"Work Time Reduced to One-Tenth"... The Divine Welding Technology Emerges

Kigyeon- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Succeeds in Developing Advanced Welding Technology for LNG Ship High-Manganese Steel Fuel Tank Production
Hybrid Laser-Arc Welding Reduces Production Time Over 10 Times Compared to Conventional Arc Welding

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Domestic engineers have developed advanced welding technology that can reduce the manufacturing time of fuel tanks for eco-friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered ships to one-tenth of the previous time. This is expected to further enhance the competitiveness of the domestic shipbuilding industry, which has recently started to dominate the global shipbuilding market for LNG-powered ships based on its technological prowess.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced on the 22nd that, in collaboration with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., it has succeeded in developing hybrid laser-arc welding technology for manufacturing high manganese steel (High Mn Steel) fuel tanks, a core component of LNG ships.

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The welding technology developed by Dr. Kwanghyun Lee and Dr. Jung Seo’s team meets all the performance requirements for welding 30mm thick high manganese steel fuel tanks needed for LNG ships. High manganese steel is a material that offers cryogenic strength and toughness similar to stainless steel used in conventional LNG tanks, while being more cost-competitive.

The research team applied laser welding technology to secure an economical high manganese steel LNG tank manufacturing technology that is not only more robust than conventional arc welding but also reduces production time by more than tenfold. When welding shipbuilding plates with laser welding technology, the weld area melts and solidifies very quickly. This allows for a clean joint surface and rapid welding. Using this method to weld high manganese steel prevents manganese precipitation within the weld microstructure, unlike arc welding, resulting in stable cryogenic impact performance, which is advantageous for LNG fuel tank production. In contrast, conventional arc welding forms a weld bead that is shallow and wide, generates a large amount of fume (solid particles formed by condensation or oxidation of metal vapor), and requires many skilled welders to perform long hours of welding, posing significant challenges.

Dr. Kwanghyun Lee stated, “As we have taken the first step in developing the world’s first commercial hybrid laser-arc welding technology, it will greatly contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of our eco-friendly ship technology in the future.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.