TWI support for the Shipbuilding Industry

TWI provides support for the shipbuilding industry in many varied areas, and our staff possess wide experience and expertise in these areas. Some of the subjects that have particular relevance are given below:

Productivity improvement

TWI helps Industrial Member companies plan their move towards increased mechanisation. The basic approach involves -

• full production/construction analysis to identify activities where most savings can be made, and development of productivity improvement strategy
• reducing labour-intensive processes, e.g. use of semi-automatic and fully mechanised equipment and robots to replace manual cutting, assembly and welding
• re-organisation of workstations: stockyard, transport and handling; piece-part preparation; sub-assembly; assembly and erection; pipeshop and outfitting - to optimise material and information flow and identify mechanisation needs
• increased attention to quality, health & safety and environmental requirements.

Distortion control and rework

Many shipyards still accept unnecessarily high levels of rework caused by inaccuracies in fabrication and inadequate attention to distortion from cutting and welding. Working with your company TWI can -

• assess potential savings from improved accuracy
• devise and help implement cost-effective distortion control methods
• recommend and justify alternative processes - such as laser, electron beam, plasma, friction and adhesives - which could have a very significant impact on productivity and quality.

Corrosion and fatigue

Fatigue and corrosion are the most common causes of failure in the industry. Backed by over 40 years of research, TWI is recognised worldwide as a leading authority on analysis and avoidance of such failures in marine fabrications.

TWI has been a major contributor to the drafting of National and International Standards for design and assessment of structures to resist fatigue in both steel and aluminium. Using its accumulated experience and knowhow TWI -

• predicts life expectancy and recommends economically viable joint design to enhance fatigue resistance
• advises on cost-effective surface treatments to enhance corrosion and fatigue resistance
• runs special fatigue testing contracts in its extensive laboratories.

For more than four decades TWI has carried out wide-ranging research into the corrosion performance of welded joints and materials. In addition to supporting the Marine Corrosion Club , TWI has published 100 papers over 30 years addressing corrosion cracking of stainless steels. As a result, member companies benefit from TWI's expertise in:

• ultrasonic detection and mapping of corrosion in structures and pipes
• combined effects of corrosion and fatigue in various electrolytes including sea water.

Materials and fabrication

TWI has world-leading knowledge of the materials and the optimum cutting, forming and welding processes used in marine fabrication. This knowhow, coupled with TWI's expertise in specialised materials, provides an unparalleled resource for the progressive shipbuilder and designer. TWI advises on stainless and nickel steels for LNG ships, duplex stainless steels for high performance applications, structural high tensile and high toughness steels, aluminium alloys.

TWI consultancy services are broad ranging and cover selection of the most appropriate materials for Designers ; selection of cutting and welding processes and procedures for the Shipbuilder ; and advice on inspection and repair techniques for the Ship Owner . TWI also specialises in the joining of non-metallic materials such as engineering plastics and composites which are increasingly used for marine applications. This enables TWI to advise on:

• material selection
• joining methods, e.g. welding or adhesives bonding
• joining procedure development and qualification
• fabrication strategies to control distortion
• integration of automated manufacturing techniques
• non-destructive testing techniques
• inspection standards and significance of defects.

As an independent authority, TWI liaises with classification societies, ship owners, designers and builders to achieve agreement in areas where traditional specifications are inappropriate.

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