Bringing Practical Plasma Solutions to Shipbuilding: Shinwoo Weltec at Offshore Korea 2026

Shipbuilding presents some unique fabrication challenges. Large structures, demanding schedules and frequently changing work areas mean that cutting solutions need to be productive, practical and flexible.

At Offshore Korea 2026, held October 14–16, Shinwoo Weltec, our Premier Partner in South Korea showcased plasma solutions designed around these real-world shipbuilding applications.

Tackling temporary attachment removal

One of the highlights was MAXPRO200^® FlushCut™, demonstrating an application familiar to shipbuilders: removing temporary attachments such as lifting lugs, pad eyes, D-rings and alignment fixtures.

These attachments are essential during fabrication and assembly, but their removal can create significant secondary work.

MAXPRO200 FlushCut uses arc-bending technology to remove attachments close to the base material, helping minimize the grinding required afterward. It can remove metal up to 90% faster and reduce grinding time by up to 40% compared with oxyfuel. Liquid-cooled consumables support cutting mild steel up to 64 mm.

For show visitors, the cut samples provided a tangible way to see how plasma can approach a familiar shipyard task differently.

Bringing automation to the work

Another highlight was a cobot plasma solution mounted on a mobile vehicle.

Mobility can be especially relevant in shipbuilding, where the size of fabricated structures can make bringing the workpiece to a fixed automation cell impractical. Instead, a portable cobot solution creates the possibility of bringing automation closer to the work.

Plasma cobots can support shipbuilding applications such as access-hole and profile cutting, gouging, bevel preparation and temporary attachment removal. Portable configurations can also reduce material handling by allowing the cutting process to move to the material.

It is a practical example of how automation can become more flexible and accessible for work beyond a traditional fixed production line.

From plasma equipment to shipbuilding applications

What made Shinwoo Weltec’s showcase interesting was the emphasis on applications rather than equipment alone.

From cutting and gouging to attachment removal and mobile cobot automation, the exhibit demonstrated different ways plasma technology can address everyday fabrication work.

As shipbuilders look to reduce secondary operations, improve consistency and make better use of skilled labor, the next step forward may not always be a completely new production line. Sometimes it is about applying the right technology to an existing job in a smarter way.

Shinwoo Weltec’s presence at Offshore Korea 2026 offered a practical look at that direction, bringing plasma technology and flexible automation closer to the realities of modern shipbuilding.