Samsung Heavy Industries Launches Industry’s First Robotic Pipe Factory ‘Pipe RoboFab’

From Design to Welding: Automating the Pipe Spool Fabrication Process

Samsung Heavy Industries is accelerating the establishment of a smart shipyard by operating the shipbuilding industry’s first automated pipe spool fabrication plant.

On March 16, Samsung Heavy Industries announced that it held a completion ceremony for its automated pipe spool fabrication plant, ‘Pipe RoboFab,’ at Chilseo Industrial Complex in Haman, Gyeongnam. The event was attended by President and CEO Choi Sung-An of Samsung Heavy Industries, representatives from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, shipowners such as ENI and MISC, and around 70 domestic and international industry officials.

Choi Won-Young, Chairperson of the Samsung Heavy Industries Labor-Management Council, stated at the event, “Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are major trends that are unavoidable in all industries.” He added, “With the expansion of shipbuilding orders, we aim to increase employment and ensure job security and a safe working environment for field workers. Labor and management will continue to communicate smoothly to achieve this.”

Pipes, which play a role akin to blood vessels in a ship, go through a spool fabrication process in which elbows, tees, and flanges are welded and assembled into a single unit according to design drawings. Samsung Heavy Industries has established a smart management system that integrates the entire process—from pipe design to automated logistics, high-precision machining and measurement, alignment, and welding—and combined this with vision AI technology to realize an automated production system.

The Pipe RoboFab at Samsung Heavy Industries covers a total floor area of 6,500 square meters and is capable of producing approximately 100,000 pipe spools annually. By transforming spool fabrication with advanced robotics, the company has achieved not only shorter lead times but also uniform quality and enhanced safety—an industry-first accomplishment that is drawing significant attention.

Samsung Heavy Industries is pushing for the transition to a smart shipyard through digital transformation that connects all sectors—design, procurement, and production—based on its ‘Engineering Data Hub (S-EDH)’ established in October of last year. Pipe RoboFab is a production site where the ‘3X’ strategy—referring to AI transformation (AX), digital transformation (DX), and robotics transformation (RX)—has been implemented.

Vice Chairman Choi stated, “Pipe RoboFab is a site that has revolutionized the pipe spool fabrication process by combining Samsung Heavy Industries’ skilled welding techniques with 3X technologies. This will serve as a catalyst for further upgrading the manufacturing competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry.”

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