Laser hybrid welding adds to capability at French shipyard

Saint-Nazaire, France - In efforts to modernize their shipyard's panel welding machinery, shipbuilder STX France added new laser welding technology to achieve more capacity, better quality, and faster performance.

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The company turned to Pemamek after a competitive offering round, and purchased a PEMA integrated, one-sided laser hybrid welding and milling station, which has an extensive conveyor solution for welding deck plates together. Florent Camaret, STX France project manager, says that the company has a need for welding thicknesses up to 25mm with one pass, which the welding system they bought can achieve.

To improve productivity and quality, the company now can reduce man hours by having less rework. The quality of deck panels also improves, making block manufacturing easier due to less deformation on panels.

The PEMA laser hybrid welding system, with its integrated heavy-duty milling process, ensures minimized distortion for deck panels. The system has the capability to feed two of the company's existing panel lines, and that also required a special conveyor solution to be adapted.