Rostock. This year, the Fraunhofer IGP presents the team of Harald Jaekel, director of the Peene shipyard, with the Innovation and Technology Award. At this Wolgast location of Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) the development of the “seeing” robot has been taken to a new level. On 26. February, Prof. Wilko Flügge, Head of the Fraunhofer IGP, will present the award. “This award honors the longstanding collaboration between Fraunhofer IGP and the Peene shipyard,” says Prof. Wilko Flügge.

Current welding robot systems are often uneconomical and inflexible in shipbuilding due to the offline robot programming used. The scientific cooperation between Fraunhofer IGP and NVL focuses on the further development of flexible, automated and intelligent welding technologies for ship building. NVL is a shipyard group with four renowned shipyards in North Germany and international locations. It offers tailor-made, intelligent and cost-efficient solutions for ship building as well as comprehensive services. Moreover, the company is a pioneer in research and development of automated, maritime above-water systems. The goal of the cooperation is the development of innovative technologies which meet the requirements of modern ship building. The focus here is on both technical feasibility and economic efficiency.

Scientists of the Fraunhofer IGP developed in cooperation with NVL a welding machine for ship building, where robot programming is based on 3D sensor data of fastened components rather than construction data. The basis of this system is the use of new 3D sensors in connection with innovative scanning strategies. “This makes a complete recording of component geometry regardless of material possible. The advantage is that customized robot programs for welding can be created for a specific building component and the necessary user input is minimized,” so Dr.-Ing. Alexander Zych (Project Coordinator “Maritime Unique Production”).

Every year since 2018, Fraunhofer IGP selects a winner for its Innovations and Technology award. It honors achievements within the field of production technology. Additionally, it emphasizes the technological, environmental, economic and social benefits of close cooperation between research institutions and industry.