Major domestic shipbuilders are actively pursuing robot adoption. HD Hyundai, in particular, is utilizing more than 200 robots for welding, steel plate cutting, and other operations. The company has determined that robots are necessary to manufacture and deliver on time the four years’ worth of work secured through consecutive orders. As the growing number of robots raises worker anxiety, shipbuilders plan to continue discussions on employment stability through communication with labor unions.

According to industry sources on Feb. 24, as of early this month, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding affiliates have installed a total of 211 robots (industrial and collaborative robots) at shipbuilding sites. This represents a 63.6% increase compared to the same period last year (129 units). By affiliate, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries increased its robot deployment from 73 to 131 units. HD Hyundai Samho installed 80 robots, a 42.9% increase from the same period last year (56 units).

The reason HD Hyundai is actively adopting robots is that work is overflowing. As a result of consistently securing orders since 2022, when the COVID-19 spread subsided, HD Hyundai currently holds three to four years’ worth of work. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding intermediate holding company, secured an order backlog of $63.672 billion as of the end of last year.

HD Hyundai has been continuously hiring personnel to meet delivery deadlines but is still suffering from labor shortages. Robots have emerged as a solution to this problem. Robots installed at shipyards are primarily deployed for steel plate cutting and welding operations. Productivity has further improved as they can operate regardless of time constraints.
HD Hyundai is developing humanoids to utilize robots in more diverse operations. As part of this effort, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HD Hyundai Samho signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last year with LG CNS and Hyundai Robotics on humanoid technology development. The humanoids to be developed are aimed at being deployed in complex tasks such as assembly and painting.

Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries are also actively adopting robots to handle overflowing orders. Hanwha Ocean has deployed approximately 80 collaborative robots at its Geoje facility. Samsung Heavy Industries is also installing robots throughout its docks (construction spaces). Like HD Hyundai, it is also pursuing in-house robot development. Hanwha Ocean has partnered with Hanwha Robotics, and Samsung Heavy Industries agreed last year with Rainbow Robotics to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-equipped welding robots.

Domestic shipbuilders are expected to continue actively utilizing robots going forward. This is because while shipbuilding volume that must be constructed to meet delivery dates is overflowing, the workforce willing to work at shipyards has decreased compared to previous years. Shipyard production positions are considered one of the job categories shunned by young people due to high work intensity, including having to wear heavy work clothes even in hot weather.

While the number of robots to be installed at shipyards is expected to increase, the industry believes robots will have difficulty completely replacing existing jobs. Human skills are still needed for detailed work such as installing various equipment in narrow interior spaces. Nevertheless, shipbuilder labor unions are concerned about job losses due to robot adoption.

Shipbuilders are making various efforts to alleviate worker anxiety. Early this month, labor and management at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries formed a consultative body to jointly respond to manufacturing environment changes such as automation and robot adoption. This consultative body was established with the purpose of labor and management putting their heads together for employment stability during the smart shipyard transition process. Hanwha Ocean is also continuously explaining the purpose of robot adoption to its union.
Source: Business Korea