Shipyard panel lines for welding and cutting

by Bertil Pekkari bertil.pekkari@esab.se

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Order book for shipyards in September 2004

Denmark1,1% Poland1,2% Taiwan 1,7% Germany1,6% Croatia1,7% P.R.China 15,7% South Korea 38,4 % India 0,1 % Rest of the world 4,2 %

Japan 34,3%

Order book is corresponding 3 years work load

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

We ld Me tal De po s ite d 1976-2002

Weste
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20%
245,000

We s te rn Euro pe 401 000 to nne s

23 000 or 6 % 34 000 or 8 % 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 294 000 74 % 50% 40% 30% 20% 49 000 12 % 10% 0%

US A 348 000 to nne s

100%

Japan 240 000 to nne s

100%

16 000 or 5 % 67 000 19 %

13 000 or 5 % 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 127 000 53 % 64 000 27 %

204 000 59 %

10% 0%
1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994

60 000 17 %

10% 0%

36 000 15 %

1996

1998

2000

2002

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

MMA
B Pekkari, 2001-08-14

MIG/MAG

FCW

SAW

Decrease MMA 5-8 %/year in Europe

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

2002

Shipyard production lines Flat panel production lines Bulkhead production lines Double bottom assembly lines Curved panel production lines Mini-panel production lines Micro-(Web)panel production lines (Profile cutting lines)

(Combi lines for cutting & welding)

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Flat panel production lines

Volume production Panel size range normally 10x12 m 16x21 m Consisting of:
edge preparation station one-side-welding station - with conveyors panel rotation station cutting, shot blasting/grinding & marking station stiffener assembly stiffener welding transport conveyors load out station

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Panel line

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Edge bevelling stations Good edge preparation is essential for good welding results in OSW-stations Light duty milling up to 40 mm plate thickness Special tooling for I - X & Y-joint forms

Clamping with vacuum

Milling speeds up to 2m/min

Straightness 0,25 mm
Possible to integrate in welding line
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Milling tool for joint preparation

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

OSW-stations
Effective & quality butt welding of plates
carbon & stainless steel

Material handling & flexible transportation important

infeed conveyors (2-4 pcs) with hydraulic clamping; sideways aligning of plates outfeed conveyors with hydraulic or vacuum clamping

Alternative plate clamping methods hydraulic traditional

vacuum prefered new system, advantages:
open space for control of welding different plate thicknesses can be welded together high clamping force 6000 kg/m no big foundation needed

magnetic not used, disadvantages

healthy risks disturbance of welding process
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

OSW-stations
Welding equipment:
LAE/TAE (SAW) DC/AC 1600A, 1250A Twin wire SAW

Weldpress -pressure rollers in front of the welding heads quarantee:

levelled joint controlled heat distortion secured clamping against flux backing

Seam tracking
GMD-electro mechanical laser

Future methods
laser combined MIG/Laser friction stir welding (aluminium)
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Stiffener assembly stations

Different degree of automation possible:
manual assembly & manual tacking mechanized assembly & manual tacking mechanized assembly & automatic tacking

Mechanized assembly, features:

stiffeners prepositioned on casset racks positioning possible 0-90 -rotating beam straight profile position prebending of panel possible in stationary stations

Automatic tack-welding, features:

normally tacking on one-side only PLC-controlled welding trolley movement vacuum/magnetic clamping
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Stiffener welding stations

Stationary or movable portals Depending on capacity demand 1-4 (or more) welding trolleys Welding methods SAW, MIG/MAG, (Tandem/Twin) PLC or CNC-controlled welding
intermittend, staggered & chain intermittend welds

possible even with SAW

Prebending possible with vacuum/magnets

Welding possible in all angles (0-90)
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Welding gantry with one welding head

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Fillet MIG/MAG welding heads

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Fillet welding head suspended on movable gantry

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Plate/panel transportations
Flexible transport system is for through put as important as efficient welding Optional systems: chain conveyor with manual hook - traditional & economical conveyor with hydraulic clamping - precise & efficient - straight transport of panels - secure clamping UHL-trains with low lifting UHLL-trains with high lifting - replaces also load out stations
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Double bottom assembly lines

Different degree of automation Flexible transport connection with flat panel line important Web mounting gantry - mechanized assembly, manual tack-welding

Vertical welding gantry

- automated welding of vertical seams Robotized welding gantry

- robotized welding of vertical/horizontal seams

UHL/UHLL-transportation
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Vertical welding stations

Welds four (4) vertical welds of double bottom crosssection simultaneously

Replaces 8-10 manual welders (or two robots) Main features:

water cooled 500A -welding equipment PLC-programmed operating menu, operator friendly on-line adjustment of welding parameters (V, A, speed) freely programmable oscillation jumps over horizontal stiffeners motorized rotation of welding heads 45 control from plattform & from egg-box

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

PEMA VWS -vertical welding equipment, 4x 500A torches

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Practical example of capacity calculations

Object:
double bottom construction, according to enclosed sketch nr of cross-sections: 15 pcs nr of vertical seams: 50 pcs total welding length: 150 m throat thickness: a = 7 mm

Welding equipment:
PEMA VWS -vertical welding equipment, 4x 500A torches LAW 510 positioning with laser-light - cross beam programmable veawing / welding length / parameters

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Practical example - VWS

Manual welding:
nr of welders: welding speed: effective welding time/shift: total manufacturing time: 4 pcs 10 cm/min 4 hours/8 hours 12,5 hours/each welder

Automatic welding:
nr of welders: nr of torches: welding speed: effective welding time/shift: total manufacturing time: + quality + working conditions
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

1 pcs 4 pcs 15 cm/min 6 hours/8 hours 5,5 hours

Practical example - VWS

Payback time analysis:
* 4 welders each 12,5 h= * 1 welder with VWS = --> VWS replaces 9 welders --> 20,- Euro/ h x 9= --> average 2000 hours/ shift/year= 50 hours 5,5 hours
180,- /hour 360.000 Euro/a

* Payback time in one shift operation=

approx.1 year

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Micro-web production lines

Flexibility to produce webs from 1-6 m of width and 1-16 m of length Separate pallets with locking hooks for small webs (< 3 m width x < 8 m length) Flexible mounting gantry for stiffeners
assembly beam rotates 0-90 manual and automatic tack-welding

Stiffener welding portal with 2 MIG-welding heads

welding heads rotates 0-90 additional prebending station Tandem/Twin MIG welding optional

Robotized welding possible to integrate to this line

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Curved panel production

Different end-products-different needs for automation Cruise-ships, ferries- many decks /few small curved sections Container ships, tankers- many large shaped sections Different building methods transversal framing longitudinal framing mixed framing Optional manufacturing methods line -production with movable pin jig platforms stationary production platforms/cells
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Curved panel production

Stationary manufacturing cell fixed pin jig platforms- movable assembly &welding gantries Production steps all stages of work on one station bended plates lifted on pin jigs- fixed &tack-welded butt welding - semiautomatic or automatic A6 -(SAW) tractor , backing bar with magnets. Optionally tilting jig welding gantry with SAW or MIG equipment automatic sensing tilting angle
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Pin jig platform for panels

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Curved panel production

Assembly of stiffeners & curved frames movable gantry with rotating assembly beam hydraulic /magnetic clamping magnets for pulling the panel against frames Welding of fillet-welds - manual or automatic two individual welding heads special seam tracking system- automatic sensing of height and inclination PLC-control of welding parameters oscillation (and jump over)
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Curved panel production

Finalization of welding & assembly with jig cranes or service gantries with semiautomatic welding equipment special tools for fitting special welding automatons for welding Robotized welding applicable for curved section welding complex programming of welding only a few functioning systems in Europe Lind-yard in Odense-DK, Fincantieri

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Curved panel production

Line production system more efficient than stationary movable pin jig platforms and welding gantries optional tilting tables for mechanization of butt- welding Production steps different stages of work on different stations plate assembly and tack-welding-> platform moved butt welding - semiautomatic or automatic ->p.m. stiffener assembly and tacking-> p.m. stiffener welding ->p.m finalization on several stations-> platform returned
Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Pin jig platform for curved panel

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Robotized welding of panels

For welding of subassemblies with simple geometry stiffeners/ girders on panels Different programming methods

vision based on-line programming

welding macros off -line by nesting with main design software

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Vision system for Shipyards

CASE: Machine vision guided welding system Working range : 60 m x 5 m x 1 m

Track motion up-to 60 m Free workpiece positions Cell controller software & Machine vision Robot system

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Vision system for Shipyards

Vision system is used to scan and analyse workpiece No CAD information required Cross-sections of the t-bars are measured automatically

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Vision system for Shipyards

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Bulkhead robot gantry

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

PEMA- robot welding gantry

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

Ship panels 20x20 m welded with the hybrid laser MIG process

4 CO2-laser 12 kW

Bertil Pekkari November 2004

YAG-laser installation
(SHIPYAG planned EU-Project)

Potential participants:
Meyer Shipyard Germany
HDW Shipyard Germany Chantier de lAtlantique France ESAB Det Norska Veritas Norway

Astilleros Shipyard Spain

Odense Shipyard Denmark Ficantieri Shipyard Italy Research centres in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany etc

Bertil Pekkari November 2004