- SHI has completed the construction of PIPE ROBOFAB in Haman County in South Gyeongsang Province, enabling the automation of pipe spool fabrication.

- The company plans to share this achievement—part of its efforts to build a smart shipyard incorporating AI and automation technologies—with employees to foster a shared understanding between labor and management.”

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced on the 16th that it has held a completion ceremony for `PIPE ROBOFAB`, the shipbuilding industry’s first automated pipe spool fabrication facility, and will begin full-scale operations.

The ceremony, held at the Haman Chilseo Local Industrial Complex in South Gyeongsang Province, was attended by about 70 guests, including Sung-an Choi, Vice Chairman and CEO of SHI; representatives from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE); shipowners such as ENI and MISC; and industry officials from Korea and abroad. 

“AI and automation are an unavoidable trend across all industries,” stated Won-young Choi, head of the Samsung Heavy Industries’ labor association at the event. “However, with the expansion of shipbuilding orders, labor and management will continue to communicate smoothly to increase jobs and ensure employment stability for field employees and a safe workplace.” 

Piping, often referred to as the blood vessels of a vessel, undergoes a spool fabrication process in which components such as elbows, tees, and flanges are welded together and assembled into a single unit according to engineering drawings.

SHI has established a smart management system that integrates the entire process—from piping design to automated logistics, high-precision machining and measurement, alignment, and welding—and has combined it with Vision AI technology to realize a fully automated production system.

SHI`s PIPE ROBOFAB has a total area of 6,500 square meters and is capable of producing approximately 100,000 pipe spools annually. By adopting advanced robotic technologies for spool fabrication, the facility is drawing attention as the industry’s first case to secure shorter production lead times as well as consistent quality and enhanced safety. 

Meanwhile, Samsung Heavy Industries is promoting the transformation into a smart shipyard through digital transformation that connects all business functions—including design, procurement, and production—based on the `Engineering Data Hub (S-EDH)` system established in October last year. The PIPE ROBOFAB represents one of the achievements where SHI`s 3X transformation (AX, DX, RX) has been fully introduced into the production field.

“The PIPE ROBOFAB represents an innovation in pipe spool fabrication achieved through the integration of our highly skilled welding expertise and 3X technologies,” stated Sung-an Choi, Vice Chairman and CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries. “It will serve as a catalyst for upgrading the manufacturing competitiveness of the shipbuilding industry.