Shipbuilding and marine fabrication involve a wide range of activities, from structural steelwork and welding to mechanical installations and electrical fit-outs. These projects present some interesting challenges when it comes to temporary lighting, and traditional work lights can be inefficient. It's one of the more specialised applications we're seeing for the Quipt Site Light.
Even Light Distribution
One of the biggest differences between conventional floodlights and continuous LED strip lighting is how the light is distributed. Rather than relying on individual light sources positioned around a workspace, an LED reel can be installed along the length of an area to provide a more consistent spread of illumination along its length.
Long, narrow work areas are common in vessel construction, including internal passageways, corridors between bulkheads, machinery spaces, service tunnels and access routes within the hull. Running a continuous length of LED lighting can help light these spaces without placing multiple standalone units along the floor.
The Quipt 240V Site Light is available in 15m, 25m and 50m lengths, with compatible runs able to be linked up to 100m. This gives crews flexibility when lighting longer/larger work areas, as well as helping reduce harsh shadows created by complex structures.
Keeping Lighting Above the Work Area
Floor space can be valuable, especially where trades are moving tools, materials and equipment through narrow access points.
Suspending temporary lighting overhead can help keep work areas clearer and reduce the need for freestanding lighting equipment. Depending on the vessel's construction, lighting runs can be positioned along suitable bulkheads, structural frames or other supports to follow the shape of the work area. This can be particularly useful where curved hull sections and internal structures make conventional lighting placement difficult.
The Site Light's flexible format allows it to follow suitable structural routes rather than being limited to a fixed stand or a single directional beam. It must be properly secured and supported at intervals no greater than 1.5m.
Adapting as Construction Progresses
Temporary lighting isn't always installed once and left untouched for the entire project. As new compartments are constructed, equipment is installed and different trades move through the project, your lighting needs can change.
An LED cable lighting system can be relocated and adapted to suit the next stage of work, making it useful throughout different phases of marine construction.
Learn More: Temporary Strip Lighting Installation Guide
Lighting for Shipyards and Large Fabrication Workshops
Not all marine fabrication takes place inside a vessel. Large shipbuilding projects often begin in fabrication workshops, where steel sections, structural assemblies and other components are manufactured before being transported for installation.
These facilities can have high ceilings, extensive floor areas and multiple workstations operating simultaneously.
Temporary LED light strips can be useful for supplementing existing lighting, particularly in areas where large components obstruct fixed light sources or where the layout of the workspace changes regularly. You can also fill in the gaps for quick tasks or small work areas with our Battery Lights.
Important Considerations for Marine Environments
Marine construction environments can expose equipment to moisture, dust, physical impacts and, in some circumstances, corrosive conditions.
The Quipt Site Light has an IP65 rating, providing protection against dust ingress and water jets under the conditions covered by that rating. However, IP65 does not mean the light is waterproof when submerged or should be subjected to prolonged saltwater exposure.
Shipbuilding may also involve confined spaces, hot work, flammable vapours and other hazardous conditions. Temporary electrical equipment must be selected and installed according to the specific risks of the work area.
One of the things we've learned from seeing the Site Light used across different industries is that temporary lighting requirements often have more in common than you might expect.
Whether it's a commercial building, an underground work area or a ship under construction, the challenge is often the same: getting good light where it's needed, without making the working environment more difficult to navigate.
For shipbuilders and marine fabricators, continuous LED lighting offers an alternative to relying exclusively on individual floodlights, particularly in long, narrow or enclosed work areas where traditional lighting setups can be impractical.
