A bevel is the angled edge that lets two thick pieces of metal be welded right through. Bevelling machines cut or mill that angle along the edge of a plate or around the end of a pipe to the angle and land the weld procedure calls for. Done properly, it is what makes a full-penetration weld possible; done by hand with a grinder, it is the slowest and least consistent part of heavy fabrication. Our bevelling equipment prepares the edge to the drawing, at the same angle from one end to the other.
What gets bevelled
- Plate edges for tank and vessel shells, before rolling and welding.
- Pipe ends for butt-welded piping spools in carbon and stainless steel.
- Structural plate — base plates, gussets and splice plates — for full-penetration joints.
- Chamfers on architectural plate and bar where a sharp edge is not wanted.
Why machine the bevel
Weld quality begins with the edge. A bevel that wanders in angle or leaves an uneven land makes the root pass unpredictable and the joint harder to inspect. A machined or cut bevel is the same along its whole length, so the welder sets the procedure once and the joint fits. On stainless steel a machined bevel also avoids the heat and contamination a hand torch leaves. The edge comes to the welding bay ready, and the fabrication moves faster for it.
Bevelling sits between our cutting and welding shops, so plate cut on the laser or waterjet and pipe cut on the plasma is prepared and welded without a second supplier.
From your weld detail to a prepared edge
- Send the drawing with the weld detail — angle, land and whether the bevel is single, double or J — and the material and thickness.
- We confirm the method — rotary milling, shearing or thermal cutting — for the material and edge length.
- Edges are bevelled, de-burred and checked with a gauge along the length.
- Prepared plate and pipe go to rolling or fit-up and welding in the same order, or are delivered ready for your welders.