The largest global automated weld metal overlay provider

WSI South America’s engineered weld metal overlay (WMO) technologies provide comprehensive solutions for build-up and corrosion resistance. Our automated processes, including GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding), restore lost thickness due to wear and upgrade materials for localized corrosion issues, ensuring permanent repairs that extend asset lifespan.

We repair and upgrade a wide range of pressure vessels, including distillation units, reactors, coke drums, digesters, and high-pressure separators. Additionally, we offer structural repairs and reinforcements to mitigate stress and repair cracks, welding seams, and other mechanical damages, prolonging asset life.

WSI South America excels in delivering automated weld metal overlay and weld cladding solutions. Our corrosion-resistant overlays (CRO) ensure the integrity and longevity of operational assets. Through innovative weld cladding techniques and automated overlay processes, we meet the highest industry standards, providing unmatched durability and reliability for critical components.

The leader in pressure equipment life extension

Using our patented Unifuse^® automated weld overlay technology, WSI structurally repairs, upgrades, and reinforces assets to ensure long-term, reliable performance. Constant innovation and quality improvements in Unifuse technology extend the lifetime and maximize the value of critical assets.

With an unmatched track record and extensive experience in pressure boundary restoration and preservation, WSI South America is a leader in engineered solutions and specialty welded metal overlays, delivering optimal solutions.

Innovation in automated welding technology: Optifuse – Overlay Reimagined

WSI has reimagined weld metal overlay with Optifuse, a suite of advanced technologies designed for pressure vessel owners. Optifuse boosts productivity, enhances integrity, and improves the site experience.

By focusing on continuous improvement in every weld overlay task, Optifuse reduces costs and schedules. DragonX, our automatic gouging system, minimizes prep time and delivers a smoother finish with minimal pressure boundary loss.

WSI South America safely enhances plant reliability by utilizing proprietary NG4 weld machines with closed-loop custom waveform technology. Optifuse extends the life of critical pressure components with higher productivity and reduced turnaround times.

Hot wire welding technology for ID nozzles

Combining hot wire technology with GTAW, WSI achieves deposition rates that are approaching those of MIG, enhancing weld quality. In hot wire welding, minimal heat input creates fusion with the base metal, while additional heat is directed onto the wire. This allows for significantly faster travel speeds than traditional GTAW, resulting in a smooth, high-quality bead.

Reliable, high-quality welds for even the most challenging u-bend applications

WSI South America’s HotPulse^® specialty machine welding systems are expertly designed to tackle challenging return bend welding tasks in various industrial applications. They deliver exceptionally high-quality GTAW welds at rapid production rates. By utilizing high-alloy base materials, our welding process significantly enhances the mechanical and chemical properties of the welds, surpassing conventional methods.

Superior u-bend weld quality, enhanced chemical properties, and rapid production rates

HotPulse^® technology revolutionizes return bend replacement with superior weld quality, enhanced chemical properties, and rapid production rates. Our advanced system ensures efficient project completion while maintaining the highest standards of mechanical and chemical integrity.

Advantages of HotPulse Technology in U-Bend Welding:

• Superior Weld Quality and Mechanical Properties: Delivers welds with exceptional strength and durability, ensuring consistent, high-quality results that withstand demanding industrial conditions.
• Enhanced Chemical Properties of Welds: Utilizes high-alloy base materials to offer superior resistance to corrosion and oxidation, resulting in longer-lasting and more reliable welds.
• Rapid Production Rates for Efficient Project Completion: Increases welding speed for faster project completion without compromising quality, reducing downtime and accelerating timelines for high productivity.

HotPulse technology ensures superior return bend performance and longevity

WSI South America’s advanced technologies and methodologies guarantee the highest welding quality and productivity standards, meeting the rigorous demands of modern industrial applications. Our expertise and innovative solutions provide reliable, high-quality welds for even the most challenging U-bend applications.

Whether for orbital or return bend welding, WSI’s HotPulse technology meets and exceeds industry standards, ensuring unmatched quality, reliability, and productivity in all welding projects.

HotPulse technology delivers consistent results with enhanced safety

WSI South America’s revolutionary HotPulse^®-enabled orbital welding equipment provides better mechanical properties and volumetric quality than conventional field welding processes, with deposition rates competitive with SMAW and FCAW.

Our proprietary technology exceeds quality and schedule expectations while being completed safely. It lowers the risks commonly associated with access constraints and high pre-heat temperatures coupled with machine control. More plant operators turn to WSI for machine orbital welding services during planned or emergent outages.

Superior orbital weld quality, increased production rates, and reduced risk of failure

HotPulse orbital welding technology, or HP GTAW™ welding, combines unmatched deposition rates with superior arc control. This automated hot pulse orbital welding method delivers excellent weld quality, increased production rates, and reduced failure risks:

• First-time quality welds
• Up to 6x higher deposition rate than cold wire TIG
• Reduced surface tension for better wetting and bead profile
• Reduced porosity from puddle agitation
• Grain refinement for better weld metal impact properties
• Welds with high-alloy or nickel materials
• Semi-automatic and machine-operated versions provide application flexibility
• Improved appearance and fit-up tolerance

Enhances the speed, quality, and productivity of orbital welding projects

In an environment with short schedules, tight budgets, and high-quality specifications, there is little tolerance for welding defects and low productivity. Current high-energy systems require heavy wall and higher alloy materials for process reliability, making conventional techniques less viable. WSI’s HP GTAW welding technology significantly enhances the speed, quality, and productivity of orbital welding projects.

HotPulse GTAW Proven Applications

Our innovative orbital welding technology offers advanced solutions for high-quality joints and a wide range of proven applications, ensuring unmatched performance and reliability in industrial settings.

• Thick wall pressure vessel repairs
• P91 high-energy lines in coal-fired boilers
• Head replacement on hydrogen reactors in refineries
• Heavy wall piping systems in combined-cycle power plants
• Seam weld repair on heavy wall vessels at chemical plants
• Furnace U-Bend replacements

By leveraging our advanced automated orbital welding techniques, WSI South America ensures superior welding solutions that meet the highest industry standards for quality and reliability.

Leading the industry in pressure vessel services and life extension

WSI South America leads the industry in extending the life of pressure equipment with advanced engineering solutions that increase product yields and enhance plant operational reliability. Utilizing our Unifuse® technology, we specialize in pressure vessel services, including repairing and upgrading critical pressure vessels such as distillation units, reactors, coke drums, digesters, and high-pressure separators.

Addressing critical pressure vessel challenges with automated welding

The integrity of pressure vessels is crucial in process industries, where wall thinning, pitting, cracking, and corrosion/erosion pose significant challenges. WSI South America tackles these issues with our pressure vessel automated welding technology, providing quick, lasting repairs or upgrades.

Permanent pressure vessel repair solutions with Unifuse technology

Our patented Unifuse technology is recognized in process industries for effectively mitigating corrosion in vessel applications. This technology uses a fully fused weld metal deposit of corrosion-resistant alloys applied with proprietary automated welding systems. These systems ensure exceptional weld quality with minimal heat input, allowing the applied thickness to contribute to pressure boundary calculations. Unifuse is preferred among major refiners, delivering substantial ROI across thousands of applications.

Advanced welding machines for improved efficiency

WSI’s state-of-the-art NG4 weld machines feature proprietary design and closed-loop integral custom waveform technology, significantly improving arc time and efficiency while advancing project schedules. Our permanent repair solutions extend the operational lifespan of a wide range of pressure vessels, ensuring effective vessel corrosion mitigation.

Excellence in ASME-certified pressure vessels

WSI South America’s ASME-certified pressure vessels adhere to global quality standards for design and manufacturing. These vessels safely contain liquids, vapors, or gases under high pressures, making them suitable for diverse industrial applications.

Manufactured from carbon or stainless steel, our vessels offer customizable options to meet specific needs such as corrosion resistance, temperature tolerance, and pressure requirements. Our manufacturing processes comply with ASME construction codes and optimize your construction project by executing internal overlays with special alloys to extend vessel service life and enhance performance.

Choosing WSI South America for your pressure vessel services ensures reliable pressure vessel repair, superior pressure vessel welding, and effective pressure vessel corrosion mitigation.

Patented duplex stainless welding technology for digester services

WSI South America’s patented duplex stainless welding technology sets the industry standard for protecting digesters with digester weld overlay. The Unifuse® vessel weld overlay process utilizes a 309 or 312 stainless steel deposit, effectively eliminating solidification cracking typical in conventional 312 welds.

Combatting corrosion in digesters with advanced digester services

Due to increased production demands and environmental process changes, digesters, typically made from carbon steel, face severe corrosion from cooking liquor. Initially developed for field installations, WSI’s Unifuse technology offers fully fused, low-dilution, corrosion-resistant cladding to mitigate this degradation through automated weld metal overlay.

Continuous digesters: targeted protection with digester weld overlay

In continuous digesters, corrosion-prone areas are identified through periodic thickness mapping. The Unifuse® vessel overlay process applies a 309 or 312 stainless steel deposit to critical wastage zones, adhering to tight maintenance schedules crucial for continuous digester operations.

Batch digesters: enhanced corrosion resistance with batch digester weld overlay

312 stainless steel is used for enhanced protection for batch digesters exposed to more aggressive corrosion. WSI’s Unifuse process, distinguished by its patented duplex stainless welding technology, eliminates solidification cracking seen in conventional 312 welds, setting it apart in the industry.

 Unmatched industry experience and reliability in digester repair

WSI has the largest installed base of digester weld metal overlay in the industry and a solid reputation for safety, quality, and exceptional value.

• Advanced Duplex Stainless Welding Technology: Eliminates solidification cracking and offers superior protection.
• Corrosion-Resistant Cladding: Fully fused, low-dilution stainless steel cladding for carbon steel digesters.
• Targeted Application: Applies 309 or 312 stainless steel deposits to critical areas identified through thickness mapping.
• Proven Performance: The industry’s largest installed base of digester weld overlay, backed by a reputation for safety and quality.

WSI South America’s industry-leading solutions ensure the longevity and reliability of your digesters. Our commitment to innovation and excellence makes us the preferred provider for digester service and digester repair.