In the fabrication of curved steel plates for shipbuilding, post line-heating is widely used to induce plastic deformation by applying local heat and controlling residual stress. However, the process is still dependent on skilled labor and empirical methods, making it difficult to ensure consistent quality and precision. To improve the automation and standardization of the post line-heating process, this study aims to investigate the relationship between heating conditions and the resulting deformation behavior of marine structural steel plates. Experiments were conducted on AH36 steel specimens under 24 different heating conditions, including three plate thicknesses (12mm, 16mm, 20mm), two heating speeds, two gas flow ratios, and two torch tip types. Maximum deformation was measured across 15 locations per case. The results showed that thinner plates exhibited greater deformation, and higher heat input—such as slower heating speed and higher gas flow—led to increased deformation. The 800-type torch tip, with a narrower flame focus, also induced larger deformation than the 1000-type. These findings provide fundamental data for optimizing post line-heating parameters and establishing automated correction processes in shipbuilding applications.

This study investigates the deformation behavior of AH32 steel plates under various line heating conditions in the post line-heating process. A total of 24 experimental cases were conducted by varying material thickness (12mm, 16mm, 20mm), heating speed, oxygen and acetylene flow rates, and torch tip size. Deformation was measured at 35 points per specimen, with emphasis on the maximum deformation at the 300mm X-axis location. The deformation results were classified into three groups: high (≥4.0mm), medium (2.0–3.9mm), and low (≤1.0mm). The results confirmed that material thickness had the greatest effect on deformation, followed by heat input parameters such as heating speed and gas flow rate. High deformation occurred under low heating speed and high flow rate conditions, while low deformation was observed in thick plates with fast heating and low flow rates. These findings highlight the importance of controlling heat input and geometric factors for deformation correction. The data acquired from this study can be utilized as a reference for optimizing automated post line-heating processes in shipbuilding.