Showing papers on "Shipbuilding published in 1980"

The Britannia Bridge: The Generation and Diffusion of Technological Knowledge

Abstract: This book reconstructs the problem solving process involved in the building of the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Straits in northwest Wales. The bridge completed the London to Dublin rail connection, and is a tubular structure of rectangular section large enough for a train to pass through, constructed of riveted wrought iron plate. It was the first encounter of engineers with thin-walled structures subject to buckling. The book traces the flow of this technology to other industries such as shipbuilding and crane construction, machine tools, commercial buildings, and structural engineering generally.

Product work breakdown structure

Abstract: The Product Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS) described herein is based upon that used by Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) of Japan. It has been developed and refined during the construction of over 2,000 ships in the last two decades. Thus, PWBS is not just based on theory. It has been repeatedly proven in shipyards in Asia, Europe and South America and since the original publication of this book in November 1980, in the United States. PWBS employs the logic of Group Technology (GT) which is a method for applying mass production techniques to a variety of products in widely varying quantities. As applied to ship construction, PWBS classifies components to be purchased, parts to be fabricated and planned subassemblies in order to achieve coordinated work flows. In shipbuilding, as in other industries, GT has yielded substantial benefits even when resources remained essentially unchanged. PWBS features unprecedented integration of hull construction, outfitting and painting. Further, it features cost centers which exactly match a zone-oriented organization. The few revisions made in this issue emphasize the interdependency of a product work breakdown, statistical control of accuracy for productivity purposes and line heating. The revisions also include the substitution of pertinent photographs which depict the successful application of a product work breakdown in Avondale Shipyards, Inc.

Merchant Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering

Abstract: Shipbuilding is generally considered a medium-technology assembly industry, a combination of structural and mechanical engineering. Marine engineering is one of the branches of mechanical engineering, mainly producing power plants. In the past it was an industry steeped in tradition and employing large numbers of skilled men on the heavy work of construction. The myth grew up that apprenticeships and inherited skills were necessary for shipbuilding, but this has been destroyed by the rapid growth of new shipbuilding nations, especially Japan (Venus, 1972). In shipbuilding as in other branches of the engineering industry, the most successful countries in recent years have been those which have applied scientifically based innovations to design, particularly of components, and to production methods.

U.s. shipbuilding: the seventies in retrospect —the prospects for the eighties

Abstract: : A continuing decline in the US shipbuilding industry is currently forecast based on projected naval and commercial shipbuilding programs. Of primary concern is that this decline will seriously reduce the mobilization potential of the country and that reductions in the skilled work force will make any required buildup very difficult both in the primary and supporting shipbuilding industries. The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of the shipbuilding industry, recount the factors that led to the current condition, and examine the prospects for proposed changes in government policy which, if enacted, signal major new directions in the shipbuilding industry.

Improving Shipbuilding Productivity Through Industrial Engineering (The National Shipbuilding Research Program)

Abstract: : Provisions of the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 charged the Secretary of Commerce with the responsibility to "collaborate with ... shipbuilders in developing plans for the economical construction of vessels." To accomplish this task, the National Shipbuilding Research Program was established by the Maritime Administration with the responsibility to develop improved technical information and procedures for use by U.S. Shipyards, with the objective of reducing the cost and time for building ships. The Ship Production Committee challenged the industry to (1) develop the role of Industrial Engineering in shipbuilding; (2) implement an improved Industrial Engineering capacity; and (3) assist the U.S. shipyards in formulating standards for shipbuilding. The introduction of Industrial Engineering to shipbuilding or the expansion of the role of Industrial Engineering in shipbuilding continues to the elevation of the level of technology in this industry. There are direct, demonstrable, traceable connections in the progression from high technology to productivity to profitability. This is an economic fact of life which causes some industries to thrive and others to languish or die.

General philosophy behind japanese shipbuilding quality standard

Abstract: After briefly discussing the reasons why Japanese shipbuilding was able to make very substantial progress in the first decade after World War II, the Authors outline the events which led to the inauguration, in 1966, of the Japanese Shipbuilding Quality Standard. The first edition of the JSQS has been followed by revised editions now published every other year, the latest edition being that of 1979. Quality control procedures, often assisted by the voluntary efforts of small groups of workers in a system known as the Zero Defect Movement, are actively pursued in the Japanese yards, and make the JSQS a "living criterion". The article discusses the JSQS and the philosophy on which it is based, and among the aspects considered are:-- hull block construction, and relationship between dimensional accuracy and costs; factors on which the manufacturing standards are based; reliability-theory approach to the relationship between dimensional accuracy and strength ; statistical distribution of measurement data; the tolerance limit value, the more stringent "standard range", and the arrangement ,of the JSQS into divisions Brief information is given on relelvant work being undertaken by committees of the Shipbuilding Research Association of Japan. This work includes research on ship design and construction from the view-point of the "maintenance-free ships required in the future", and the article lists some statistics on the frequency of hull damage due to defects in fabrication. It is mentioned that another committee is investigating the toughness of joints welded by processes with a large heat input, such as electrogas and electro- slag welding, and that the Japan Welding Engineering Society is studying the relationship of welding sequence to crack generation and joint quality. Work is still in progress to improve the JSQS, and the article includes a block diagram of a scheme to this end which takes into account the response of structures to outside forces, includes reliability analysis, and should lead to "truly rational designs".

Developments in Merchant Ships over the Last Decade

Abstract: The Author, of British Shipbuilders, surveys changes in seaborne trade over the past decade, and presents a comprehensive review of developments in merchant ships during the same period. Though the information given refers mainly to the U.K. fleet, it is broadly applicable to the world's fleets. The paper is arranged under the main headings:--A. Background. 1--Introduction. 2--Trading Background (World Trade--U.K. Trade--Passenger Traffic). 3--The U.K. Fleet. B. The Ships. 4--Passenger Ships. 5--Ferries. 6--Cargo Liners. 7--Container Ships. 8--Tankers. 9--Chemical Carriers. 10--Liquid Gas Carriers. 11--Tramps, Ore/Bulk, and Combination Carriers. 12--Roll-On/Roll-Off including Car Carriers. 13--Barge Carriers. C. Propulsion Systems. 14--Steam Plant. 15--Diesel Installations. 16--Other Power Units and Auxiliaries. 17--Fuel Cost. D. Summing Up. Under D., some brief comparisons are made between trends in the development of merchant ships and those of naval vessels. Trends within the merchant fleet are then discussed; they include, on the one hand, a move towards series-produced ships, and on the other hand a move towards specialised cargo-carriers; the challenge facing the shipbuilding industry may be the application of series production to custom-built ships. While there has been, over the decade, an adaptation of the cargo to the ship, as in container operations, there has also been an adaptation of the ship to the cargo, as in roll-on/roll-off traffic; in both cases, the ship becomes a more efficient vehicle. The rise in fuel prices has been so great that increased cost of transport cannot be prevented, but at the same time it provides a fresh incentive to designers and might lead to accelerated developments in propulsion or still greater increases in ship size.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. Proceedings of the REAPS Technical Symposium, Paper No. 8: The Outfit Planning Problem

Abstract: : Shipbuilding as currently practiced in the U.S. commercial shipyards employs very little quantitative modeling or analysis in production planning. This paper presents a brief discussion of the shipubilding process and focuses on one major component which is referred to as outfitting. The outfit planning problem is described in detail and then formally modeled as a generalization of the resource constrained project scheduling problem. The value of the approach as well as barriers to its adoption are also discussed.

Computer aids for ship design, integration and control

Abstract: This paper presents an integrated approach to Computer-Aided Ship Design for U.S. Navy preliminary and contract design. An integrated Hull Design System (HDS), currently under development by the Hull Group of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA 32), is the vehicle for the discussion. This paper is directed toward practicing ship design professionals and the managers of the ship design process. Primary emphasis of this paper, and other development efforts currently under way, is on aiding ship design professionals in their work. Focus is on integration and management control of the extremely complex set of processes which make up naval ship design. The terminology of the Ship Designer and Design Manager is used. The reader needs no familiarity with the technologies of computer science.

Developments in merchant ships over the last decade

Abstract: The Author, of British Shipbuilders, surveys changes in seaborne trade over the past decade, and presents a comprehensive review of developments in merchant ships during the same period. Though the information given refers mainly to the U.K. fleet, it is broadly applicable to the world's fleets. The paper is arranged under the main headings:--A. Background. 1--Introduction. 2--Trading Background (World Trade--U.K. Trade--Passenger Traffic). 3--The U.K. Fleet. B. The Ships. 4--Passenger Ships. 5--Ferries. 6--Cargo Liners. 7--Container Ships. 8--Tankers. 9--Chemical Carriers. 10--Liquid Gas Carriers. 11--Tramps, Ore/Bulk, and Combination Carriers. 12--Roll-On/Roll-Off including Car Carriers. 13--Barge Carriers. C. Propulsion Systems. 14--Steam Plant. 15--Diesel Installations. 16--Other Power Units and Auxiliaries. 17--Fuel Cost. D. Summing Up. Under D., some brief comparisons are made between trends in the development of merchant ships and those of naval vessels. Trends within the merchant fleet are then discussed; they include, on the one hand, a move towards series-produced ships, and on the other hand a move towards specialised cargo-carriers; the challenge facing the shipbuilding industry may be the application of series production to custom-built ships. While there has been, over the decade, an adaptation of the cargo to the ship, as in container operations, there has also been an adaptation of the ship to the cargo, as in roll-on/roll-off traffic; in both cases, the ship becomes a more efficient vehicle. The rise in fuel prices has been so great that increased cost of transport cannot be prevented, but at the same time it provides a fresh incentive to designers and might lead to accelerated developments in propulsion or still greater increases in ship size.