Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Develops Industry-First Non-Face-to-Face Non-Destructive Quality Inspection Technology in Shipbuilding Sector

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) has developed the shipbuilding industry's first non-face-to-face nondestructive quality inspection technology incorporating digital technology, enabling a revolutionary increase in productivity and safety.

DSME recently developed a digital RT (radiographic testing) technology without the use of film for evaluating the quality of welds in ships and offshore plants, and announced on the 1st that the test results can now be approved remotely by classification societies.

In addition, to apply this technology on-site, DSME held a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony for the development of a system that enables non-face-to-face digital processing from on-site shooting to final approval, together with the world's five major classification societies (ABS, BV, DNV, KR, LR).

Until now, shipbuilders have applied analog RT inspection technology using film to determine the presence of defects in welds necessary for ship and offshore plant construction. When using film, the shooting range was narrow, requiring multiple films to capture one weld area, and the installation and removal of radiation irradiators, as well as repeated installation and removal of films, involved long repetitive work, increasing the risk of radiation exposure.

Previously, classification society inspectors would confirm the films of welds in person after prior arrangement and grant approval. The newly developed technology allows continuous RT inspection simply by installing equipment, similar to shooting with a digital camera, and weld quality can be checked immediately on a monitor. In particular, immediate quality verification upon shooting enables the establishment of a system for non-face-to-face approval through the MOU with the five major classification societies.

This technology is expected to significantly reduce workers' risk of radiation exposure and contribute to productivity improvement by shortening the time required for weld quality inspection.

Starting with this joint development agreement, DSME plans to actively apply the technology in production sites by reflecting detailed requirements from classification societies necessary for inspection execution.