Recently, Huagong Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huagong Tech") officially commenced construction on the "Weihai Base Cutting and Blanking Workshop Automated Production Line" project, developed in collaboration with Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wuhu Shipyard"). The two parties will continue to deepen cooperation in the areas of production line automation and intelligent logistics.
Wuhu Shipyard is a leading modern shipbuilding enterprise in China, renowned for its strong technical capabilities and rich experience, having achieved numerous industry firsts and earning the reputation of a “century-old shipyard.” In response to China’s surging automobile exports and the booming global market for car carriers, Wuhu Shipyard plans to establish a green marine engineering technology base in Weihai to address the “bottleneck” in auto export shipping. With a total investment of RMB 3 billion, the project will mass-produce 7,000-car PCTC vessels and 80,000-ton Panamax bulk carriers. Once operational, it is expected to achieve an annual output value of RMB 5 billion.
In this project, Huagong Tech is responsible for delivering the automated production line for the cutting and blanking workshop at the Weihai base. The project integrates shipbuilding-specific processes such as process data interpretation, inkjet marking, bevel cutting, edge rounding, and semi-finished product logistics. It realizes full automation from nesting drawing analysis, steel plate marking and coding, automatic cutting, sorting, beveling, edge rounding, and in-line stacking and buffering. The intelligent production line incorporates smart cranes, AGVs, roller tables, chain conveyors, leveling machines, cutting machines, robotic beveling machines, vision-based sorting systems, automatic loading/unloading devices, dust collection systems, and scrap processing devices—designed to meet environmental protection requirements. The layout is tailored to the segmented construction features of shipbuilding and is suitable for various ship types including bulk carriers, MR tankers, and PCTCs.
Shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment play a vital role in exploring and utilizing ocean resources. Currently, many domestic shipyards are transitioning from automation to intelligent manufacturing. In October last year, Huagong Tech signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., focusing on top-level planning for intelligent shipbuilding, workshop upgrades, laser process research, and industrial internet integration. The commencement of the Weihai project marks another milestone for Huagong Tech in the field of high-end ship construction.
China’s shipbuilding industry has ranked first globally in market share for 13 consecutive years. In the coming years, the country will see a wave of deliveries of large container ships and LNG carriers, as the newbuild market remains active. Huagong Tech will continue to contribute to the high-end shipbuilding sector by accelerating the implementation of integrated laser manufacturing solutions for hull structures and advancing green, intelligent technologies. With strong momentum, Huagong Tech is charting a bold course toward maritime excellence.
