Haizea Relies on Welding Automation

Haizea Relies on Welding Automation

In December 2022, Haizea Wind Group, a producer of large metal structures for the wind industry based in Bilbao, Spain, made a major investment in Pemamek welding automation. This investment was a significant part of Haizea’s growth strategy, enabling the company to expand its reach in the offshore wind energy market.

“We come from a legacy of black steel manufacturing, which means working with large parts and minimal automation. To realize our vision and plans, we knew that automation needed to be implemented as much as possible. We also recognized the importance of finding the right partners – those who could collaborate with us and deliver the best solutions in the market. Pemamek, with its renowned expertise and proven track record, is that ideal partner, aligning perfectly with our goals of becoming industry leaders," says Borja de la Rica, General Manager at Haizea Bilbao. “Our relationship with Pemamek began in 2018, and since 2020, we’ve worked closely together to achieve our goals in safety, output and efficiency. This ongoing partnership has been vital in bringing our vision to life”, continues Jos Buijks, Managing Director Foundations at Haizea Bilbao.

Haizea is focused on the production of offshore towers and foundations for the wind industry. According to de la Rica, this requires the right combination of technology, equipment, people and facilities. The challenge lies in the massive plate thickness and big diameter of products like monopiles and transition pieces. To stay competitive in the market, minimizing welding defects and ensuring high deposition rates are essential. Pemamek automation technology provided the solution Haizea needed to streamline and enhance its manufacturing efficiency.

Pioneering solutions for the offshore wind

What Pemamek delivered to Haizea was an extensive range of production systems designed specifically for thick, heavy structures, enhancing the manufacture of extremely large XXXL monopiles with diameters up to 15 meters. The Pemamek equipment is based on well- proven technology that has been developed further to fulfill Haizea’s needs.

At Haizea, there are over 800 employees with diverse training levels and senior expertise. To reduce dependence on manual labor, the company needed the right equipment and solutions to increase efficiency. Pemamek solutions have successfully addressed these challenges.

With the WeldControl 500 software, the technical team can upload WPSs directly into the welding equipment, allowing operators to start working immediately, as everything is preloaded into the interface. This reduces the margin for error and enables welding to be performed independently of the welding technicians. “The three-wire long stick-out has the highest deposit rate on the market. It’s not easy because it stresses the technology to reach such high deposit rates. It takes the technology to the limit. However, we are confident that with the solutions we have implemented, we will reach our goals."

Successful partnership

In close cooperation, the two companies developed equipment specifically tailored to integrate seamlessly with Haizea’s facilities. The size of the equipment is immense – among the largest in the world – and with its high-power consumption, equipment had to be custom-built to ensure a perfect fit.

The future in the wind industry looks bright and as Haizea plans for future expansions, they are already in discussion with Pemamek. Jos Buijks highlights the exceptional collaboration between Pemamek and Haizea, marked by openness and a willingness to embrace new ideas:

“With Pemamek’s unwavering support, including 24/7 technical assistance, we are confident in the success of our current projects and those to come. We're already discussing with Pemamek to develop new machines that will enhance our current plant’s output and
safety. These innovations are crucial for meeting our immediate needs and long-term growth.”

“Our story has been very successful, and I am confident that we will continue building many more new chapters together in the future. If I were to describe our cooperation in one word, it would be 'flow'", de la Rica adds.

(Source: Pemanews)