ADVANCED

OUTFITTING

Presented by:-
Adarsh E.K.
Akhil Anant
Chandan Kumar
Harikrishnan
 Outline
Introduction to Outfitting
•
• Zonal Design Work

• Introduction to Advanced Outfitting

•
• Types of Advanced Outfits

• & Impact of Advanced Outfitting on Shipbuilding Industry

Benefits
•
Conclusion

 Overview

Ship Construction

Structural
Component
Construction Outfitting

Structural
Assembly
Units

Blocks
Ship Rings(Grand Blocks)
 Outfitting
 Installation of various systems & equipments
 Allow the ship to operate and perform various missions
 Occurs during construction of pieces that make the ship or once
those pieces are assembled
 Structural

Piping
Electrical (power
Outfitting distribution))
Outfitting
HVAC

Joinery
Painting & Insulation
 Outfitting (Stages)
Some outfitting must be done during the building
Pre-Outfitting of the structural units or blocks since it would be
difficult and expensive later in const. process.
e.g. Pipe-Work in Double Bottom sections

Advanced Performing outfitting task early in the ship

construction process i.e. at unit, block or
Outfitting grand block stages

Occurs at the assembled stage and require works

Conventional to move to dry dock, slipway or land-level
Outfitting facility bringing with them materials &
equipments
 Conventional Outfitting
• Used to be “one job after the other”
Main Hull(outer shell) built

Equipments & Machinery lowered

Connected Piping work laid

Cables connected

 Very slow
 10% of piping and other outfit work were done when floated
 Balanced fitting out in floating condition
 Drawbacks
1 Did not facilitate optimum layout of various systems

2 Difficulty of the task

3 Excess of Man-hours required

4 Obstructions in outfitting process

5 Reduction in productivity of the shipyard

 Zonal Design Work
• Outfit design is divided into Engine room, area other than
engine room and accommodation.
• It reduces work by focusing on zones.
• It forces all departments to pay attention to the planning and
interfaces in which they are involved.
• It forces Production to take an active role early in the product
development.
• Improved scheduling by early involvement of all
departments.
• It promotes the use of multi-skilled teams.
• Production efficiency is improved by performing all the
work, which can be done by the same workers at the same
time and same location.
 Pre-requisites to Advanced Outfitting

• The development of planning similar to the Shipbuilding

Policy and Build Strategy approach
• Technical documentation format suitable for direct use
by Production
• Highly trained workers
• Decision making/planning delegated to appropriate level
• Early involvement of Production in the design process
• Concurrent development of product and process design
to facilitate maximum work in flat position
 Advanced Outfitting
 The fitting to ship structure, outfit items at a
significantly earlier time in the building sequence than
is traditional.
 Organization of information and materials to a plan
that applies labor and facilities to integrate ship’s
 Principle structure and outfit materials at the earliest and
most cost effective stage of the construction

process.

1.On-Unit

Types 2.On-Block

3.On-Board
 Goals of Advanced Outfitting

Minimize on board outfitting

Reduce outfitting time

Simplify outfit planning

Avoid interference between trades

Improved use of cranes

Improved quality, productivity and worker safety

 1.On-Unit Outfitting
On unit refers to a zone which defines an
Definition arrangement of fittings to be assembled in-house,
independent of hull structure. Assembly of such
fittings is called outfitting on-unit.

Enhances safety
Reduces both required man-hours
and
durations which would otherwise be
allocated on outfitting on-block and Features
on-board
20% of the items are fitted in this
stage
 An Example

Seawater Service Pump And An Air-

conditioning Water Pump
 Steps
• Shown in previous slide is a machinery unit which will
contain both a Seawater Service Pump and an Air-
Conditioning Water Pump.
•
• Vertical Seawater Service Pump is fitted to the
subcontractor-furnished painted foundation which
was built according to a shipyard-provided detail
drawing.
•
• A pipe support, to be subsequently fitted, is included.
The horizontal Air-Conditioning Water Pump is on
the platen alongside are scheduled to be fitted on
block.
 A strainer has been fitted to the Seawater Service Pump,
the Air-Conditioning Water Pump has been fitted and a
valve is being lifted into position
 A pipe piece is being lifted by the shop's bridge crane for
bolting to the Seawater Service Pump
•
 A second worker temporarily assists by guiding a strainer
to its final position while the gasket and a few bolts are
secured
 Pipe piece supports are being fitted
 The completed unit is being transported for fitting on-
block
 2.On-Block Outfitting
The assembly of any fittings on any structural
Definition subassembly (e.g. semi-blocks , blocks and grand
blocks) is referred to as an outfitting on-block.

On-Block outfitting purposes refer

to a rather flexible relationship between
block and zone.
The zone applies to a region being out
fitted. Following block turnover, the Features
fitting arrangement on deck is another
zone
50% of the items are fitted in this stage
 On Block
Advanced
Outfitting

Modular Advanced
Engine Outfitted
Room Grand
Outfitting Block
 Examples

forecastle upside down forecastle deck right upside up

side shell and engine room aside shell and engine room
flat upside down flat right side up
• Outfitting components , units, and grand units are
sometimes fitted in a block zone defined for hull
construction.
•
• However, when they are to be fitted to ceilings, blocks
should be inverted because fitting down-hand
enhances safety and efficiency.
•
• Following block turnover, the outfit zone encompasses
the components, units, and/or grand units fitted to
the floor.
•
 Double Bottom On-block
Outfitting
• Outfit items should be fitted in the zone of a double
bottom block before its tank top panel is installed.
•
• At a later stage, a different outfit zone encompasses
everything to be fitted to the tank top.
•
• The primary goals of this manufacturing level are to
outfit ceilings and double bottoms when blocks can be
manipulated to provide ideal access.
•
 Outfit Units
Engine room tank
top unit

Engine room tank top

components
fitted on-block
When the items to be fitted compose a small quantity per
block, outfit work can be performed at the site where the
block was assembled

When a large quantity is planned, the completed block

should be transferred to an indoor or outdoor region designated
for out fitting in accordance with an on-flow concept.
On-flow means work packages start and complete in unison
Separation by stage is in accordance with the following sequence
which reflects block turnover:

 on-ceiling fitting
 on-ceiling welding or nil
 on-floor fitting
 on-floor welding or nil
 Divisions By Problem Area
• It addresses problems which are inherently different.
•
• Each work package for outfitting on-block can be
assigned to the appropriate team of assembly
specialists.
•
• These classifications are further subdivided by the
quantities of items to be fitted, resulting in the
following problem area divisions:
1 2 3
• Hull Machinery Superstructur
large large e
quantity / quantity / large quantity/
small quantity small quantity small quantity
 Outfitted blocks can be erected in
combination with outfit units. On-block
Erection outfitting work is often greatly facilitated by
block turnover for down-hand on-ceiling
outfitting and painting. Complex blocks may
be outfitted together to ensure accurate fits at
erection.
 3.On-Board Outfitting

It can be defined as all the outfitting work that is

Definition done after the hull blocks are completed and
erected in the slipway or docks.

Conventional method of outfitting

Only those heavy equipments which

cannot be erected at the general stage
are left to be done at this stage. Features

30% of the items are fitted in this

stage
 On-Board Outfitting(contd)
 Ideally, assembly and painting work are left for
accomplishment on-board .
These works are limited to:

 Fitting of components that are too large to fit on

block like main engine, diesel generators etc
 Connecting distributive systems at block butts and
seams
 Pulling only the ends of electric cables that were
fitted on block

 On-Board Outfitting(contd)

 Pulling electric cables that could not be

pulled on block
 Connecting electric cables
 Clean up
 Painting touch up
 Installation of the main drive line
 Finish painting
•
Problems Faced
• A worker is performing fitting work of a certain
problem classification, on board.
•
• The worker had to carry tools from the shop to the
relatively inaccessible and dark workplace.
•
• In addition, the welding-cable leads had to be pulled
into position and thereafter the worker had to
commute from the shop, up the gangway, and down
into the machinery space.
•
• The same work could have been performed in a shop
on-unit.
•
 Fitting work of the identical problem classification
shown in is being performed on unit in a shop the
smart way.
•
• When traditional system-by-system work is
performed on board relatively out of sight of
supervision, workers pressed to meet a schedule
are prone to improvise and risk damage and
accidents.
•
• Sometimes just the access to a work site is
dangerous in traditional system-by-system
outfitting of machinery spaces.
•
• On-board outfitting in the main machinery space of a
large vessel is facilitated by providing temporary
access through the shell. Otherwise, workers expend
significant energy ascending a gangway and
climbing down machinery-space ladders and vice
versa.
•
 Some shipyards have another type called Blue
Sky(Landing outfit on the ship under construction on
the berth before the compartment is decked over), but
this is really a subset of On Board.
 Advanced Outfitting Practices-A
Comparison

UK shipbuilders lag
behind US and EU
shipyards in levels
of advanced
outfitting in pipe
work, electrical, and
HVAC functions.

 Current use of advanced outfit by UK,US and EU shipbuilders

 Benefits of Advanced Outfitting

• Reduced/eliminated overhead work

•
• Improved access, (workers and material) ventilation and
lighting
•
• Reduced/eliminated scaffolding
•
• Improved tool/equipment availability
•
• Reduction in time cycle and cost
 20% Advanced
Outfitting
80% conventional
Outfitting

50% Advanced 80% Advanced

Outfitting Outfitting
50% conventional 20% conventional
Outfitting Outfitting
 Recommendations*
• Encourage shipyards to develop manufacturing plans that
strive to produce super blocks that are at least 80
percent outfitted before they are sent to the assembly
shipyard.
•
• Involve all shipyards in the design process and encourage
the sharing of information on advanced outfitting
practices.


• Ensure production designs are nearly complete before

construction begins and that the necessary equipment
and materials are available in a timely fashion to
facilitate advanced outfitting.
* By RAND Cooperation Europe
•
 Impact on Shipbuilding Industry
• Has modernized shipbuilding and its approach to facing
problems head on.
•
• More and more computer applications are being resorted.
Exclusive softwares are being developed.
•
• Modular construction is getting popular esp.
accommodation area.
•
• The outfitting time after a ship has been floated out has
been reduced from 12 months to 2 months in countries
like Japan.
 Conclusion
 The introduction of new and appropriate technology
makes a big difference. In fact it is in going for
difference that will make a difference. Without training
there can be no technology upgradation, and without
technology upgradation ,there can be no competitive
edge. In absence of focus on technology we will be
working hard and not smart. Are we going to work hard
or work smart to be present in this decade and coming
ones?
Thank You !!