Samsung Heavy develops laser high-speed welding robot for LNG vessels

South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries said on Thursday that it has developed the maritime sector's first laser high-speed welding robot, aimed at substantially enhancing the productivity of constructing liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

The new technology specializes in quickly welding membrane panels used in the cargo holds of LNG carriers. These membranes are made of thin stainless steel layers that come into direct contact with the ultra-low-temperature liquid natural gas.

Compared to traditional plasma arc welding (PAW) methods, which take approximately five minutes to weld a 2-meter-long membrane panel, the new robot completes the task in just one minute.

Developed by Samsung's Production Technology Research Center, the laser high-speed welding robot employs a Wobble method, rotating the laser beam at precise intervals and speeds.

The technology also features defocusing capabilities to adjust the focal point and a laser displacement sensor to automatically locate curved welding positions.

The integration of this advanced welding technology is expected to significantly boost the productivity of the shipbuilding company's LNG carrier construction. 

The company plans to commence full-scale production using this technology after concluding application tests with France-based engineering company GTT's LNG cargo hold (MK-III) and securing final client approvals later this year.

"The laser high-speed welding robot will become a core technology maintaining overwhelming competitiveness in the key process of building cargo holds in LNG carriers," said Choi Du-Jin, the head of Samsung Heavy Industries' Production Technology Research Center. "We plan to expand its application to the cargo holds of ultra-low-temperature liquid hydrogen carriers in the future."

Write to Jae-Fu Kim at hu@hankyung.com