Scaling Up to XXL Foundations

Fabrication Insights from Idesa and Davi

Offshore Fabrication: Lessons from IDESA and Davi

Story overview

Founded in 1993 as a Technical & Commercial office to support local manufacturing shops in the Oil & Gas business, IDESA has become one of the most recognized and respected companies for the design, fabrication and supply of static and modular equipment worldwide.

Website

https://www.idesa.net/index.php

Location

Spain

Industry

Wind Energy , Oil & Gas and Nuclear

Related products

MCB , CUSTOM AUTOMATED LINES

The Challenge

As offshore wind turbines scale past 15 megawatts, the dimensions of monopiles, transition pieces, and jacket legs are pushing heavy-fabrication facilities to their limits. Working with heavy-walled steel plates often exceeding 100 mm (4 in.) introduces significant manufacturing risks.

The primary challenge during the heavy-rolling cycle is structural deflection. Under immense bending forces, both the machine frame and the rolls deflect, which can result in an unwanted "camber" or barrel effect on the cylindrical shell. If this geometric deviation is not precisely corrected during the re-rolling and calibration phase, the longitudinal and circumferential joints will not align perfectly during downstream welding, causing assembly bottlenecks, costly rework, and severe project delays. For heavy fabricators managing multi-million-dollar offshore contracts, any unscheduled production halt poses a major threat to operational continuity and delivery timelines.

The Solution

Geometrical and Hydraulic Symmetry via the MAV Series

To eliminate structural deflection variables and streamline the calibration process, Spanish industrial fabrication leader Idesa partnered with Davi to integrate a high-capacity MAV (Three-Roll Variable Axis Plate Roll) into their production operations.

The Davi MAV system overcomes structural distortion through a combination of engineered features:

Full Hydraulic and Geometrical Symmetry: For machines engineered with a pressing capacity above 3,000 tons, Davi utilizes a unique "pull-pull" configuration. Two identical hydraulic cylinders pull the top roll down from below, compressing the compact frame instead of stretching it. This design minimizes structural distortion and guarantees an even load distribution along the entire width of the plate.
Variable Interaxis Technology: The MAV operates conceptually like a press-brake, allowing for individual horizontal movement of both side rolls and vertical movement of the top roll. This geometric flexibility enables operators to adjust the width between the bottom rolls dynamically based on plate thickness, optimizing the leverage arm during calibration and re-rolling.
Patented Servo-Tronic System: Oil flow and pressure to each roll cylinder are mechanically synchronized through dedicated pumping circuits supported by high-speed electro-valves. This independent, dual parallelism control ensures that the rolls remain perfectly parallel at all times—even in the event of an electronic failure—preventing unplanned shop downtime.

The Results

Eradicated Downstream Rework

Perfect rolls parallelism and structural rigidity ensure that extra-large cylindrical and conical shells are formed with precise dimensional tolerances. This guarantees a flawless fit-up during longitudinal and circular welding, completely eliminating manual post-rolling corrections.

Shortest Flat Ends

Motorized top and side rolls provide optimal torque transmission without the risk of plate slippage. Operators can pinch the heavy sheet exactly at the tangent point to achieve the shortest flat end, saving material and reducing pre-bending cycle times.

Enhanced Shop Floor Safety

The MAV’s progressive bumping mode provides precise geometrical step-by-step forming under full CNC control, keeping operators at a safe distance from moving heavy components.

The Technical Credibility Milestone: Over 300 Global Wind Industry References
Davi’s vertical industry expertise is backed by more than 300 heavy-duty installations operating across the global wind energy sector, representing roughly 70% of the plate roll market for wind tower and foundation manufacturing. Every heavy-duty system is designed and manufactured under strict certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) at our headquarters in Cesena, Italy. This stable foundation is supported by our dedicated long-term service structure, providing 24/5 remote support and rapid spare parts availability from a massive inventory of over 11,000 stock items to protect your manufacturing continuity.

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