How Fincantieri cut deck straightening time with induction heating
Locations: Riva Trigoso (naval vessels) and Monfalcone (cruise ships), Italy
Product: ENRX TERAC induction heating system
Application: Deck and bulkhead straightening
Result: Up to 80% reduction in straightening time versus traditional flame heating
Straightening steel at scale in a world-class shipyard
Welding is unavoidable in shipbuilding — and so is the distortion it causes. Every time a steel deck or bulkhead plate is welded, localised heat creates internal stress that warps the surrounding material. Before a vessel can move to the next stage of construction, that distortion must be corrected.
At Fincantieri, this is not a minor maintenance task. With eight shipyards across Italy and a client list that includes Cunard, P&O, Holland America Line, Disney Cruise Line, and Carnival Corporation, Fincantieri is one of the world's largest and most demanding shipbuilders. Its yard at Monfalcone in northeast Italy — a 750,000 m² facility — specialises in large cruise vessels. Its yard at Riva Trigoso in northwest Italy builds naval vessels to strict Italian Navy specifications, where both quality and cost control are non-negotiable.
Traditional flame heating — using gas burners to apply localised heat to distorted steel — had long been the industry standard for straightening. But flame heating is slow, labour-intensive, and difficult to control precisely. It requires a gas supply, a fire watch, access to both sides of the plate in many cases, and carries inherent safety and emissions risks.
Fincantieri needed a faster, safer, and more controllable alternative.
ENRX TERAC induction straightening
The TERAC uses electromagnetic induction to heat steel from the inside out, from a single side of the plate. There is no open flame, no gas supply, and no combustion fumes. The system automatically stops heating when the steel reaches the Curie temperature, making it impossible to overheat magnetic steel — a critical safety advantage in enclosed shipyard environments.
Why ENRX and why TERAC
ENRX (formerly EFD Induction) has supplied induction-based straightening systems to the shipbuilding industry since 1981, making it one of the most experienced providers of this technology in the world. The TERAC system has been refined over decades of real-world shipyard use across naval, commercial, and cruise vessel construction.
For Fincantieri, this combination of proven technology and deep shipbuilding experience was decisive.
How the TERAC system works
The TERAC is a containerised, turnkey induction heating system. The complete unit — frequency converter, cooling system, operator panel, and inductor tools — ships inside a standard container and requires only an electricity supply to begin work.
Operation is straightforward:
- The deck inductor (approximately 10 kg) is placed directly on the distorted steel surface — no clamping or fixturing required.
- Power level and dwell time are set using controls on the handle.
- Electromagnetic induction heats the steel from the inside out. An 8 mm deck plate heats in approximately 8 seconds.
- The heated steel is corrected while at temperature, then allowed to cool and retain its corrected shape.
The handheld transformer unit (approximately 2 kg) extends this capability to vertical bulkheads, overhead panels, and confined spaces — all from the same base unit, within a standard working radius of 45 metres (extendable to 60 m with the optional extension unit).
Most operators are productive within approximately two hours of training.
Results at Fincantieri
|
Metric |
Outcome |
|
Straightening time reduction |
Up to 80% vs flame heating |
|
Heating time, 8 mm deck plate |
~8 seconds |
|
Operator training time |
~2 hours |
|
Gas supply required |
None |
|
Fire watch required |
None |
|
Access to underside of plate required |
No — single-sided operation |
|
Risk of steel overheating |
Eliminated (automatic Curie-point shutoff) |
Beyond steel: induction straightening for aluminium
About ENRX
ENRX is a global leader in induction heating and inductive power transfer technology, with customers in shipbuilding, automotive, renewable energy, tube and pipe manufacturing, and a range of other industrial sectors. The company has supplied induction-based deck straightening systems to shipyards worldwide since 1981.