Page 36: of Marine News Magazine (August 2024)

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Tech

Files

Tech Files: Shipyard Tools

Shipbuilding is one of the world’s oldest industries, yet this vital sector is constantly evolving. Today, U.S. shipyards are investing to bolster their capabilities as their needs expand and new technologies enter the market.

Nichols Brothers Adds One-sided Welder Baker Industries Increases Capacity

In May, Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) in Baker Industries, a Lincoln Electric company, supplies

Freeland, Wash. said it acquired and was commissioning tooling, shipboard components and advanced contract of a new Ogden One-Sided Seam Welding Machine, in a manufacturing services to OEM and Tier-1 manufactur- move to enhance the yard’s steel fabrication process. The ers in the shipbuilding and maritime industries, among machine, purchased with the support of a $1.2 million others. In July, amid increasing demand for high-precision

MARAD Small Shipyard Grant secured in 2022, enables 5-axis machining of large components in the shipbuilding welding to be done from a single side up to ¾” for a full sector, the company announced an expansion of its CNC class double continuous butt weld, eliminating the need machining arsenal via the acquisition of two additional for time-consuming and labor-intensive double-sided EMCO MECOF Powermill gantry machining centers. welding techniques, NBBB said, noting advanced auto- “Few contract manufacturers have the equipment and ex- mation features and precision welding technology ensure perience to machine such large components and meet very consistent weld quality and accuracy. tight quality requirements. Baker’s existing Powermill, pur-

Gavin Higgins, CEO at NBBB, said, “The One- chased in 2017, is one of North America’s largest 5-axis ma-

Sided Welder represents a signi? cant advancement in chining centers, and it has seen a signi? cant increase in work- ef? ciency and productivity, allowing us to deliver high- load. We knew we needed to increase capacity for large-scale quality steel structures to our clients with unmatched machining by purchasing more equipment of a similar size, speed and precision.” and we chose the Powermills speci? cally due to the strong

Nichols Brothers Baker Industries

NBBB Baker Industries 36 | MN August 2024