Showing papers on "Shipbuilding published in 1997"

Spanish Naval Power, 1589-1665: Reconstruction and Defeat

Abstract: Preface Introduction: the rise and fall of Spanish naval power Part I. Money and Materials: 1. Funding the fleets 2. Counting the trees: the conservation of Spain's forests 3. Shipbuilding 4. Preparing to sail Part II. Personnel: 5. Officials of the quill 6. Counting the crews 7. Officers and men Conclusion: towards an explanation Appendices.

Advanced welding robot system to ship hull assembly

Abstract: Robotics automation has increasingly been used in Japanese shipbuilding companies in accordance with the change of the circumstances i.e. a decreasing of labor force and wage hikes, especially for arc welding at hull block assembly stage. In order to get good cost performance for the investment, the hull production system should be reviewed as suitable to the robot system, and it is necessary to modify and add some functions to the standard model of welding robots. Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (IHI) has developed a new production system Unit panel and slit process, which is suitable for production automation, and has developed a fully automated robot welding system at the assembly stage. The system includes an automatic material transfer system, robot positioning system and NC (off-line) teaching system. The system has been successfully applied at IHI shipyard.

Robot welding in shipbuilding

Abstract: Examines the challenges facing the shipbuilding industry today and details the solution offered by a consortium of three German companies. It is based on the prefabrication of sub‐assemblies on production lines in which automation is critical to the economics. Describes welding robots playing a key role in this approach and the robot systems supplied to one German shipbuilder. Also important to cost effectiveness is a new high speed welding process that uses two wires in the weld torch, enabling productivity to be at least doubled. Another necessity is an off‐line programming and simulation system, specifically developed for the shipbuilding industry, that is typified by one‐off and low volume manufacture.

Ships for the Seven Seas: Philadelphia Shipbuilding in the Age of Industrial Capitalism

Abstract: Between the Civil War and World War I, Philadelphia emerged as the vital centre of American shipbuilding This work explores this complex industry, from the workshop level to subcontracting networks spanning the Delaware valley It describes entrepreneurial strategies and industrial change that facilitated the rise of the major shipbuilding firms; how naval architecture, marine engineering, and craft skills evolved as iron and steel took over wood as the basic construction material; and how changes in domestic and international trade and the rise of the American steel navy helped generate vessel contracts for local builders The book also examines the military-industrial complex in the context of naval contracting Contributing to the current debates in business history, this text explains how proprietary ownership and batch production strategies enabled late 19th-century builders to supply volatile markets with custom-built ships But large-scale naval construction in the 1920s eroded production flexibility, the author argues, and since then, ill-conceived merchant marine policies and naval contracting procedures have brought about a structural crisis in American shipbuilding and the demise of the venerable Philadephia shipyards

Information models and functions for CIM in shipbuilding

Abstract: In order to make significant progress in design and manufacturing systems, all industries must consider integration. This paper considers information models and functions for a computer integrated design and manufacturing system in shipbuilding. The authors propose the product model and several alterative functions for designing a ship's structure, and develop a “ship definition system for computer integrated design and manufacturing.” This system is called SODAS (System of Design and Assembly for Shipbuilding). An object-oriented concept is used to develop this system. In order to define a ship's structure, the authors propose the product models of “parts member” and “parts connection,” and the product models of “Room,” “Unit,” and “Module” are introduced to define the compartments, internal structures and intermediate products of a ship. Therefore, all information about a product from the design to the production stage is stored in the product model. As well as the product model, the “design function,” “cutting function,” and “virtual assembling function” are introduced. By using the design function, any type of ship's structure can be designed, and by using the cutting function, the design of a ship's structure can be cut into smaller elements. By using the virtual assembling function, a simulation of the manufacture of a ship's structure can be carried out.

The Shipbuilding Industry in the East and West: Industry Dynamics, Science and Technology Policies and Emerging Patterns of Cooperation

Abstract: Shipbuilding has changed from a "heavy industry" to become a capital- and technology-intensive activity over the last decades While Japanese, South Korean and Western European yards dominate the merchant shipbuilding market so far, Eastern European yards are increasingly active, in particular in low and medium complex ships We develop a market analysis and identify the axes of competition in international civil shipbuilding From there, we analyze the restructuring process of Eastern European yards Polish yards have proceeded with relatively quick enterprization, establishing strong links to domestic and international suppliers Restructuring in Russian and Ukrainian yards is blocked by local obstacles to enterprization, leading to increasing competitiveness gaps with CEE-yards We conclude that a science & technology policy should be demand-oriented and target only the clearly identified obstacles to enterprization

Mid-Term Sealift Ship Technology Development Program: Design-for-Production R&D for Future Sealift Ship Applications

Abstract: The NAVSEA Mid-Term Sealift Ship Technology Development Program (MTSSTDP) has been tasked by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations in charge of Strategic Sealift (N-42) to investigate technologies and design concepts that would improve performance and reduce the cost of future ships useful to the Navy for military sealift. A major area of concentration has been design-for-production or ship producibility. This area of the program required the Navy to obtain extensive industrial involvement from both domestic and international sources. A thorough description Is presented of the plans, objectives and accomplishments of the five producibility-related tasks. Topics covered are: generic build strategy, product work breakdown structure, production-oriented cost estimating, engine room arrangement modeling, and global standards development. In addition, other aspects of the program to be covered are the use of industry-led teams, the implementation of integrated product approaches, and the application of risk-based technologies.

Flexible Robotics for Shipbuilding

Abstract: A twelve-member team is developing a new paradigm in shipbuilding robotics. The consortium, led by CYBO Robots in conjunction with the Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP), includes shipyards, hightech companies, technical institutes, universities, and federal agencies. The objective is to create and implement robotic technology that allows shipyards to move confidently into automated production of both commercial and combatant vessels, while making maximum use of existing facilities and personnel. Keys to the effort are reliable, easy-to-run robots driven by open-architecture controllers which develop robot path programs directly from the CAD model of the ship. Examples of applications for these robots are shown in Fig. 1. Differing from previous approaches, this project attacks the problems which traditionally have kept robots out of U.S. shipyards, and provides flexible solutions to organizations with limited financial resources and automation experience. This paper describes how the program is developing new approaches to the issues of component fit-up, part dimensional tolerances, and robot programming, as well as portability, usability, and acquisition costs. Also presented is the strategy for interconnecting these advanced technologies using a readily available PC-based environment that conforms to emerging open-architecture standards.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium, Paper Number 16: Towards a Generic Product-Oriented Work Breakdown Structure for Shipbuilding

Abstract: : U.S. Navy ship acquisitions are currently managed using the Ship Work Breakdown Structure, or SWBS, which decomposes ships by separating out their operational systems. This was effective in an era when the entire ship procurement program was physically accomplished using a ship system orientation. However, this is no longer the case and the right type of design and management information is not being collected and analyzed under SWBS. This paper reports the results of a cooperative effort on the part of shipyards, academia, and the Navy to develop a generic product-oriented work breakdown structure. This new work breakdown structure is a cross-shipyard hierarchical representation of work associated with the design and production of a ship using today's industry practice. It is designed to (a) support design for production trade-offs and investigation of alternative design and production scenarios at the early stages of ship acquisition, (b) supply a framework for improved cost and schedule modeling, (c) translate into and out of existing shipbuilding work breakdown structures, (d) incorporate system specifiers within its overall product-oriented environment, (e) improve data transfer among design, production planning, cost estimating, procurement, and production personnel using a common framework and description of both the material and labor content of a ship project, and (f) provide a structure for 3-D product modeling data organization.

Development of a welding protocol for automated shipyard manufacturing systems

Abstract: Robotic manufacturing systems have provided improvements in productivity and quality in the automotive and semiconductor industries. Shipbuilding, however, is a one-of-a-kind manufacturing process and as such embodies a completely different set of problems than the mass production environment. The planning for robotics applications in shipbuilding must be done for each unique component and, therefore, must be done efficiently to achieve the benefits of automation. This will require a close relationship between computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), and the manufacturing systems used on the waterfront. One of the major efforts to be performed is the integration of these processes through the timely presentation of information. One of the tools that can be used to integrate these processes is the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). This paper will identify the relevant components of a STEP applications protocol (AP) for welding which can be applied to shipbuilding and outline the efforts required to bring it into existence.

Advanced Double Hull Structural Design Technology

Abstract: The Mid-Term Sealift Ship Technology Development Program is a multiyear research and development effort to examine promising technologies for application to construction of sealift ships. One of the goals of this program is to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. shipbuilders by investigating a new method of hull construction that would be easier and cheaper to build and preoutfit. The concept consists of a long-spanned, unidirectionally-stiffened structural system where the main structural elements are arranged longitudinally This technology is referred to as advanced double hull (ADH). This paper describes the second year of study in which a new design criterion was applied. This criterion was based upon the results of structural testing and analysis conducted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) to determine the ultimate strength of cellular structure. A full ship finite element model was developed to help validate the structural criteria.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium. Paper No. 2: Shipyard Operational Improvement through Process Management

Abstract: : Under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Maritech Program, the project, titled "Process Improvement Testbed for Shipyard Constructions, Conversion and Repair," is applying state-of-the-art agile manufacturing and process improvement technology to ship construction, repair, and maintenance. DARPA's Agile Manufacturing Program has sponsored the development of a prototype suite of software tools called ProcessTOOLS, for use in modeling, scheduling, enactment, and simulation functions necessary for enterprise management. ProcessTOOLS is unique, however, in that all the functions are integrated into a single package and utilize a common representation. Using processTOOLS, a shipyard maintains an accurate model of its operations, utilizes advanced scheduling techniques to assign process steps to shipyard resources, manages the execution of processes according to schedule, accurately monitors the status of processes in real-time, and simulates the shipyard forward in time form its current state to assess the impacts of a contract award, to forecast the effects of changes in internal processes, and to evaluate the probable delivery date of an order. By modeling a repair or construction job prior to bidding, ProcessTOOLS facilitates more detailed planning during estimation, which results in a more realistic bid. By providing continually updated status during production, Process TOOLS expedites just-in-time deliver of labor, material, and equipment to the job. Event information is archived as it happens during production to form a rich source for accurately measuring performance and realistically supporting future estimates.

Development of STEP Ship Model Database and Translators for Data Exchange Between Shipyards

Abstract: Effective data exchange of product model data is essential for future competition in the global marketplace. Many efforts have been undertaken in recent years to establish a transfer mechanism for product model data in the Shipbuilding industry. These include the development of the STEP (STandard for the Exchange of Product model data) Standard, creation of the NIDDESC Application Protocols, and efforts of the European NEUTRABAS and MARITIME Projects. The ARPA/MARITECH Project for Development of STEP Ship Product Model Database and Translators for Data Exchange Between Shipyards provides a unique opportunity to attempt to implement the still developing Standards for Product Model Exchange and to enable their use for data exchange between the major US Shipyards. The project will create and populate a prototype product model database, develop translators for exchange of product model data between Shipyards, and facilitate adoption of the Shipbuilding Application Protocols as part of the emerging International Standard (STEP). These ambitious goals are being undertaken by a consortium of US Shipbuilders, their CAD vendors, and STEP experts. The participants will help develop a product model data exchange capability for the entire Shipbuilding industry, while they enhance their own ability to compete in the global marketplace.

The Impact of Technological Change on the Economic Viability of Individual Production Centers: The Case of the 1840-1880 British Ocean-Going Iron and Steam Shipbuilding Industry.

Abstract: This dissertation examines the relationship between technological change and spatial industrial restructuring through a case study of the 1840-1880 British ocean­ going iron and steam shipbuilding industry. The study tests the hypothesis that a shipbuilding center's share of the national British shipbuilding market was associated with its ability to generate or rapidly adopt technological change. The study begins by establishing iron steamship technological changes introduced by British shipbuilders and the industry's attendant spatial restructuring. It then develops two site-specific variables: industrial viability and innovative ability. Data for both variables are obtained from the Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping. The industrial viability variable ranks each shipbuilding center's annual share of the total national shipbuilding market in terms of its being a high, medium or low market share center. Innovative ability establishes each center’s level of technological sophistication, in terms of either a technological leader or laggard, based on significant component technologies. These technologies are identified through a series of multiple regression models which, in addition to identifying significant technologies, allow for the testing of key assumptions in the historical literature regarding 1840-1880 British iron steamship technological change. The relationship is assessed by testing for a statistical association between the industrial viability and innovative ability rankings using contingency tables in conjunction

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium, Paper Number 10: Product-Oriented Design and Construction Cost Model

Abstract: : Navy ship cost estimators traditionally estimate the cost of ships using system-based, weight-driven cost models. This approach has proven adequate in estimating the cost of ships with similar designs built using the same processes. However, this approach is not sensitive to changes in production processes, facilities, and advanced manufacturing techniques. In an effort to work more closely with industry to link ship design, manufacturing, schedule and costs, Naval Sea Systems Command sponsored the Product-Oriented Design and Construction (PODAC) Cost Model Project. This paper discusses the efforts and results of the PODAC project to date. The aim of the cost model is to improve techniques for analyzing issues of ship cost reduction, advanced construction techniques, modular construction, new technology benefits, industry consortium and teaming arrangements. The model will enhance the Navy s and industry s ability to provide accurate, timely and meaningful cost feedback from cost analysts to ship designers and from production to design. By better relating to the actual construction process, such as interim products and stages of ship construction, the state of the art can be advanced by providing essential knowledge for effective decision making and program management. This should ensure cost effective choices and enhance the buying power of the Navy within its budget limitations. The PODAC cost model should be an invaluable tool to the shipbuilding industry as it works to improve its global competitiveness.

Reengineering of Small and Medium-Sized Ship Production Facilities: An Example for Turkish Shipbuilding Industry

Abstract: This paper represents a summary of the studies conducted for the development, design and evaluation of several Turkish shipyards' expansion programs In each case, depending on the availability of usable area, existing equipment, machinery and investment limits, different considerations and scenarios needed to be generated During the study, definition of the scope of work and the terms of preference, perceived ship construction logic and capacity requirements are presented and discussed, leading to the selection of the overall layout amongst various alternatives During the plant design and evaluation of selected equipment within the pre-set production targets, various industrial engineering techniques have been extensively used Among the most important of these are the specific studies for line balancing of block production, and simulation of new steel fabrication plant The semi-automated flow type module construction plant was developed for maximizing the throughput and work efficiency in a controlled environment This study indicates that, under proper operation conditions, it is possible to convert an existing shipyard into a third-generation shipyard by a careful application of modern computational tools and through the adoption of an innovative approach

The Shipbuilding Industry in East and West: Industry Dynamics, Science and Technology Policies and Emerging Patterns of Cooperation

Abstract: Shipbuilding has changed from a "heavy industry" to become a capital- and technologyintensive activity over the last decades. While Japanese, South Korean and Western European yards dominate the merchant shipbuilding market so far, Eastern European yards are increasingly active, in particular in low and medium complex ships. We develop a market analysis and identify the axes of competition in international civil shipbuilding. From there, we analyze the restructuring process of Eastern European yards. Polish yards have proceeded with relatively quick enterprisation, establishing strong links to domestic and international suppliers. Restructuring in Russian and Ukrainian yards is blocked by local obstacles to enterprization, leading to increasing competitiveness gaps with CEE-yards. We conclude that a science&technology policy should be demand-oriented and target only the clearly identified obstacles to enterprization.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium. The Virtual Shipyard: A Simulation Model of the Shipbuilding Process

Abstract: : This paper describes a unique software program that simulates the dynamic complexities of the ship construction process. The program called ShipBuild, was developed by Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract sponsored by NAVSEA. The program greatly simplifies the planning and replanning process, making it easy to create a good production plan and keep it current. This simulation model of the shipyard production process captures both the essential physical shipbuilding activities and the essential management decision-making activities that support the physical production processes. The application consists of two independent submodels, a simulation capability and results viewer component. The first submodel identifies the overall shipyard facility and manpower resources and the second identifies the construction tasks required to build a ship. the submodels interact to calculate the specific allocation of resources over time necessary to produce the ship. The output generated from the program provides the durations and manhour loadings of elements of the ship construction process based upon dynamic resource availability. The output (unlike other scheduling programs for which durations are typically input and resource allocations an output) provides both schedule and resource use. Task durations are calculated based upon the manhour requirements, the number of people assigned and their productivity. Output generated by the application can assist Program Managers and Design Engineers in analyzing the manhour cost and schedule impacts of alternative designs and construction sequences. The program can also help to quantify the cost and schedule impact of delay and disruption as well as assist in identifying the most effective management actions to overcome such problems.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium, Paper Number 12: An Integrated Steel Workshop for Shipbuilding: A Real Application of Automation

Abstract: : The paper describes the layout of an innovative automated steel workshop for the manufacturing of ship blocks, recently set up at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard. The system implements the results of a European EUREKA! Research program called FASP-Flexible Automation in Ship Prefabrication. The Various working areas of the shop are described; for each of the new technologies being applied, the level of automation and integration with the other areas is discussed; the advantages obtained are compared with the best typical standards of a traditional production workshop. Inside a full automated workshop, the information support must have a high integration and flexibility level. the two main issues relevant to information technology are described, i.e.: the modular and integrated systems for the design, part program generation and transmission; and the production programming, management and control system.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium. Paper No. 5: Simulation and Visualization Opportunities in the Ship Production and Maritime Environment

Abstract: : This paper provides an introduction to the application of commercial off the shelf (COTS) and PC based simulation and visualization software in the ship production and maritime environment. It is intended to assist the shipyard manager, production engineer, naval architect and marine engineer in identifying simulation and visualization opportunities in the areas of production, project management, training, design, and port evaluation for vessel loading/unloading times. the desired features of simulation and visualization software for maritime applications are discussed, and a sample listing of both maritime and non-maritime simulation efforts is provided. In addition to this general discussion, two projects which utilize these technologies are described.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium. Implementation of Integrated CAD/CAM Systems in Small and Medium Sized Shipyards: A Case Study

Abstract: : The Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, MD implemented a PC/AutoCAD based CAD/CAM system and used it to construct a series of 15 M (49 foot) buoy tenders. Implementing CAD/CAM is primarily a management, rather than technical, challenge. Performance-Based Management Techniques were used to develop the new system as an integrated whole, controlled and documented under ISO 9001. The was cost-effective, required minimum retraining, was fully implemented in a few months, and was appropriate to a small shipyard building boats, but extensible as required to medium sized ships. The authors discuss: 1) The use of Performance-Based Management and team-building techniques to help implement the process; 2) The use of process management techniques to document, control and systematically improved the process in order to remain competitive; 3) The process developed, including methods to allow varying levels of operator skill, geometry, weight and interference control, and development of automation techniques; 4) The lessons learned, the results in productivity improvement, and the future path for continuous improvement.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program, 1997 Ship Production Symposium, Paper No. 21: A Parametric Approach to Machinery Unitization in Shipbuilding

Abstract: : During the past ten years, both U.S. and foreign shipyards have developed advanced unitization concepts that include multi-level assemblies representing large vertical segments of ship machinery spaces. This paper describes a parametrically derived family of large, fully integrated standard machinery units that are applicable over a range of ship types and installed horsepower. The results include a hierarchy of standard units, the selection of standard unit sizes and interfaces, the development of parametric standards for system design, engine room arrangement and structural design, and machinery unit structural and outfitting design. Benchmarking is reported with respect to Japanese and European shipbuilding practices, and with respect to U.S. land-based industrial plant design and construction practices. The proposed unitization concept is demonstrated in a ship-specific engine room arrangement design effort. A business assessment for this unitization concept is presented which addresses its potential shipbuilding cost and schedule impacts as evaluated by three U.S. shipyards.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program. 1997 Ship Production Symposium. Paper No. 27: Use of Variation Merging Equations to Aid Implementation of Accuracy Control

Abstract: : Implementation of accuracy control in U.S. shipyards has encountered a number of impediments. These include the short run nature of shipbuilding, the difficulty in understanding the specifics of data collection, and the difficult in prioritizing data collection efforts. As a part of its return to new construction, with the building of three new Jumbo Mark II Ferries for the State of Washington, Todd Pacific Shipyards was hoping to implement accuracy control. This paper reports on a new approach to the use of variation merging equation as a means of prioritizing data collection efforts. The research, performed by University of Washington researchers in conjunction with Todd personnel, was successful in helping prioritize efforts to improve implementation of accuracy control.

Synthesizing an Approach to Strategy and Structure in Heavy Industry

Abstract: During the 1970's and 80's, heavy industries in North America and Western Europe lost much of their ability to compete against lower cost producers in other regions. During the 1990's, however, some of these industries have been turned around. American and German automobile manufacturers are taking the initiative and recovering market share, and American steel mills are undergoing a strong revival. Other heavy manufacturing industries, however, have failed to recover international competitiveness. Shipbuilding is one example. Most of the remaining large North American and European shipyards depend on various forms of government support. Is this outcome inevitable? It is proposed that this question may be effectively researched using a framework built from engineering, strategic management, and economics concepts. In this paper, the construction of the framework is outlined and ongoing work to test it via application to the shipbuilding industry is briefly described.

The Dynamics of Naval Shipbuilding. A Systems Approach.

Abstract: : The purpose of this paper is to use System Dynamics modeling to examine the Navy Ship Acquisition and Construction process and to increase the knowledge and understanding concerning the management of large Navy shipbuilding projects. System Dynamics captures the many complex facets of ship construction simultaneously and examines their behavior over time. Using simulation, project managers in the Navy and in the private sector can make better, more quantitative decisions.