Departments

Comau and Fincantieri present mobile welding robot, agree to extend cooperation

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 28 June 2023 28 June 2023

Comau and Fincantieri, two Italian world leaders in their respective markets, present the first result of their joint collaboration at Automatica: MR4Weld (Mobile Robot for Welding) mobile robot, an innovative outdoor automation solution to improve quality, performance and well-being during labor-intensive welding activities. The companies have also renewed their strategic agreement to apply technology, digitalization, and innovation within cutting-edge, mobile robotic solutions that will increase production speed and worker well-being, by automating traditionally manual processes. Having first signed a letter of intent in 2021, which was aimed at developing robotized steel welding solution prototypes and the resulting construction of a series of machines – after successful completion of production tests of the prototypes which are currently undergoing, Comau CEO, Pietro Gorlier, and Fincantieri CEO, Pierroberto Folgiero, have signed a renewed agreement which foresees the development of additional mobile robotized machines and solutions for unstructured environments.

Considered a new paradigm in bringing automation beyond the factory floor, the MR4Weld mobile robot is being tested and will be subsequently used within Fincantieri shipyards to autonomously weld steel structures, with a possible 3-fold increase compared to a manual process. It features a high-payload, 6-axis articulated robot fitted with a welding torch that is installed on a tracked undercarriage and equipped with an integrated vision system to autonomously identify welding joints. More importantly, it guarantees better welding quality while reducing ergonomic risks, helping the transformation of the shipbuilding production process by ensuring greater flexibility and improved safety in addition to lower overall costs.

Designed to be able to move in any environment and to collaborate with workers, MR4Weld can be easily managed by a single operator during the transfer and welding activities. The system also employs digital tools to collect welding and production data that can be used to record the welded joints. Since MR4Weld is in complete compliance with current safety regulations, it can be used without fences on each of the multiple decks that a vessel is made up of. Fincantieri and Comau have jointly filed a European patent application for specific MR4Weld technological features. The cutting-edge solution can also be seamlessly integrated within Comau’s digital infrastructure, further safeguarding the robotic system’s productivity and profitability.

As part of the renewed collaboration, the companies will develop advanced and mobile robotics to automate other repetitive activities of the shipbuilding processes including those characterized by vertical and non-linear surfaces as well as unstructured environments, in addition to the testing of Comau’s exoskeletons for further improving the operators’ ergonomic conditions and well-being. Fincantieri will also work with Comau to strengthen and upgrade the technical skills of its operators in terms of using and programming the robotized mobile systems, by adapting to the shipbuilding operators’ dedicated advanced training formats, which are already developed by Comau. In fact, implementing automated solutions for highly repetitive and non-high value-added production activities represents one of the pillars of Fincantieri’s strategy.

Comau will also take yet another step toward differentiating its core business and expanding into new segments beyond the factory floor. Furthermore, the companies will begin industrializing their unique MR4Weld robotics solution which can be applied not only to the shipbuilding industry but also for industries that require the production of large steel infrastructures, among others. Within the LoI, the companies will study and evaluate the ways and relevant agreements for further facilitating the prompt development of the identified technological solutions.

Brenock Technology signs agreement with Virgin Voyages

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023

Brenock Technology, LLC, a leading provider of software applications and consulting services for marine, cruise and hospitality sectors, announced today that Virgin Voyages has signed a five-year agreement with Brenock as its port cost management software provider.

Through this agreement, Virgin Voyages will utilize Brenock’s planning and port cost management tool, Integrated Management System (IMS) across its fleet of four ships. Brenock’s planning and management tools are cloud-based and mobile-ready, providing Virgin Voyages with a modern, end-to-end cruise management system.

Virgin Voyages went live with Brenock IMS in January 2023. IMS is the only single-platform solution that offers comprehensive cruise and marine software and manages fees and expenses across all operational categories, including itinerary and contract changes, luggage and transfers, tugs and waste, and billing and forecasting from start to finish.

“We’re thrilled to have Brenock on our side to help keep our voyage itinerary and operations as efficient, productive and organized as possible,” said Juan Trescastro, Vice President of Global Destinations with Virgin Voyages. “Brenock’s tools give us visibility into data and analytics throughout our voyage lifecycles unlike we have ever had before. The ability to control and manage nearly all aspects of a voyage in one platform enables us to continue to scale our fleet and provide the best quality experiences for our Sailors.”

Virgin Voyages will go live with the Brenock planning tool in Q3 2023. The company will be the first cruise line to implement Brenock’s IMS solution.

Brenock IMS will increase the efficiency of planning logistics and managing costs across Virgin Voyages’ fleet, streamlining staffing, resources and invoices for each voyage. The one-platform tool also offers fuel and berth reservation management and marine port call tracking. All capabilities are automated, allowing real-time reporting across every stage of the voyage.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Virgin Voyages and support planning and management across their voyages,” said Manus Walsh, President and Founder of Brenock Technology. “We’re excited to have Virgin Voyages go live will our full suite of cruise planning solutions. We know the importance of having real-time access to operational data at every stage of the cruise lifecycle. Our cloud-based automated solutions enable unmatched visibility to help Virgin Voyages provide seamless and quality experiences for its team, voyage crew and trusted customers.”

Brenock is a trusted solutions provider for the cruise industry, with partners including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn and P&O Australia. Brenock’s five-year agreement with Virgin is another milestone in its mission to provide robust lifecycle management solutions that keep clients sailing smoothly.

MacGregor receives a large access equipment order for a cruise vessel

Details

Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has received a large order for a comprehensive package of access equipment for a cruise vessel, which will be built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France.

The order was booked into Cargotec’s 2023 second quarter orders received. The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the shipowner during the fourth quarter of 2025.

MacGregor’s scope of supply encompasses design, hardware and commissioning of lifting and other platforms, shell doors, hatch covers and automatic gangways.

“I’m happy to see the cruise business starting to recover after the Covid pandemic and that the shipowners yet again want to invest in new vessels. I’m proud to see that the shipowner and Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard trust us in delivering access solutions to this new cruise vessel,” says Magnus Sjöberg, Senior Vice President, Merchant Solutions, MacGregor.

New approaches for ship design: ECMI rewards the work of a SISSA alumnus in collaboration with Fincantieri

Details

Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Products & services Products & services

Published: 27 June 2023 27 June 2023

Marco Tezzele, an alumnus of SISSA, and a current postdoctoral fellow at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded the prestigious Anile-ECMI 2023 Prize for his outstanding thesis project titled "Data-driven parameter and model order reduction for industrial optimization problems with applications in naval engineering." This project was realized through a collaboration between the mathLab research group at SISSA and Fincantieri.

Tezzele's work aimed to optimize the ship design process through techniques of model and parameter space reduction. In particular, he studied various models used to solve specific problems in naval engineering, such as structural optimization of cruise ships, hull shape optimization for multipurpose vessels and NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) airfoil profiles, and hydroacoustic noise prediction.

The jury highly appreciated his thesis work and unanimously awarded Tezzele the Anile-ECMI 2023 Prize. The prize, established in honour of Professor Angelo Marcello Anile (1948-2007) and jointly funded by ECMI and the Associazione Angelo Marcello Anile, is awarded to a young researcher for excellence in the presentation of a doctoral thesis in industrial mathematics at a European university.

"This award underlines how industrial demands can drive the academic world - by presenting stimulating challenges that lead to highly innovative results capable of advancing the state of the art in applied mathematics. I would like to thank Fincantieri and SISSA for their visionary belief in this project and for their joint efforts to bring it to a successful conclusion," commented Tezzele, who holds an MSc in Applied Mathematics from University of Milan, and a PhD in Mathematical Analysis, Modelling and Applications from SISSA.

 

Tezzele's research has opened new perspectives in the field of industrial optimization for naval engineering, enabling improved design processes and optimized solutions for a wide range of problems. His collaboration with the mathLab research group at SISSA and Fincantieri has demonstrated the importance of synergy between academia and industry in the field of applied mathematics. The PhD was financed by Fincantieri, confirming the company's commitment to fostering technology transfer from academia to industry. A strategy aimed at enhancing mutual expertise with concrete results and increasing the competitiveness of the shipbuilding group.

 

In 2021 Tezzele also received the ECCOMAS best PhD Thesis Award in the field of Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering. He is currently working on a NASA’s University Leadership Initiative project at the Oden Institute.

 

ECMI (The European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry) is a consortium of academic institutions and industrial companies working in collaboration to promote and support the use of mathematical modelling, simulation and optimisation in all areas of social and economic relevance.