Ship Block Manufacturing

The Foundation of Modern Shipbuilding: Block Construction

Ship block manufacturing is the indispensable production method of today's shipbuilding industry. Unlike traditional keel-up construction, block construction divides a vessel's hull into manageable, prefabricated modules (blocks) that can be produced in parallel and later joined together on the slipway or in dry dock (erection). At CMS AS, through our long-standing partnerships with Turkey's leading shipyards — ASFAT, Anadolu Shipyard, Sedef Shipyard and Kuzeystar — we provide block manufacturing and erection services across a wide range of vessels, from MİLGEM-class corvettes and amphibious assault ships to commercial cargo vessels and special-purpose platforms.

Production Process

Our block manufacturing process begins with approved workshop drawings and cutting lists received from the shipyard. Steel plates and profiles are cut to tolerance on CNC plasma/oxy-fuel lines, followed by sub-assembly, panel fabrication and final block joining.

• Cutting and forming: CNC cutting, edge preparation (bevel), bending
• Panel and profile assembly: pre-weld alignment and tack-welding
• Welding: performed to approved WPS/WPQR procedures by certified welders
• Measurement and verification: dimensional control via 3D laser scanning and jig checks
• In-block outfitting and surface preparation

Quality Control and Standards

Every block is inspected throughout production by classification societies (Lloyd's Register, DNV, Turkish Lloyd, etc.) and shipyard quality teams. Weld seams undergo ultrasonic (UT) and radiographic (RT) testing; dimensional tolerances are verified to millimetre precision. Our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system ensures full traceability for every block — material certificates, welder identification and inspection reports.

Why CMS AS?

Our engineering experience since 1990 has enabled us to take part in critical national defence programs such as the MİLGEM project. At our Gebze/Kocaeli production facility, we have the crane capacity, welding infrastructure and skilled workforce to deliver large-tonnage blocks safely and on schedule.