Offshore Fabrication: Lessons from IDESA and Davi

IDESA, based in Avilés, Spain, is well known in the heavy fabrication sector for its work in offshore energy and pressure vessels. Facing growing demand and increasingly complex projects, the company sought to modernize its production line. A central focus was the rolling stage, where inefficiencies had been limiting throughput and precision.

After evaluating options, IDESA selected Davi’s MCB four-roll plate rolling machine. This system was designed to handle exceptionally thick and wide plates while maintaining tight tolerances and faster cycle times. The choice reflected IDESA’s need for both productivity and quality in projects ranging from offshore wind to petrochemical equipment.

The implementation delivered tangible improvements:

· Increased efficiency: Cycle times per rolled plate were reduced, easing bottlenecks and enabling smoother production flow.

· Enhanced precision: Digital controls and adaptive roll sequencing minimized deviation and reduced the need for corrective rework.

· Workflow integration: The system aligned with IDESA’s upstream plate preparation and downstream welding stations, improving overall plant efficiency.

· Operator support: Automated functions reduced reliance on manual adjustments, ensuring consistent results and lowering training requirements.

For IDESA, these gains translated into higher output, lower costs, and the ability to tackle larger, more complex contracts with confidence.

The relevance of these results to offshore projects is clear. The sector’s fabrication demands are among the most challenging in heavy industry, and the lessons from IDESA illustrate how rolling technology can provide a competitive edge.

1. Meeting Tolerance Demands at Scale

Offshore components require exact curvature to ensure proper fit-up during welding and assembly. Davi plate rolling minimizes risks by using closed-loop feedback and adaptive controls to compensate for springback and material variability.

2. Enabling Higher Production Volumes

Fabrication yards are under pressure to deliver components in series, sometimes at unprecedented volumes. By reducing cycle times, modern rolling systems help balance production lines and prevent bottlenecks that slow down downstream processes.

3. Handling New Materials and Thicknesses

The demand now is for stronger steels and thicker plates to withstand harsher marine environments. Machines capable of exerting higher forces without compromising precision allow fabricators to take on these challenges with confidence.

Davi’s plate rolling solutions incorporate innovations relevant for offshore applications:

· Four-roll configuration with planetary guides: Ensures tighter grip on the plate, precise pre-bending, and faster rolling sequences compared with traditional systems.

· Adaptive digital controls: Continuously monitor forces and geometry, compensating for material springback.

· Remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance: Support uptime in fabrication yards where reliability is essential.

· Integration with automation: Facilitates in-line measurement, and data flow across the production chain.

These features enable fabricators to address today’s challenges while preparing for future requirements, such as larger diameters and thicker plates.

The experience of IDESA with Davi’s solutions highlights the potential of advanced rolling machines. By increasing throughput, ensuring accuracy, and reducing downstream bottlenecks, such systems provide the foundation for the efficient, reliable fabrication of the massive structures that will power the next generation of offshore structures.

Note: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of offshoreWIND.biz.