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MHI, Nippon Steel Examine HTSS and Containership Construction
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Nippon Steel Corporation have jointly developed a technology to use higher tensile strength steel (HTSS) with yield stress of 47 kgf/mm2 for the longitudinal strength member of supersized containerships. According to the shipbuilders, this is the world's first application of the 47 kgf/mm2 HTSS in a containership. New containerships are increasing in size, and accordingly, the steel plates used for larger ships are also becoming thicker. However, when plates become thicker, toughness tends to decline. Use of the new HTSS, which has successfully achieved toughness in addition to increased strength and reduced thickness, will not only contribute to improvements in weight reduction and fuel efficiency, but also increase the reliability of the ship's hull. The containership will be built at MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works while the HTSS steel plate will be produced at Nippon Steel's Oita Works. The 47 kgf/mm2 HTSS is the world's highest strength steel plate for the hull of commercial ships, according to the Japanese companies. In addition to improved hull safety with higher toughness steel, the reduced volume of steel and resultant lighter ship weight will allow greater deadweight. Currently, the highest strength steel plate being used for commercial ships is 40 kgf/mm2 HTSS, introduced 15 years ago. In general, an increase in the thickness of a plate and the enhancement of strength are accompanied by reduced toughness, however, Nippon Steel's special production technology has enabled simultaneous achievement of both strength and toughness. Nippon Steel has developed the new HTSS by applying its ThermoMechanical Control Process (TMCP) technology, a production process that concurrently enhances strength, toughness and weldability of steel through hot rolling and online water-cooling. The company has verified the safety of the steel through evaluation and detailed testing very similar to actual hull structure by using a test facility with giant tensile capacity of 8,000 tons. Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (Class NK) also participated in the development. MHI designed the hull structure, leveraging characteristics of the steel and realizing increased safety for the hull structure through optimization such as reduced plate thickness, and steel and welding arrangement. In general, weldability deteriorates in relation to increasing strength. One of the features of the new HTSS is excellent weldability equivalent to 40 kgf/mm2 HTSS. MHI has established the most suitable welding method for the new HTSS by conducting various welding tests, including two-electrode VEGA (Vibratory Electro Gas Arc) welding, jointly developed by MHI, Nippon Steel Corporation and Nippon Steel & Sumikin Welding Co., Ltd.
For more information h.ikuno@daiya-pr.co.jp 16 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News
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