Shipbuilding Process

Hull Production – Product hierarchy and block division

 SHIPBUILDING PROCESS
Build Strategy – A Group Technology Approach:
To accomplish a given task within a stated objective, the management must clearly
specify:
• What is to be done?
• When is to be done?
• How is it to be done?
• What resources are needed to do the task?

A build strategy document is normally prepared to answer the above questions.

The build strategy document is defined by Lamb [Wade et al. 1997] as

“an agreed design, engineering, materials management, production, planning

and testing plan prepared before the work starts so as to identify and integrate
all the necessary processes.”
 Work Breakdown Structure
Work Breakdown Structure is a system of subdividing the ship in
• a system (functional) oriented or
• product oriented manner.
System (functional) oriented Work Breakdown Structure (SWBS)
• the ship is grouped according to its functional components.
Product oriented Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS)
• PWBS classifies the ship on the basis of its interim product.

Aim of PWBS is to provide tools to shipbuilding industry that allow it to:

• Generate design for production trade-off capabilities
• Perform top-down/bottom-up cost modelling
• Provide a mechanism to enter into and come out of SWBS
• Communicate amongst design, material procurement & production departments
using a common framework and description of both material and labour for a
particular interim product
• Incorporate system specifiers within a product oriented environment.
System Oriented Work Breakdown Structure (SWBS)
Product Oriented Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS)
PWBS
 PWBS – Definition of a block
• Block is defined as a part of the hull or superstructure, which is jointed to other similar
parts in the building dock
• Block is composed of
sub-blocks
sub-assemblies or
parts
PWBS – Product Hierarchy
PWBS – Stages of Hull Production
PWBS – Part fabrication
PWBS – Part assembly / Sub assembly
PWBS – Sub-block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
PWBS – Block assembly
 Advantages of block construction method
• Productivity
Automation (welding, production lines)
Ability to turn the blocks
Specialization (e.g. painting hall )
Ability to outfit (block openness)
Short transporting distances
Good working environment (working inside:lighting, temperature, noise, air

• Environmental issues (paint, shielding gases)

• Delivery time, invested capital

Shorter lead-time of steel (Shorter hull erection time, numerous blocks are worked
in parallel)
Fewer launching platforms, but more block assembly areas
Outfitting overlaps with steel production, and thus the ship lead-time is shorter
 Block size
Extreme cases:
The hull is assembled on a building dock from individual parts, which are produced
by part manufacturing
The ship is lifted into the water as one block

In practice, when new shipyard is designed, the solution is somewhere between these two
 Block Division
Criteria when shipyard is known:

• Weight restrictions (lifting, transporting, turning, center of gravity)

• Scantling restrictions (length, width, height)
• Plate length (production line, delivery of material)
• Hull construction
• Production suitability (location and length of weld seam)
• Strength of block (transportation, lifting)
 Block Division

• Assembly suitability
Location of weld seam in sub-block
Existence of reference plane
Utilization of shipyard equipment
• Productivity
Number of similar blocks
• Weight of outfitting
 Influence of Block Division on Outfitting

• Well designed block division is essential for succeeding in block outfitting

The location of equipment with respect to block boundaries
Hauling of equipment into the block
Hauling of equipment in the hull erection stage, before the lifting of the next covering
block
Hauling possibilities within the hull
Late lifting of expensive equipment
Timing of materials
• Painting (e.g. tanks should be intact within block)
• Building method
• Drawing method
• Timing of drawings