Double hull welding

Welding the double hull of a ship is difficult because of the limited space. For robots it is easier to get into these spaces but the programming is an issue. KRANENDONK developed several double hull solutions which are combined with RinasWeld. Using this software component programming is not an automation issue. As an addition the RinasWeld software enables multiple robots to work together.

Double hull welding gantry

Automatic welding of superstructures requires extreme quality of all units, both with respect to hardware and software as well as the supplier ability to integrate the system into customer production environment. Of extreme importance is the integration and control of robot gantry motions and positioning. The developed modular components for robot carriers facilitates robotic welding of extreme product sizes as double bottom hull sections for oil tankers (24*16*3 meters). All external and internal robot axes are integrated into one unit, thus the system works as one macro sized robot. Thanks to the stability and motion performance of the gantry, the system offers full control over all weld positions.

RinasWeld production software

Depending on the shipyard’s capacity requirements, the system is equipped with one or multiple robots. The control of the system is in the hands of the RinasWeld software, which automatically generates all production data based on 3D CAD models. With smart anti-collision it makes optimal use of available space, so the robots can weld in the smallest places (700x700mm). Besides automatic robot path generation, the RinasWeld applies prefered weld data for specific corner situations retrived from 3D Cad model. Independent research has shown that KRANENDONK’s concept for double hull welding offers the highest number of welding meters per robot.