Shipbuilding with DBL from Civan raises the steel bar in hybrid welding
Welding thick-section steel can be 40% faster and use 60% less energy when Dynamic Beam Lasers (DBL) from Civan are used instead of hybrid welding. These are just two of many remarkable results of a collaborative study by shipbuilder Fincantieri and welding systems firm Castellini, which shows that DBL technology is set to revolutionise shipbuilding and has the potential to transform thick-section welding for other manufacturing industries.
Hybrid welding, which combines laser and Metal Inert Gas/Metal Active Gas MIG/MAG technologies, is the advanced approach for thick-section welding in shipyards. Improvements in welding are crucial because ships often require 300 to 600 kilometres of weld seams to ensure structural integrity.
John Grace, physicist and Managing Director of Raymax Applications, which distributes Civan equipment in ANZ, believes the control and power now provided by DBLs not only weld thick sections faster but are also more economical and sustainable.
“Unlike traditional lasers, which produce a fixed beam, Dynamic Beam Lasers can adjust the beam’s shape, intensity, and size in real-time. This flexibility, increased precision, and control make them highly effective for welding thick metal sections,” says John.
“And Civan’s lasers up to 120kW are now substantially smaller than the initial generation of 100-120kW CIVAN lasers.”
The Fincantieri-Castellini collaboration showed DBLs setting new standards for thick-section welding – compared with hybrid welding – by achieving:
- A 40% faster welding speed because DBL technology drastically accelerated the welding process for Fincantieri. DBL technology reduces the need for the often necessary preheating in hybrid welding to ensure proper hardness when welding thick sections. DBL technology is faster and reduces energy consumption – therefore, it’s also cheaper. Doubled weldable thickness also speeds up the process.
- Doubled weldable thickness – DBLs opened new possibilities for ship and steel design and construction. In hybrid welding, a single-pass weld typically needs to be followed by multiple MIG or MAG passes to achieve the right thickness. DBL technology can weld up to 30 mm in a single pass.
- Reduced heat-affected zone and distortion because laser welding transfers far less heat to the workpiece, giving a better weld quality and mechanical properties. This minimises the need for large fixturing and the risk of misalignment, again saving time.
- 60% reduction in energy used: DBL technology offers significant energy savings and supports Fincantieri’s sustainability goals.
- A massive 90% reduction in the use of filler material: the need for expensive fillers was nearly eliminated.
- Minimised use of protective gases has been a considerable cost factor in traditional welding.
This collaboration shows how Civan’s DBLs, when integrated into Fincantieri’s production processes, set a new benchmark for welding thick steel sections compared to hybrid welding to make shipbuilding faster, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable. The same can be done for industries that rely on thick-section steel welding.