Method and apparatus for forming clad metal products

Abstract

The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for forming a clad product, such as a clad pipe or tube. Particular embodiments include a method for metallurgically bonding cladding material onto a metal substrate, the method including a step of providing a metal substrate comprising a pipe or a tube having a cladding composition arranged along an interior surface of the substrate to form a coated substrate, the interior surface arranged within an interior cavity of the substrate. A further step includes inserting a heat source into an interior cavity of the substrate, the heat source comprising an infrared, microwave, or radio frequency heat source, the heat source being mounted on a heat source-retaining housing, the housing comprising a cantilevered structure. An additional step includes applying heat discharged from the heat source to the coated substrate along the coated interior surface until the cladding composition metallurgically bonds to the substrate.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 : An apparatus for metallurgically bonding cladding material onto a metal substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a heat source housing, the housing comprising a cantilevered structure, the cantilevered structure including a heat source arranged along a length of the cantilevered structure and comprising an infrared, microwave, or radio frequency heat source; and,   a translation device adapted to receive a metal substrate comprising a pipe or a tube, the translation device being translatable relative to the heat source and configured to rotate the substrate relative the heat source.   
     
     
         20 : The apparatus of  claim 19  further comprising:
 a pair of enclosure members each arranged on opposite sides of the heat source along the length of the cantilevered structure and configured to extend at least partially across a cross-section of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         21 : The apparatus of  claim 20  further comprising:
 gas outlets arranged on or between the enclosure members arranged to discharge gas between the heat source and the interior surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         22 : The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the heat source is a high-density infrared plasma arc lamp. 
     
     
         23 : The apparatus of  claim 19  further comprising:
 a gas flow source arranged adjacent to the heat lamp, the gas source having an outlet directing a gas flow from the outlet and across a heat-discharging portion of the lamp between the heat-discharging portion and the interior surface of the substrate. 
 
     
     
         24 : The apparatus of  claim 19 , where the one of the enclosure members including outlets for discharging a desired gas includes a ring, the ring including the outlets for discharging the desired gas, the outlets being spaced apart in an annular arrangement about the ring. 
     
     
         25 : The apparatus of  claim 19 , where the cantilevered structure extends longitudinally at an inclination to a ground plane, whereby the free end of the cantilevered structure is elevated above the opposing end of the structure. 
     
     
         26 : The apparatus of claim  14 , wherein one of the conveyor and the cantilevered structure are configured to adjust a relative distance between each other for the purpose of adjusting the distance between the substrate retained along the conveyor and the heat source of the cantilevered structure. 
     
     
         27 : The apparatus of claim  14 , wherein the cantilevered structure is rotatable relative to a base to which the cantilevered structure is operably attached. 
     
     
         28 : The apparatus of claim  14 , wherein one or more extensions protrude radially from the cantilevered structure, each of the one or more extensions having a bearing means arranged at a free, terminal end of the extension for engaging an interior surface of the substrate.