San Diego, US-based shipbuilding company General Dynamics NASSCO has announced that it has commissioned its new panel line to expand its steel production capabilities for the construction of commercial and government ships in San Diego.
According to the company statement, the new panel line enables distortion-free welding of plates as thin as five millimeters to produce lighter, more energy-efficient ships. The new facility uses hybrid laser arc welding and numerically-controlled robots to mill, seam and weld steel panels in a highly-automated production line and is expected to double steel processing rates.
Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics NASSCO, highlighted that the facility is currently the only one in the world with its technological capabilities.