Weld News

In the February issue of Maritime Reporter magazine Nirav Patel, Nuclear Navy Segment Director at Fairbanks Morse Defense, takes a look at the cobots (cooperative robots) that are being used for welding in the ship repair industry.He explains: “As a long-time principal supplier of propulsion systems for the U.S. nuclear navy, FMD is responsible for sustainment of a fleet of diesel engines that provide emergency backup power to onboard nuclear reactors. These 30–35-year-old engines pose a unique welding challenge.

Palumbo Group’s Naples facility has successfully completed the refit of the LPG/C Rhourd El Fares.The 174‑meter LPG/C, 23,059 GT, arrived with an extensive scope of work, ranging from mechanical systems to coatings.Engineers coordinated multiple technical teams engaged in dry‑docking operations, mechanical works and, in particular, main‑engine maintenance and generator tuning. Specialist crews carried out the removal and dismantling of the 13‑ton propeller and the complete treatment of the vessel’s steel surfaces.For this project…

To offer U.S. fabricators access to advanced welding processes that improve performance and profitability, ESAB has collaborated with distributor Linde Gas & Equipment to sell welding technology from German manufacturer EWM in North America. Linde will feature EWM’s Titan XQ 500 puls, Titan XQ 400 puls and Phoenix XQ 505 puls multiprocess/pulsing welding systems at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in booth S63335, South Hall, Level 1.Manufacturers of construction, mining, aggregate and agricultural equipment especially benefit from the welding processes found in EWM machines…

U.S. autonomous vessel developer Saronic is moving to integrate physical AI-driven welding robotics into its Louisiana shipyard operations, launching a collaboration with Path Robotics aimed at accelerating production and modernizing American shipbuilding.The initiative will begin at Saronic’s Franklin, Louisiana facility, where intelligent welding cells will combine Path Robotics’ AI-enabled welding models with Saronic’s in-house team of welders. The goal is to increase throughput…

Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri has launched an industrial partnership with Generative Bionics aimed at developing a humanoid welding robot designed to operate alongside human workers in shipyard environments. The initiative aligns with Fincantieri’s broader strategy around advanced robotics, physical AI and innovation, core pillars of the Group’s new Industrial Plan.The collaboration brings together Fincantieri’s deep industrial and shipbuilding expertise with Generative Bionics’ autonomous humanoid robotics platform.

On January 22, 2026, Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) and partners, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Royal IHC, held a keel laying ceremony for the ongoing construction of the Dredge DONNELLY at Eastern’s Allanton Facility.The DONNELLY is a Medium Class Hopper Dredge that has been under construction since April 2025. The vessel will replace the Dredge McFARLAND and will play a critical role in enabling USACE to continue to deliver its navigation mission.The keel laying…

In the 1990’s, my father was asked to attend a side shell damage on a US Navy vessel. The damage was caused by assist tug hard contact. He surveyed the damage and came back to the office to write it up. His partner Harry Ottaway saw my Dad’s commercial damage repair estimate, and said: “Henk it is a Navy ship. Double it, and double it again”. He did and came pretty close to the Navy’s claimed repair cost.This was not a complex damage, and in actual repair process was no different than the repair of a commercial vessel side shell damage…

Marine Group Boat Works (Marine Group), a full-service shipyard based in San Diego, won a Navy Grant to establish a maritime welding program designed to expand the skilled labor workforce supporting the U.S. Navy’s growing shipbuilding and repair demands. Marine Group was awarded this grant because it addresses workforce constraints by increasing the number of highly skilled welders certified to NAVSEA standards, thereby enhancing production resources for Navy surface ships and critical maritime assets.

As part of the ESAB Future Fabricators program, ESAB announced that it will again sponsor the “Blue Collar Tour,” featuring Western Welding Academy, continuing their shared mission to increase the interest and awareness of high school students in the skilled trades. The 2026 tour starts January in Stratton, Colorado, and includes 31 total stops in 21 states before concluding in mid-March.More than 4,000 students directly participated in 31 Blue Collar Tour events last year, and social media content generated during the tour earned millions of views, further spreading the tour’s impact.

Underwater welding is one of the most demanding and hazardous tasks in the maritime and offshore world, relying heavily on a small, highly specialized pool of industrial divers. As port infrastructure ages and offshore structures expand, demand for underwater repair continues to outpace available manpower. A new research project out of Germany aims to fundamentally change that equation.Led by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the MARIOW (Maritime AI-Guided…

To help metal fabricators improve productivity, quality and workforce needs, ESAB has launched its new Tracfinder Rail and Tracfinder Wheel series of battery-powered welding tractors and unveiled its newly branded ROBBI Mobile cobot welding system. ROBBI is now available with the Aristo Edge 500R power source and RoboFeed Edge robotic wire feeder, which offer next-generation capabilities. Compared to manual welding, these automation solutions can typically increase output per…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, and Nippon Steel Corporation have received the world’s first General Design Approval (GDA) from ClassNK for a breakthrough tank technology that enables the manufacture of large low-pressure liquefied CO₂ (LCO₂) cargo tanks without post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The achievement marks a significant step toward scaling up CO₂ transport capacity to support global carbon capture, utilization and storage…

Next Generation Shipyards (NGS) in Lauwersoog has taken a major step toward modernizing its production line with the installation of a new state-of-the-art robotic welding system, technology that the yard says will boost efficiency, improve weld quality, and strengthen its competitive position in the specialized workboat market.The nature of shipbuilding has historically limited the usefulness of welding robots, which are typically designed for repetitive, standardized production environments.

The U.S. Navy needs to dramatically increase the fleet, especially submarines, but the available pool of skilled workers is not keeping pace.Submarine construction is ramping up. The Navy continues to build Virginia-class submarines, striving for two per year, and is gearing up build the new Columbia-class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. At the same time, the industry needs to support the ambitious Australia-U.S.-U.K. AUKUS program to make the Royal Australian Navy a nuclear submarine navy.Qualified workers are not only needed to build submarines…

To increase the efficiency of welding equipment calibration, verification and validation, ESAB has introduced the Checkmaster 600R resistive load bank for simulating GMAW, AC/DC GTAW, SMAW and SAW arc welding processes from 150 to 600 amps. When linked with the ESAB WeldScanner multipurpose recording and measuring device, minimal user intervention is needed for calibration and validation, leading to time efficiency. Integration with the WeldScanner allows parallel operation of three Checkmaster 600R units, automatically switching resistive loads simultaneously.

Fabrication technology specialist ESAB has announced that its new Rogue EMP 210 PRO, a compact, multiprocessor welding power source, is now in stock and available through standard distribution and online sales channels. The Rogue EMP 210 makes it easier to weld with optimized arc settings because it features an advanced digital interface and offers functions such as Synergic Control and Arc Dynamics, making it ideal for users in the light fabrication and light construction industries…

Fabrication technology specialist ESAB has enhanced its Rogue ES and ET line of inverters by adding DC Pulsed Stick welding functionality to all three models in the series.The models that received the upgrade include Rogue ES 151iP PRO and Rogue ES 201iP PRO Stick/Live TIG welders and the Rogue ET 201iP PRO, a TIG/Stick inverter that also offers a DC Pulsed TIG output and high-frequency (HF) TIG arc starts.All units can adjust Stick pulsing frequency between 0.2 and 100 Hz; the…

After developing the technique some five years ago, Aker Arctic has now completed the research required to get its new design methodology for icebreaker hulls accepted into the Finish-Swedish Ice Class Rules. The method has also been adopted to Polar Class rules of several Class Societies (LR, ABS, DNV).Although the research focused on vessels typically sailing the Baltic Sea, Aker Arctic has also used the methodology in many of its recent newbuilding designs including, for example, Canada’s new icebreaker which is currently under construction.

Colonna’s Shipyard is a fifth-generation, family-owned medium-sized shipbuilder, led by Randall Crutchfield, Chairman & CEO, today. Founded in 1875 by 26-year-old ship carpenter Charles J. Colonna with a $2,000 loan from his brother, he founded a company that has not only withstood the test of time, but today stands ready as a multi-faceted ‘blue collar industrial complex’ to help in the effort to effectively rebuild the U.S. shipbuilding base, and more specifically to help rebuild the U.S. Navy and U.S. government-owned fleet of ships.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded $8.75 million in grants to revitalize U.S. shipyards and advance America’s maritime dominance.The funding is part of the Small Shipyard Grant program, which supports advanced training, workforce development and new technologies that strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and repair capabilities. Duffy said the program will help America counter Chinese competition and maintain freedom…

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding hosted a “signing day” for the 2025 graduates of its Shipbuilder Academy at the shipyard Wednesday, April 30. This year, 43 students were offered full-time positions at Ingalls, marking the beginning of their careers with HII.The “signing day” coincided with National Apprenticeship Day, recognizing the importance of connecting individuals to meaningful careers and assisting employers in building a skilled workforce. Through hands-on training, mentorship…

Seaspan Shipyards has announced a $5 million investment in Novarc Technologies Inc., a North Vancouver-based full-stack AI robotics company specializing in the design and manufacturing of automated welding solutions.The funding will fuel product development and commercialization of AI-driven solutions which promise to increase industrial productivity.Seaspan has been a strategic partner and early adopter of Novarc’s welding automation technology since 2017, when it invested $500…

For all welding students who want to focus on education and training rather than the burden of paying for school, ESAB reminds students that the deadline to apply for AWS 2025 Foundation national, district, and section scholarships is March 1.The American Welding Society (AWS) awards more than $2.5 million in scholarships each year, including 12 scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each made possible through ESAB’s Future Fabricators program and its collaboration with the AWS Foundation.The scholarships support students working towards welding certifications…