HHI announced on November 3 its newly developed digital welding technologies will substitute conventional analogue welding system which has been used for more than 40 years in the shipbuilding industry, from 2011. By 2015 all welding process will be digitalized.

The digital welding process will improve productivity by 20 percent reducing 1 million manpower hours on welding each year, which is equivalent to welding five 300,000DWT VLCCs. HHI expects this will reduce costs by more than USD 100 million.

The new technology will digitalize data gathered from welding machines, transmitters, carriages and cable adopting digital communication and control systems. As the digital welding system will monitor voltage and electric current involved in welding via LCD screen, it will dramatically increase productivity and quality. The system also lets operators address malfunctions much quicker than before.

HHI expects the new welding system will increase the quality of finished products and bring significant changes in equipment management and welding data stroage. The digital welding system will also save 10 percent of welding cost by using less cable to complete work of greater calibre.

"We belive this digital welding system will boost HHI's competitiveness by meeting growing quality standards." said Kim Hyunchul, vice president of HHI.