Following the strong organic growth in the US markets, Pemamek has now delivered PEMA VRWP-C to LaShip. The delivery has been commissioned by Pemamek’s local service team in the US, and production with the robot station is ready to start.
Located in the state of Louisiana, US, LaShip is part of the Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) family of companies and is currently the largest Chouest-affiliated shipyard. LaShip is equipped to accommodate a wide range of new construction projects, as well as repairs, conversions, and refits. Previously, LaShip has acquired the PEMA Panel line and PEMA VRWP robot welding station designed to weld open blocks and double-bottoms.
“LaShip has a competitive edge with our state-of-the-art facility, streamlined panel line and robots for new construction, and large drydock for modifications and repairs. We look to the future to continue fabricating advanced vessels for the oil and gas industry and move forward into the cruise line industry,” said Wally Naquin, LaShip General Manager.
The delivered PEMA VRWP-C robot station is a compact solution to automatize micro panel welding, but also other small-to-medium-sized constructions. The system is based on PEMA WeldControl 200 which enables easy weld path creation and robot programming. Additionally, thanks to the station’s compact size, the commissioning and ramp-up can be completed within one week, whereas training takes another week.
PEMA VRWP-C at work while the operator is supervising. Photo by: LaShip
“The beauty of the PEMA VRWP-C is that it is fast to commission and easy for the customer to learn to use it. It took us one week to install and train the customer. The feature that enables the extremely fast production with the station is the PEMA WeldControl 200 control system,” describes Juho Niemelä, Pemamek’s leading Technical Service Manager in the US.
“The commissioning experience was very educational. The Pemamek technician was very well-trained and helpful in getting the robot functional,” said Naquin.
This will further Chouest and Pemamek’s long history together, as ECO shipyards Navship, Tampa Ship, Gulf Ship, and North American Shipbuilding have invested in PEMA shipbuilding automation solutions.
