Sheet Metal News

The total investment in six luxury ships for Explora Journeys worth $3.7BMSC Group Cruises Division confirmed the order of two hydrogen ships for its luxury brand Explora Journeys with Fincantieri, confirming its commitment to achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. The contracts are conditional on obtaining financing for the shipowner.The two new ships will pursue the use of liquid hydrogen fuel cells for hotel operations while in port, to eliminate carbon emissions with engines turned off.

A fire that broke out aboard a Mississippi River cruise vessel was found to be caused by combustible materials left unprotected near hot work, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.The passenger vessel Natchez, used by the New Orleans Steamboat Company for daytime and dinner jazz cruises daily from the French Quarter in New Orleans, was moored and out of service when it went up in flames on May 3, 2022. The fire resulted in $1.5 million in damages to the vessel…

The first steel cutting ceremony was held for the first of two LNG-powered ships for the cruise ship operator TUI Cruises.Shipbuilder Fincantieri said Wednesday that the construction start-up ceremony had taken place in the presence of Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI, and Luigi Matarazzo, General Manager Merchant Ship Division of Fincantieri, in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has cut first steel for the first of two LNG-powered cruise ships being built for Princess Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand.The steel cutting ceremony took place last week in San Giorgio di Nogaro (Udine) at Centro Servizi Navali, a company that specialized in logistics and production of sheet metal for the Fincantieri yards located in northeastern Italy. The ship will be built in the Monfalcone yard.At 175,000 gross tons the “Sphere” vessels will be the largest ships built so far in Italy.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration announced the designation of 27 Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE), recognizing community colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in the U.S. maritime industry.One of the 27 schools and institutions recognized is the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI).The designation allows CCRI to work with MARAD to enter into cooperative agreements to help advance recruitment of students and faculty…

The U.S. Navy is mobilizing 1,629 Reservists to support aircraft carrier and submarine maintenance at its four public shipyards starting in July. This mobilization will help reduce the maintenance backlog that has developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.In March, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) authorized weather and safety leave for shipyard personnel who fell under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) "high risk" category for extreme complications tied to the COVID-19 virus.

One the United States' largest fleet service and ship repair sites is changing hands.Ship repair and commercial- and defense-related fabrication services provider Titan Acquisition Holdings announced on Wednesday it has reached a deal to acquire San Diego Shipyard from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction, expected to close in the second quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions.The San Diego Shipyard, formerly Continental Maritime of San Diego…

The New York State Canal System, Advance Marine and MelCal Cranes all enjoy a reputation for versatile applications in challenging conditions. It’s no wonder that their recent deal to replace an aging maintenance crane was also a similarly good fit.When Advance Marine recently delivered a telescopic boom crane to New York State Canals, the decision regarding which type and brand of crane to select wasn’t made in a vacuum, nor was it made lightly. That’s because commercial utilization of America’s original superhighway – the Erie Canal – is on the rise again. The New York State Canal System is a 524-mile long, commercially viable waterway connecting the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, and Lake Champlain.

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…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced two promotions to the company’s leadership team at its Newport News Shipbuilding division: Dave Bolcar has been promoted to vice president of submarine construction, and Bill Smith has been promoted to vice president, fleet support programs. Having most recently served as director of the Columbia-class program, Bolcar is now vice president of submarine construction, which currently encompasses both the Virginia- and Columbia-class submarine programs.

There are a million important things to worry about on any vessel, so why does high-performance thermal insulation deserve a place on the list? Answer: Because it has a very important role to play in keeping your vessel out on the water, being operated safely by a crew and safely carrying passengers. What is High-performance Thermal Insulation? When we talk about high-performance thermal insulation, we’re talking about insulation that can stop a significant amount of heat, in a relatively small space.

A tool designed by Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) employees will make servicing ships' breakers more efficient. Breakers prevent overloads and potential electrical fires in shipboard electrical systems. A Navy submarine typically contains 20 to 30 breakers, and an aircraft carrier has approximately 50. In order to service a breaker, a shipyard worker must flip the 540-pound unit repeatedly. The task is arduous, time consuming, and often requires several workers to accomplish the re-positioning in a safe manner. With the new tool, a single worker may maneuver the breaker with ease. The tool was the brainchild of NNSY Second Year Apprentice Adam Fahy. Fahy himself is no stranger to manual labor. In his spare time he enjoys working on cars and engines.

A discussion with Bob Koerber, General Manager, BAE Systems Ship Repair, San Diego, Calif. Bob Koerber, general manager of BAE Systems Ship Repair in San Diego, served on active duty as a surface warfare officer from 1981 to 1987, then continued to serve as a Navy Reservist, retiring as a captain in 2007. His last reserve assignment was as the Deputy Commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. As a SWO he served aboard USS Hull (DD 945?) and USS Brooke (FFG 1). He has been employed by the San Diego yard for 27 years. What’s new here in San Diego? A lot of good things happening in the yard.

While the maritime industry is widely labeled ‘conservative’ in its adoption of new technologies to make operations more efficient and cost effective, recent years have seen a decided uptick in the level and sophistication of design, external and internal, across the maritime spectrum. Following are some recent revelations that could work their ways onto a waterway close to you in the near future. While investment in short-sea shipping generates plenty of debate and little action…

The first full-electrical passenger ferry in composite is delivered to Ballerina AB in Stockholm, Sweden. Faaborg Vaerft A/S has delivered the first full-electrical passenger vessel, Sjövägen, built in composite materials to the shipping company Ballerina AB in Stockholm, Sweden. The vessel will operate in the archipelago of Stockholm where it will transport passengers between the different stops silently and environmentally with its correct propulsion. The vessel has sailed from Faaborg to Stockholm on its own keel and by its own power where it will start to operate shortly after arrival.

Altair, a US-based engineering company, recently acquired EM Software & Systems - S.A., makers of FEKO® electromagnetic field analysis software. FEKO is now becoming part of Altair’s computer-aided engineering (CAE) suite HyperWorks®. With this move, Altair gains a local presence in South Africa with tremendous depth of industry expertise. Personnel in Stellenbosch will be responsible for all Altair sales and support activities in the region. Altair’s technology allows businesses to create superior, market-leading products efficiently and cost effectively. Apart from several modeling and visualization products, HyperWorks offers analysis and optimization for structural analysis and lightweight design…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) informs that it has held a graduation ceremony for graduates of Ingalls Shipbuilding's Apprentice School. The ceremony, held at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Center, celebrated the accomplishments of 72 students representing various crafts at Ingalls. This is the first graduating class that had students who attended classes in the new Haley Reeves Barbour Maritime Training Academy. Through the academy, Ingalls is entering into a new phase of partnership with the Mississippi Community College System that offers a path into bachelor's degree programs. Currently, more than 60 faculty and staff deliver 14 different programs and over 120 course offerings that enable apprentices to gain not only the skills…

Birkenhead  based engineering firm IPS Marine Fabrications has completed a series of contracts for three ship operators. IPS director Paul Smith said the contracts with Whitaker Tankers, and ferry operators Seatruck and Stena showcased the broad range of fabrication and insulation skills IPS can provide. “The job spec of these contracts was really varied and shows how we can save customers time and money,” he said. “For Seatruck we supplied high temperature ceramic fiber insulation for the main engine exhausts.

Engineering firm IPS Marine Fabrications said it has completed major upgrade work for ferry operator Stena Europe. The company, which is headquartered in Birkenhead, has repaired and maintained fabricated air handling units throughout the Stena Europe vessel. IPS manufactures insulation products, particularly aimed at the marine industry, and has in-house machining facilities. Director Paul Smith said the project was completed while the Stena Europe, which operates between Fishguard in South Wales and Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland, was afloat.

Jet Edge, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet systems for precision cutting, coating removal and surface preparation, say that KF Machinery is now distributing Jet Edge precision waterjet cutting systems in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Western Wisconsin and Western Iowa. Located in Lakeville, Minn., KF Machinery offers full-service precision sheet metal manufacturing and forming equipment to manufacturers in a variety of industries, including precision sheet metal…

'President's Awards for Excellence' have been awarded to 5 teams & 3 individuals for their outstanding & innovative work on shipbuilding projects. "We build very sophisticated and complex products, and it takes skill and innovation to do it more cost-effectively," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Irwin F. Edenzon. "These awards recognize the forward-thinking measures our shipbuilders are taking on a daily basis to improve our performance and streamline our processes. Each year…

Newport News Shipbuilding employee Greg Hoefflin has been named an Outstanding Apprentice for 2012 by the Virginia Apprenticeship Council. Hoefflin, a 2012 graduate of The Apprentice School at NNS, is the ninth Apprentice School graduate to receive the honor since it was first awarded in 1998. The Virginia Apprenticeship Council, in association with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, sponsors the annual awards program to honor outstanding apprentices who represent the best of what apprenticeship has to offer. Apprentices are nominated by their sponsoring organizations.

The Directors to Kvaerner's Board have been elected. From Kvaerner's first day of trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange in July 2011, the Board of Directors will consist of five shareholder-elected members as well as three members elected by Kvaerner's employees. The shareholder-elected members are Kjell Inge Røkke (chairman), Tore Torvund, Bruno Weymuller, Lone Fønss Schrøder and Vibeke Hammer Madsen. The employee-elected members are Rune Rafdal, Ståle Knoff Johansen and Bernt Harald Kilnes. Kjell Inge Røkke is an entrepreneur and industrialist, and has been a driving force in the development of Aker since the 1990s. Mr. Røkke owns 67.8 percent of Aker ASA through The Resource Group TRG AS.