Surcontrol implements a robotic plasma cutting line for Navantia, automating the production of naval profiles
Company
Navantia, a leading public company in shipbuilding and advanced technological systems located in Puerto Real, needed to optimize its manufacturing processes by fully modernizing its robotic cutting lines for TBP and TBC profiles. The modernization included digitalization, intelligent automation, and real-time monitoring.
Challenge
Implement an automatic and precise process for cutting long naval profiles—bars of 12 and 24 meters—ensuring exact geometries and continuous production without manual intervention.
The goal was to unify existing cutting standards, incorporate new Korean standards for the SUEZMAX project, and upgrade the line to handle L-type profiles, achieving more efficient, safe, and traceable operations.
Problem
- Manual and slow processes: Profile cutting required constant operator supervision, increasing setup times and the risk of geometric errors.
- Limited application of cutting standards: Existing standards were not fully integrated and did not allow an automatic workflow adaptable to different projects, such as SUEZMAX.
- Lack of process monitoring: No centralized tool existed to visualize robot status, production queues, loaded files, or cutting efficiency.
- Low production scalability: The line did not manage bar queues automatically, reducing throughput and making it difficult to maintain continuous workflow.
Solution
How we do it?
A comprehensive solution was developed based on advanced automation, industrial robotics, and a custom SCADA system for complete line monitoring.
- Robotic plasma cutting process: The robot geometrically models each cut based on the file loaded by the operator, ensuring precision for TBP, TBC, and L-type profiles. Plasma cutting was chosen for its quality in naval construction steel, achieving optimal finishes in structural pieces.
- 50-meter automated line with queue management: A roller line was implemented to transport long profiles and manage bar queues sequentially. Bars are automatically fed into the line, and the robot performs continuous cutting without interruptions.
- Integration of existing and new Korean cutting standards: The solution incorporates all rules necessary for standard projects and specific projects like SUEZMAX, allowing flexible operations adaptable to different ship designs.
- Custom SCADA for monitoring and control: A SCADA system was designed to load cutting files, visualize robot status, supervise production in real time, and analyze operational metrics, improving traceability and decision-making.
Results
- Full automation of the profile cutting process, reducing time and errors
- Complete integration of cutting standards, enabling work on complex projects like SUEZMAX without manual adjustments
- Significant efficiency gains thanks to the queue system and the 50-meter automated line
- Real-time monitoring of the robot and production process via the SCADA system
- Improved cut quality and greater uniformity in parts through plasma use and automatic geometric modeling