Manufacturing Technology News

The wall climbing robot for steel structures - developed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and MOL Ship Management  to support ship inspection and maintenance - has completed a demonstration test and earned the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) Innovation Endorsement.The Innovation Endorsement is ClassNK's third-party certification program. It certifies and supports initiatives that contribute to the sustainable evolution of maritime and offshore businesses.The robot…

BP and EnBW are collaborating with research and development experts at the UK-based Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to investigate using zero- or low-emission support vessels at offshore wind farms.The two companies are jointly developing three offshore wind projects in two UK locations – ‘Morven’, a potential 2.9GW lease area off the east coast of Scotland, and ‘Morgan’ and ‘Mona’ within a 3GW area in the Irish Sea. The offshore wind farms will require maintenance support from Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) and Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs).According to ORE Catapult…

While the maritime industry faces a long ‘to do’ list for the coming three decades, Hiroaki Sakashita, CEO, ClassNK, sees decarbonization as the definitive trend that will most dramatically impact the design, construction and life-cycle operation of ships.“It is decarbonization.”Hiroaki Sakashita, CEO, ClassNK, is definitive when asked to discuss the biggest challenge facing shipowners today. “Decarbonization will change the structure of seaborne trade, ships’ specification and design, ships’ operation, and the economic mechanism of maritime transportation.

Classification society ClassNK released its “Guidelines for Additive Manufacturing(3D Printing)” that summarize the approval requirements for metallic marine equipment by additive manufacturing technology.Additive manufacturing, also know as 3D printing, is a method for manufacturing by laminating and combining materials such as resin and metal based on 3D model data. Its feature is the capability to mold complex and high-precision shapes.In recent years, the use of additive manufacturing technology has been rapidly expanding in manufacturing metallic products…

Bureau Veritas (BV) said it has certified a new-generation 3D printed propeller manufactured by Naval Group for a Tripartite-class minehunter vessel.“This technology is promising and opens the room for further, more complex, innovations in additive manufacturing,” Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore.With its 2.5-meter span supported by five 200-kg blades, the propeller is said to be the largest metal 3D-printed propeller ever manufactured.

Norsepower CEO and co-founder Tuomas Riski has put a new spin on some established technology, bringing wind power back to shipping in an undeniably eye-catching manner. Here Nor-Shipping’s latest ‘Ocean Action Hero’ explains the benefits of his firm’s unique technology, his plans for building global market presence, and the key role Norsepower’s sails can play in enabling a more sustainable shipping industry. “But isn’t there a problem that some people think it looks, you know… a bit odd?” Tuomas Riski laughs at a question that you quickly get the feeling he’s dealt with before.

Inspecting fuel and ballast tanks. Sand-blasting old paint coatings and applying new ones. Removing corrosion on ships, submarines, aircraft and other vehicles.These are some of the unpleasant jobs in naval shipyards and maintenance facilities that could be made safer by pairing human workers with robots. Experts say this could improve the speed and efficiency with which the U.S. Navy sustains its assets—and expand the career paths of current workers (and create new jobs) by teaching them to operate…

Sembcorp Marine earns 3D printing certifications for parts used in construction and repairsThese certifications will help the Group unlock significant efficiencies and reduce supply chain risksSingapore-based Sembcorp Marine has received certifications qualifying its 3D printing procedures and specifications for components used in its construction and repair projects, paving the way for new efficiencies and reduced supply chain risk, the company said.Awarded by quality assurance and risk management company DNV GL…

The Goltens Worldwide group of companies has announced the appointment of Mr. Sandeep Seth as President. Seth first joined Goltens in 2002 and has steadily climbed the ranks, serving in positions of progressively increasing responsibility. Seth will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.Seth has most recently served as the Vice President Asia Pacific and Vice President Finance of Goltens Worldwide. In these positions, he has overseen the operational, business development and financial aspects of the organization in the Asia Pacific region.

The global quality assurance and risk management company DNV GL and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore (NTU) are supporting academic advances in additive manufacturing – the process of 3D printing – for the maritime, oil and gas and other industries, through a four-year research collaboration agreement.Two new doctoral student (PhD) positions are being created through the Industrial Postgraduate Programme, supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and DNV GL. A further full time Research Fellow post is also being created at NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing.The research agreement will focus on developing industry standards, quality assurance processes, certification and supply chain tracking for the additive manufacturing sector. It was signed by Dr.

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to commission its new panel line, which expands steel production capabilities for the construction of commercial and government ships in San Diego.The American shipbuilding company with three shipyards located in San Diego, Norfolk, and Mayport said in a press release that the new panel line enables distortion-free welding of plates as thin as five millimeters to produce lighter, more energy efficient ships.The cutting-edge facility uses hybrid laser arc welding and numerically controlled robots to mill, seam and weld steel panels in a highly automated production line.

The presence of biofouling on the hull of a ship increases the drag from the water during sailing and thereby the fuel consumption, which results in increased CO2 emissions as well as increased costs for the ship owner. Paints applied to the underwater areas on the hull of ships therefore often contain biocides to hinder biofouling growth or possess non-stick properties, allowing a release of the fouling when the vessels pick up speed.AkzoNobel is working with Royal Philips to…

One-on-one with Suzanne Beckstoffer, an accomplished engineering leader and business woman, the first woman president in SNAME’s 125 year history.As the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2018, it will celebrate another historical milestone at the start of 2019 when Suzanne M. Beckstoffer takes the helm of SNAME as president, the first woman to hold this position in the association’s history. We met recently with Beckstoffer to discuss her distinguished shipbuilding career…

Classification society DNV GL has released the first approval of manufacturer (AoM) scheme for additive manufacturing (AM) producers wishing to supply products that comply with the DNV GL rules and standards.Additive manufacturing is a term that covers industrial processes that create three dimensional objects by adding layers of material: It includes such technologies as 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping (RP), Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM), layered manufacturing and additive fabrication.“AM is a technology that holds a great deal of promise for the maritime industry,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime. “Our responsibility as the world’s leading classification society is to give manufacturers a clear path they can take to offer their innovative products…

Parker Conrad, a shipbuilding pioneer and a legend along the Gulf of Mexico coast and beyond, founded Conrad Shipyard in 1948. The company, headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana, is now a public company with new generations of Conrad’s at the helm. “I grew up in the shipyard working side by side with my father,” said Johnny Conrad, President, Chairman and CEO explains. “I saw firsthand how he treated customers, and how his handshake was as good as a contract. Many of our current customers did business with Parker…

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced it has partnered with a company specializing in 3D printing technologies in a move that aims to transform naval shipbuilding in the U.S.Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding division will work with 3D Systems to develop additive manufacturing technologies expected to accelerate the adoption of metal 3D printing for building components of U.S. warships.The joint effort, which comes amid a significant technological transformation underway at Newport News…

The new center, which is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), will focus on developing competence including qualification, certification and training for additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing. While AM is raising more and more interest in various industries, as the benefits of speed and cost against traditional product manufacturing become apparent, the adoption level in the O&M sector is still low due to challenges in qualification and certification.

The finalists of the 2017 Mersey Maritime Industry Awards (MMIAs) have been announced. The winners will be revealed at a prestigious black tie dinner that will have a Ministerial presence and promises to bring together the best of the maritime industry right across the Maritime, Logistics and Energy spectrum in the region. The MMIAs are organised by sector representative body Mersey Maritime and the Awards recognise the excellence and diversity that exists across all sectors of the maritime industry in the North West. Chris Shirling-Rooke, Chief Executive, Mersey Maritime, said: “The number and quality of entries for the 2017 MMIAs has risen for the third consecutive year, which will make for an exciting awards evening when the winners are announced on 9th March.

GE Oil & Gas today celebrated the ground-breaking of a new facility that will further expand its presence in the UAE in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza). Scheduled to open in 2015, the new facility spreads over an area of 22,700 sqm and can accommodate over 300 employees. A milestone in the expansion of GE Oil & Gas in the country and the region, the new facility will offer services by GE Oil & Gas’ various business units, thus strengthening customer service standards. Housed in a customized state-of-the-art facility developed by Jafza, the new GE Oil & Gas Manufacturing & Technology Center will offer tailored training programs, and also feature a dedicated repair center that will help improve the speed of service delivered by being closer to the customers.

GE’s Marine Solutions business in Peterborough, Ontario is completing one of the first milestones of the company’s seven-year contract with Irving Shipbuilding Inc.,(ISI) to provide electrical power, propulsion systems, installation and commissioning services for six ice-capable Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) for the Royal Canadian Navy. GE’s power and propulsion systems will position the new vessels amongst the highest performance in their class worldwide. Four diesel generators and engines have been shipped to ISI’s Halifax Shipyard, and GE has begun acceptance testing on the first AOPS propulsion motor, expected to ship in early July. GE suppliers located in Ontario are contributing to the project providing steel, skids, metal and machining.

The world’s largest shipbuilder has launched an initiative with several industry partners that aims to help small and medium-sized ICT companies develop software for smart shipping, a so-called Eco System for Smart Ships. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and its partners SK Shipping, Intel, Microsoft, the Ulsan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (UCCEI) and the Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (DCCEI) will together help domestic companies develop “17 Ship Service Software,” that meet the needs of shipowners for safe ship operation and improved crew wellbeing. The Ship Service Software that is planned to be developed and applied to smart ships by 2019 will enable ballast tank inspection…

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will reorganize its research and development structure. The reorganization initiative calls for the creation of a new Research & Development Center consolidating the five currently existing Research & Development Centers. According to MHI, the move is targeted at shifting to a cross-organizational system based on companywide business units, timed to coincide with the company's transition from its earlier structure of business segments to its current systems of business domains and strategic business units (SBU). By consolidating its research and development operations, MHI anticipates new synergies in technologies and skills, enhanced development of human resources and greater efficiency in work performance and facility utilization, the company said.

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI), a major shipyard in South Korea, looks set to clinch a deal with Iran to supply 10 ships, says a report in Yonhap. The contract, valued at USD650 million, will see Hyundai supply the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, (IRISL) with four 14,400 TEU container ships and six 50,000 DWT product tankers, the Korea Herald reported. The vessels are expected to be delivered to Iran in the third quarter of 2018. If signed, the contract will be Iran's first deal with a foreign shipbuilder since the lifting of international sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation. Iran is seeking a series of ship-related contracts via the IRISL to handle increasing trade cargo. Yonhap reported that Hyundai officials were cautious about the matter.