Introduction

Features Very little stands still in the shipbuilding

Robot welding in industry. New safety regulations and new
shipbuilding more technically demanding designs are being
introduced on an ever more regular basis.
Ships have to be built faster and more eco-
nomically. Gone are the days of labour-inten-
sive methods with thousands building one
Brian Rooks ship. Today, the emphasis is on flexibility and
mechanization with a ship being designed,
planned and built in a matter of weeks, not
years, as in the past.
It is a challenge that demands the most
modern construction methods and just-in-
time production to reduce costs and shorten
lead times. A key aspect of the solutions being
adopted by the industry is prefabrication of
The author
sub-assemblies on automated lines using
Brian Rooks is UK Associate Editor of Industrial Robot.
robot welding technology. A pioneer of this
production philosophy is IMG (Ingenieur-
Abstract
technik und Maschinenbau) in co-operation
Examines the challenges facing the shipbuilding industry
with Cloos Schweisstechnik. IMG designs
today and details the solution offered by a consortium of
and builds the production lines while Cloos
three German companies. It is based on the prefabrication
has responsibility for the welding process and
of sub-assemblies on production lines in which automation
robot technology.
is critical to the economics. Describes welding robots
playing a key role in this approach and the robot systems
supplied to one German shipbuilder. Also important to cost Partnership
effectiveness is a new high speed welding process that
These two German-based companies have
uses two wires in the weld torch, enabling productivity to
been working together for a number of years
be at least doubled. Another necessity is an off-line
and almost exclusively have been responsible
programming and simulation system, specifically devel-
for the conversion of six main shipyards in
oped for the shipbuilding industry, that is typified by one-
Germany. That working relationship has now
off and low volume manufacture.
been cemented into a single partnership
involving a third company, NIS (Nord-
deutsche Informations-Systeme). Its respon-
sibility is for the software and computer inte-
gration that are so essential for efficient pro-
duction and product traceability in the ship-
yard.
The tripartite group is active international-
ly, not just in Europe but in the Far East and
other major shipbuilding centres. To date, it
has supplied some ten complete shipbuilding
factory production lines in a number of coun-
tries.
The partnership employs a combination of
marine engineering production experience

The author is grateful to Steve Dunn, Managing

Director of Cloos (UK) Limited, for the help and
information provided in preparing the article. Mr
Dunn may be contacted at Cloos (UK) Limited,
Wulfrun Trading Estate, Stafford Road,
Industrial Robot
Volume 24 · Number 6 · 1997 · pp. 413–417 Wolverhampton WV10 6HR. Tel: 01902 711201.
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0143-991X Fax: 01902 711376.

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Three German companies have joined in a partnership to Figure 1 Computer system network for a shipyard
supply computerized fabrication systems to shipyards

PPS CAD CAM RoboPlan

CIPS 2000

DNC
adminis- DINCOS
tration

Production LeadControl
control

Flexible manufacturing systems

and modern computer techniques to analyse

and create designs matched to each shipbuild- Profile Edge Welding Part Pipe
cutting cutting robots cutting production
ing company’s requirements. The solution is
refined and verified through simulation tech-
niques to ensure maximum flexibility and
cost-effective productivity. contribute directly to controlling the weld
Automation is key to controlling costs and path and tip speed. This even applies to the
delivering the quality standards so necessary long travel longitudinal axis of the gantry
for meeting the safety regulations. It is applied “goal post”.
across the complete spectrum of production A typical system is that supplied to the
processes, including precision fabrication of German shipbuilder, HDW at its Kiel ship-
sheets, profile sections, panels, hatch covers yard. Individual plates are first prepared semi-
and pipework. Advanced techniques are automatically. Laser etched guide lines show
employed throughout, ranging from robot the operator where to position the gussets,
technology through high speed welding to which are then automatically tack welded.
continuous process monitoring and data From here these “macro” panels are fed into
collection. the robot systems for seam welding the
The whole process of prefabricating the gussets. HDW has been supplied with three of
ship sub-assemblies is managed through a the gantry systems, one with two robots oper-
centralized computer system based on a ating in a master/slave mode, a 17-axis sys-
modular network of individual production tem, and the other two are single robot 9-axis
systems (profile cutting, robot welding, pipe systems.
production, etc.) linked to a lead controller
(see Figure 1). This in turn communicates via An automated plate processing line at a German shipyard supplied by IMG
a DNC system to the CAM computer, which
may be interfaced to a CAD system and
ultimately to the company’s computer system.

Multi-axis systems
Robot welding is applied in the manufacture
of individual plates, double skin hull panels
and hatch covers. The lines for these elements
are based on 3-axis gantries with suspended
Cloos 6-axis robots. All nine axes are simulta-
neous or synchronously controlled to create
the desired torch path movement and welding
speed. It should be emphasized that none of
the axes merely position the gantry; all
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These individual plates are fabricated into the home position for a tool change and helps
complete hull panels. HDW has two panel maintain high productivity. The carousel may
lines that cover an area measuring 82m in be loaded with different torch neck geome-
length × 18.5m wide and spanned by a pair of tries so that the robot, under program control,
gantries each supporting a Cloos robot. Both can select the optimum type of torch for the
gantries are able to travel the full length of the welding operation. This is another gain to
line and have a 5m vertical reach, creating an productivity and flexibility.
enormous working envelope.
Just a single operator mans each of the two
Weld monitoring
lines. He is aided by CTV in viewing the
welding operation, which may be taking place Achieving high integrity welds with full trace-
several metres away in the depth of a pocket. ability is essential in fabricating ship struc-
With this equipment, he is able to see any tures. This is achieved through the Cloos
problems or difficulties arising in the welding Quinto microprocessor controlled pulsed arc
and take the necessary actions including MIG/MAG welding sources. The SD version
aborting the operation. fitted to the robot systems at HDW incorpo-
The operator may initiate a torch change rates extra functions and sensors for monitor-
for maintenance purposes, as each robot is ing weld data such as current, voltage, wire
equipped with the Cloos CPHW automatic feed and gas flow. Weld time and arc interrup-
torch neck changing system and a tool tion are also logged.
carousel mounted on the gantry arm. This If during welding any value falls outside the
obviates the need for returning the gantry to tolerance band, the fault is displayed and the
computer issues a warning or aborts the
operation. The set values and tolerances,
Semi-automatic gusset fit-up and tack welding which would have been optimized during
laboratory trials, are stored in memory as a
list, and up to 255 different lists can be held.
During robot welding it is possible to change
these lists using the robot controller or a PLC.
All data may also be documented by direct-
ly connecting a printer to the weld set. This
prints out all the settings as well as any errors
with the date and time of the occurrence.
Alternatively all documentation and monitor-
ing may be carried out remotely via a PC.
All the weld sets in a manufacturing line
can be networked (up to a maximum of 250)
through a 486 PC. Thus all the data capture is
achieved centrally so that every seam in a
multi-pocket panel is monitored and
recorded.
In the same way every robot controller is
Gantry mounted welding robots as part of a “macro” panel line
linked and data collected on each robot’s
performance. Run time, stop time, arc time
and occurrence of an emergency stop are all
recorded. The system calculates the efficiency
of each robot by comparing run time and arc
time.

Double wire welding

Ship fabrications by their nature are generally
large and need an extensive number of weld
runs, large and small in length. Thus, any
increase in welding speed can have a dramatic
effect on production times and costs. To this
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end Cloos has developed the double wire the robot in accessing the most difficult-to-
welding process, which is fully exploited by reach pockets.
robots. HDW also sub-arc weld with the double
Two wires are fed at high speed and melted wire process plus a flux, to fabricate thick
in separate arcs but into a single weld pool. plate sub-assemblies such as hatch covers.
This increases fusion efficiency that is con- Commenting on the double wire tech-
verted into large throat dimensions with low nique, Steve Dunn, managing director of
heat input and high weld speeds, up to Cloos (UK) Limited, says, “This is the first
6m/minute on thin plates (2-3mm). This is real breakthrough in MIG welding for years.
some six times faster than single wire welding. It gives a massive boost to welding productivi-
With thick walled components, throat dimen- ty not just in the shipbuilding industry but in
sions of 8mm are achievable in a single pass at many others as well, including automotive
speeds of 0.8m/minute. Even with alumini- where we have installed many systems. We
um, weld speeds can be doubled. At the same have also successfully retrofitted Tandem to
time the process delivers a high quality weld. existing robot systems, including competitor
A further development of the double wire products. To date, Cloos has supplied approx-
technique by Cloos is the Tandem process, imately 60 Tandem systems, welding virtually
which is the system being used at HDW and any material from aluminium to stainless
other shipyards. This is a high performance steel.”
version of the double wire process with the
wires in a vee configuration, one behind the
Investment efficiency
other. Two Quinto power sources are used,
one for each wire, but electronically synchro- Another way to look at the benefits of faster
nised. To optimize the process the two weld welding speeds is in investment terms. With
sets feed two electrically insulated welding Tandem, the same work can be accomplished
current circuits which allow the parameters to with fewer robots and weld sets, so capital
be separately adjusted for each arc. It is possi- costs are lower. Steve Dunn adds, “It also
ble to weld with a combination of normal and gives paybacks well under two years, a figure
pulsed arc and using two different wire diame- nearer to the UK norm, compared to the five
ters. to seven years that many Continental Euro-
Separate wire drive units are used for each pean companies accept”.
wire. Each unit, which has been specifically The programming of welding robots in
developed for the process, supplies wire at up shipbuilding is critical to the whole economics
to 30m/minute using the high traction of a of automation. Production is primarily of one-
multi-roller drive. Similarly, the design of the offs or very low volumes. Further complicat-
weld torch is matched to the Tandem process. ing the process are the number and variety of
Although handling two wires, the torch is very welds; fillets from 4mm upwards and in
slim and compact, so that it does not inhibit lengths from 50mm to 10m. To teach each
new design of panel would send the costs
Flow production line for hatch covers “through the roof ”. The answer is off-line

Robot welding of hatch covers

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programming, but not any software but a potentials immediately identified. This
method developed by NIS specifically for applies whether it is a single robot or a twin
robot welding in shipbuilding. robot gantry and in the latter the collision
The NIS 3D simulation and off-line pro- between robot arms is recognized. This
gramming software was developed following a method enables a fully proven program to be
seven year research programme in Germany, directly downloaded to the robot controller
partly government funded and in close co- without any need for physically teaching the
operation with the shipbuilding industry. It robot.
particularly addresses the one-off problem, as Advanced techniques are also used at
even off-line methods would be costly if each HDW to eliminate the need for accurately
new type had to be programmed “from positioning the panel components and sub-
scratch”. assemblies ready for welding, which is poten-
The unique feature of the NIS software is tially costly and time consuming. First the
its program regeneration capability. It is not operator identifies each panel position on a
macro based, but enables an existing program terminal screen using a mouse. The robot
module to be quickly modified simply by then seeks guide holes using touch sensing
changing the geometric data. The program, with the weld wire to precisely locate the
such as for a new pocket in a panel, does not panel. During welding the Cloos through-the-
have to be taught afresh; the new dimensions arc seam tracking system is employed to
are quickly keyed-in at the programming obviate the need for precise fit-up of the weld
workstation. It is estimated that on average components.
there is a 70 per cent time saving compared to The combination of the expertise and
conventional off-line systems where each new resources of IMG, Cloos and NIS is helping
feature has to be programmed afresh. to create highly sophisticated production
systems for the shipbuilding industry. These
are highly automated both in planning and
Collision avoidance
execution and have made a major contribu-
The generated programs are verified by simu- tion to revolutionizing the way that ships are
lation at the workstation and any collision built in the late twentieth century.

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