Manufacturing Process News

Trident Maritime Systems, a major supplier to the U.S. Navy, has partnered with Gecko Robotics to deploy advanced manufacturing technologies that expand production of the fleet’s essential components.Across 20 fabrication facilities responsible for mission-critical parts to fully integrated shipboard systems, AI and robotics will increase throughput by at least 40% in support of the Navy’s growing shipbuilding and sustainment demands.Gecko and Trident will bring new digital and robotic capabilities to increase capacity within legacy manufacturing environments…

HD Hyundai has signed a strategic partnership with the Tamil Nadu state government regarding the establishment of a new shipyard in India.The Indian government is strategically pursuing the "Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047" to become one of the world's top five shipbuilding and shipping nations. To achieve this goal, the government is actively reviewing the expansion of existing shipyards and the establishment of new facilities.The Indian government has shortlisted five states—including Tamil Nadu…

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean aims to boost its revenue from overseas military vessels to around 4 trillion won ($2.91 billion) by 2030 and hopes to pick up more repair orders from the U.S. Navy, a senior executive told Reuters.The Asian country is a major global shipbuilder and trade talks with the U.S. on tariffs brought up possible cooperation in the sector after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restore U.S. shipbuilding.Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding…

ErectorCraft has officially launched as the first company in the United States dedicated to the commercial production of 3D-printed boat hulls.Leveraging large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM), ErectorCraft offers a smarter, more adaptive solution to complement and enhance traditional boatbuilding methods.Beyond its flagship 3D-printed hulls, ErectorCraft delivers a range of services designed to drive marine manufacturing forward.These include the sale and integration of ErectorBot LFAM HDPE systems…

Noble Gas Systems (Noble Gas) received an Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate for its conformable hydrogen storage vessel from DNV, a globally recognized company that provides independent assurance, certification, risk management and advisory services.“This is a significant milestone for us as we further validate the viability and safety of our storage system across multiple uses and industries,” said Chris Kondogiani, CEO of Noble Gas. “This demonstrates the progress we have made in materials…

Each year, as we prepare for the largest U.S. based maritime industry conference in New Orleans, we tend to look back on the state of the industry and initiatives that were announced from the conference that took place the year before. 2023 provided us with plenty to talk about. In September of 2023, while the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the global shipbuilding industry were fixated on “emissions” and alternative fuels, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro held the opening meeting of the Government Shipbuilders Council.

NYK Line and MTI have filed a patent application for a technology that monitors the transport of reduced iron on bulk carriers.Reduced iron is attracting attention because it does not require coke in the manufacturing process, a benefit for decarbonization of the industry. The demand for transport by sea is expected to increase, but there is a need for appropriate cargo management on board ships to prevent overheating, fire, and explosion risks during transport, says NYK.The system uses IoT technology to acquire and remotely monitor environmental data (temperature…

ClassNK has launched a third-party product certification service for individual green steel products.Under the service, ClassNK certifies each green steel product supplied by steel manufacturers using the mass balance approach, and affixes a certification logo to its mill certificate. By improving reliability and making identification easier, the service ensures that users feel more secure when ordering and using green steel.ClassNK has supported decarbonization efforts related…

Marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy reports it has secured a contract to build a new 4,200 KWh battery for Spanish ship owner Mureloil. The agreement will see AYK’s Aries + battery supplied on a new 7999 DWT diesel-electric product tanker being built for Mureloil at Astilleros Murueta shipyard near Bilbao.AYK founder Chris Kruger said the vessel will be able to operate on zero emission battery power while entering and exiting port immediately improving air quality and cutting emissions in built up port areas.

ClassNK has granted the class notation ‘a-EA (GRS)’ to Bright Queen, the bulk carrier operated by NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, certifying the use of green steel in its construction.This is the world’s first case of a notation being affixed for using green steel in a ship.For Bright Queen, built by Higaki Shipbuilding, ClassNK confirmed the use of JFE Steel Corporation’s green steel JGreeX, for which it had previously conducted third-party certification of the GHG emissions reductions made in the manufacturing process.For each JGreeX™ product…

Theodore, Ala. boatbuilder Silver Ships announced it recently expanded to a second location to maximize the efficiency of its boat manufacturing process.Silver Ships, which produces aluminum workboats for military, federal, state and municipal governments as well as commercial applications, said its new manufacturing warehouse is located less than one mile from its original 95,000 square-foot facility and headquarters. The new facility adds 16,500 square feet to its manufacturing process and creates an additional 18…

Dutch manufacturer Huisman has entered the port and logistics market with the order for series of automated stacking cranes (ACSs) from Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT).The ACSs will serve for the efficient handling and buffering of containers. The cranes feature a fully automated process for handling and buffering containers, providing a solution for enhanced operational efficiency, required for 24/7 operational time.The diversification in port automation underscores Huisman's…

DNV secured partners to launch a new project to enhance technology development and prepare for scale/industrialization of concrete substructures for floating offshore wind.The new Joint Industry Project (JIP) called Concrete FLOW will optimize requirements for concrete floaters (floating or semisubmersible structures, generally moored to the seabed, used as foundations upon which equipment can be mounted), specifically tailored for floating offshore wind farms.At the kick-off…

The quest to build a series of five National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMVs), which will serve as training ships for five U.S. maritime academies, has drawn a broad cadre of suppliers. The powerplant was a main focus, helping to evolve the schools from steam power plants to a modern propulsion package.NSMVs being built for the maritime academies is widely lauded as a ‘win’ for U.S. shipbuilding, an example of commercial shipbuilding practices applied to a government shipbuilding project.

Bollinger Shipyards this week announced it has begun cutting steel at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. on the first of eight prototype modules that will become the foundation of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC), USCGC Polar Sentinel (PSC-1)—the first heavy icebreaker to be built in the United States in 50 years. "Today marks a significant step for both Bollinger Shipyards and the United States,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “After over 50 years, we're back to building heavy icebreakers.

Japan received its first low-carbon ammonia cargo from Saudi Arabia on Friday, which it plans to use for co-firing with fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions, a joint statement from the four companies involved in the deal said. Energy-poor Japan wants to add hydrogen and ammonia to its energy mix, a move criticized by climate activists as costly and not fully effective. Japan has agreed with a number of countries to study hydrogen and ammonia supply chains. Ammonia shipped to…

Hepburn and Sons LLC announced it has officially joined forces with MELD Manufacturing Corporation, developer of the patented, solid-state metal additive manufacturing process and provider of MELD 3D printing machines. The companies have been working together since 2021 to introduce the Navy and other military services and DoD agencies to MELD, also known as additive friction stir deposition.Hepburn and Sons LLC is a small business founded in 2010 whose initial focus was to provide expert consulting…

A significant element of the U.K. government’s levelling up plan to create thousands of jobs, regenerate more deprived areas and attract overseas investors is the introduction of freeports. These special low-tax trading zones allow all kinds of businesses to trade.Under the U.K. model, freeports can encompass two different kinds of sites. On customs sites, authorized businesses will be able to import certain goods with simplified customs documentation and without paying tariffs. Domestic goods can also be held in a customs site and used in any manufacturing process.

The European Union is underwriting a project, called Current Direct, to facilitate and hasten the transition to battery powered commercial maritime vessels. It's funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. It also has 13 private sector partners, including Blackstone Resources, Spear Power Systems and Wärtsilä. It has a quick timeline; a demonstration project should be ready by 2023.New thinking and innovation run across every aspect of this project…

Among most global trades, intra-Asian rates have seen considerable increases in recent years, though the costs on the world’s busiest container trade have not risen as quickly as in other places, Xeneta, and ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform said Thursday.According to Xeneta, in the first half of January, spot rates from the main Chinese ports to the main Japanese and South Korean ports have risen back above USD 1 800 per FEU. This comes after…

Parts fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM) – also known as 3D printing – and installed on an oil tanker for operational testing have been validated to be in good working condition, marking a significant step for the technology's implementation in the marine industry.The project involving ABS, ConocoPhillips Polar Tankers, Sembcorp Marine Ltd and 3D Metalforge started in February 2021 with the fabrication and lab-testing of functional additive manufactured parts, which were then installed on board the oil tanker Polar Endeavour.

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…

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Hydronalix, Inc. of Green Valley, AZ, signed a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) entitled AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support. Agreement number: NCRADA-NSWCCD-21-419. NSWC Crane is hosting an Artificial Intelligence for Small Unit Maneuver (AISUM) Prize Challenge with contestants from industry and academia. With the strategic goals of developing software that can be supported by a variety of hardware, non-proprietary robotic autonomy baseline component architecture and software were required.