Standard Pipes
In real-world construction, pipes are not always perfectly standard.
Slight ovality or small dimensional deviations are common on site.
The anti-slip pads used on the FX series feature an adjustable design.
Within a reasonable tolerance range, the pad position can be fine-tuned to better match the outer surface of the pipe.
This allows the machine to accommodate certain non-standard pipes more effectively and reduces sensitivity to site conditions.
Why 96 Anti-Slip Pads Are Used
Taking the FX1000 as an example, a single machine is equipped with 96 anti-slip pads.
This number is not intended to add complexity, but to achieve more even load distribution during clamping.
Multiple contact points help spread pressure more uniformly around the pipe, reducing the risk of localized slippage or uneven loading—an important consideration for large-diameter pipes.
Application Scope
The anti-slip pad system is currently used on large-diameter models within the FX series.
The images shown in this article are taken from an FX1000 machine in actual configuration, where the pads are arranged closely to form a continuous clamping surface.
This setup is designed specifically for large-size welding applications and is not a standard configuration across all machine sizes.
An Original Design Within the FUSINGX Series
The anti-slip pad system is an original design developed for the FUSINGX FX series, and is currently applied on large-diameter butt fusion machines.
Rather than adding structural complexity, it is a direct response to real welding conditions where pipe stability becomes increasingly critical as pipe size increases.
