[Field Report] "Welding Robots Boost Efficiency Sixfold"... A Look Inside HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Smart Shipyard

Targeting an outdoor welding automation rate of over 65%
Physical AI to automate "non-routine" tasks next year
"We will boost productivity and cut costs by more than 10%"

On the afternoon of November 5, at Panel Shop No. 1 at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard, four crane-type welding robots began welding simultaneously, sending sparks flying in all directions. The robots continued welding with steady movements based on pre-entered data. A handheld collaborative robot, which workers can move around and operate, was also stationed at one side of the factory. As competition for orders with Chinese shipbuilders intensifies, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries aims to secure price competitiveness through productivity innovation using robots and artificial intelligence (AI).

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries welding robot. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

Shin Sangbeom, an executive director in the Automation Innovation Department of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Shipbuilding Division, told reporters at the Ulsan shipyard that day, "With crane-type welding robots, one person can now do the work of six."

A total of 12 crane-type welding robots are deployed at Panel Shop No. 1. They are operated by one worker overseeing four robots. With handheld collaborative robots, one worker can use two robots to achieve productivity equivalent to that of 1.5 workers under the previous system. By assigning robots to welding tasks previously performed directly by skilled workers, the company has increased work efficiency per employee.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is accelerating welding automation to gain an edge in price competition with Chinese shipbuilders. In particular, it plans to cut costs by increasing productivity in welding, which accounts for a substantial share of the overall work.

Executive Director Shin said, "Welding accounts for 15-20% of the total work, and our goal is to boost productivity by more than 30% by 2030. This will enable us to cut costs by more than 10% and strengthen our price competitiveness against Chinese companies, allowing us to sustain the shipbuilding industry even 40 to 50 years from now."

Welding automation currently accounts for about 15% of exterior work at the Ulsan shipyard. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to raise this rate to more than 65%. The company expects that productivity gains and cost reductions through automation will help it overcome the roughly 10% gap in ship prices with Chinese shipbuilders.

A view of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Ulsan shipyard. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to expand the use of robots and automation systems across all production processes, including welding. In particular, it is focusing on automating non-routine tasks that existing robots have struggled to perform.

The crane-type welding robots and collaborative robots currently in use perform assigned tasks based on pre-entered data. However, ships have complex structures and work environments that vary, limiting the extent to which all welding tasks can be automated using existing methods.

To address this, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries plans to unveil its first physical AI model capable of performing non-routine tasks as early as the end of 2026 and begin applying it at actual production sites in the first half of 2027.

A non-routine system is a technology that enables robots to recognize their surroundings and the condition of the workpiece in real time, then determine the appropriate working conditions. Unlike existing robots that simply repeat assigned tasks, it can adapt to changes in the work environment, which is expected to significantly expand the scope of automation.

Executive Director Shin said, "We believe we can introduce a system that can weld areas currently handled by people on its own within two years. China is ahead in AI and related fields, but the key to physical AI lies in workers' know-how and data, so this is a contest we can certainly take on."

[This article was produced with support from the Bada-ui-pum Foundation and the Korea Maritime Press Association.]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.