Cochin Shipyard and SFO Technologies Unveil India’s First Home‑Made Hybrid Laser‑Arc Welding System

Cochin Shipyard Limited and SFO Technologies Private Limited have launched India’s first indigenously designed hybrid laser‑arc welding system.

What Happened

The launch took place during the opening of the Advanced Laser Engineering Centre and HLAW R&D facility at NeST Hitek Park in Kalamassery. The inauguration was led by Jose V.J., chairman and managing director of CSL, and N. Jehangir, chairman and managing director of SFO Technologies.

Details

The hybrid system blends laser welding, conventional arc welding, robotics and advanced automation. It uses a high‑power fibre laser source that SFO Technologies developed in‑house. The system’s robotics allow precise positioning of the welding head, reducing human error. Automation enables continuous operation with minimal supervision, lowering labor costs. Developers say the setup can weld faster, reach deeper penetration, cause less distortion and keep weld quality more uniform. By delivering deeper penetration, the welds can be thinner yet stronger, which is valuable for building large tanks and railway wagons. They expect the technology to raise productivity in shipbuilding, defence, heavy engineering, railways, energy and other strategic manufacturing such as large tanks and wagons. The developers highlighted that the fibre laser source was created using domestic components, marking a step toward self‑reliance in advanced manufacturing. The launch aligns with national initiatives to boost indigenous technology in strategic sectors.

Context

Hybrid laser‑arc welding combines the precision of laser heat with the versatility of traditional arc methods, a mix that many countries import. Building it locally aims to cut reliance on foreign equipment and support India’s growing heavy‑industry base.