Automation of Fitting Pipe Manufacturing in Shipbuilding

The use of automated systems in shipbuilding is increasing. Automation in shipbuilding can provide higher levels of accuracy, precision and speed compared to manual labour, making it an ideal tool for many production processes. This research focuses on addressing a problem related to the assembly of fitting pipes for piping systems on ships and it is one of the first to propose an automated robotic cell concept. The paper gives an overview of piping systems on ships, mentions related work, highlights the existing problems with the manual assembly process, and finally proposes a solution to the problem. The proposed solution involves the implementation of a robotic cell consisting of a robot and a cobot to handle the positioning of the piping elements. This approach promises to improve the assembly process and operations management, reduce the potential for human error, minimise time and cost, and improve overall quality control.