Automated field welding is increasingly positioned as a solution to the industry’s productivity and quality challenges. But while automation can improve consistency and repeatability, technology alone does not guarantee success.

According to Antoni Zarychta, Global Welding Operations Lead at Integrated Global Services (IGS), specializing in automated weld overlay applications across oil & gas, petrochemical, power, and waste-to-energy sectors, the real differentiator is execution experience.

“Automation brings predictability,” he explains. “But only when it’s supported by proper planning and the ability to adapt when real-world conditions don’t match the drawings.”

The Reality of Turnaround Work

In refinery and LNG environments, turnaround scopes are typically based on inspection data from previous outages, often conducted two or three years earlier.

When vessels are opened, corrosion or cracking can be significantly worse than anticipated.

Scope expansion during outages is common. The ability to respond quickly determines whether the project stays on schedule.

“Less experienced contractors can struggle when conditions change,” Antoni says. “If you don’t have the right expertise on site, small deviations can cause major delays.”

In complex weld overlay projects, particularly those involving corrosion-resistant alloys such as Inconel or stainless steel, mobilizing additional resources and adjusting execution strategy must happen immediately.

A Case Study in Planning Gaps

Antoni recalls a past project where a general contractor was responsible for replacing a vessel window prior to weld overlay work.

Once the original section was cut out, wall thinning from corrosion meant the replacement component no longer matched the original drawings.

Without sufficient equipment or field adjustment expertise, the contractor was unable to properly fit the replacement, causing delays across multiple workstreams.

“In tight turnaround environments, even small coordination gaps can cascade into significant downtime,” he explains.

The lesson is that welding competence alone is insufficient. Complex field scopes require planners who understand both engineering tolerances and field realities.

Automation in Harsh Environments

Currently, Antoni’s team is completing a large-scale weld overlay project in the Middle East for one of the world’s largest LNG producers.

The scope involves overlay application on more than 150 pipe ends under challenging environmental conditions:

• Dust and wind exposure
• High humidity
• Sequenced construction controlled by a general contractor
• 

Environmental factors can directly affect weld quality if not properly managed.

“Mitigating environmental impact requires experience,” he notes. “Our crews know how to mitigate environmental factors to prevent impact on weld quality. They know how to protect the weld area, control the process and maintain quality standards despite harsh conditions.”

The project also highlights a broader industry trend toward integrating multiple surface protection technologies. In this case, weld overlay work has been coordinated alongside high velocity thermal spray (HVTS®) applications to create hybrid protection systems.

What Separates Successful Deployments?

According to Antoni, successful automated welding projects share three characteristics:

1. Detailed upfront planning
2. Agile response to scope change
3. Continuous communication with clients and contractors

Automation improves consistency, reduces operator fatigue, and enhances schedule predictability. But its value depends on how well it is integrated into broader project workflows, including safety procedures, stakeholder coordination, and daily sequencing.

The Future is Integrated, Global Execution

As asset owners demand shorter turnaround windows and higher reliability, the integration of automation, global resource flexibility, and cross-disciplinary protection systems is becoming essential.

Experienced multinational crews, drawing expertise from North America, Europe, and Africa, are increasingly mobilized across regions to execute specialized scopes under compressed timelines.

For Antoni, the most exciting part of this evolution is not the technology itself, but the collaboration.

“Bringing together different technical backgrounds and executing complex scopes in demanding environments is what makes this field dynamic,” he says. “When experience and automation work together, that’s when clients see real value.”

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