Now shipyards are beginning to find the solution for this contradictory mandate in the same place manufacturers have found theirs: the digital thread. <\/P><\/p>\n
Shipbuilding technology: from outdated methods to smart production <\/H3>
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Throughout the greater part of this decade, manufacturers have been on a steady course to bring production from the outdated, out-of-sync plants of the past and into the data-rich, streamlined and efficient future of the smart factory. The key to that transformation is in the data: creating a synchronized thread of digital information<\/A> that connects even the most disparate global supply chains into a cohesive digital enterprise. Doing so creates a \u201csingle version of the truth\u201d for the entire ecosystem, stretching from conception to production to service throughout the product lifecycle.<\/P><\/p>\n Think about how cloud computing has made it possible to update personal and professional information across different devices simultaneously. If you update a contact\u2019s name in the directory on your phone, that update can automatically happen on a computer and tablet if they have compatible software that links to the \u201cdigital thread\u201d on a remote server; so when you get back to your desk and look up that contact, you see the latest update.<\/P><\/p>\n The same concept can be applied to secure, connected tools and programs that are used for design, production planning and execution, operations and maintenance. An \u201cindustrial\u201d digital thread:<\/P><\/p>\n \u2022 Prevents important information from \u201cfalling through the cracks\u201d during work hand-offs The new, data-driven and connected work model has been called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things. But whatever you call it, the payoff of this \u201cdigital thread\u201d has been profound. By some estimates, leading manufacturers have seen 50 percent reductions in time, 30 percent lower engineering costs and as much as 50 percent higher throughput across their organizations<\/A>.<\/P><\/p>\n That, we can say, is the power and potential of the digital thread. <\/P> Today, facing a tidal wave of increased demand, shipbuilders are making this same digital leap to create the first truly digital shipyards. In the process, they are looking at a digital production boost for their marine engineering that could be on par with that of the inland manufacturing revolution.<\/P><\/p>\n Like the general manufacturing industry, implementing a consistent digital thread through the marine engineering process on a robust, end-to-end PLM system<\/A> promises to clean up the often separated, discrete and unconnected shipbuilding technology platforms governing the building process.<\/P><\/p>\n Instead, anyone who is working on the ship throughout its life is granted access to synchronized, real-time data on designs and configurations, production status and schedules, materials and purchasing, suppliers and delivery, and \u2014 once the ships launch \u2014 operating conditions, service records and system status.<\/P><\/p>\n This ties the entire life of a ship \u2014 from a designer’s initial rough sketch to its last voyage at sea \u2014 to a single, traceable digital thread that is accessible to the farthest reaches of the supply chain.<\/P><\/p>\n In that thread, every change, every update, every improvement or problem can be synched to each player in the ecosystem to guarantee that everyone is working off the most accurate and up-to-date information possible. <\/P><\/p>\n This means no more costly rework resulting from out-of-sync designs; it means shorter production schedules, smarter maintenance and, inevitably, better performance. And finally, it means the industry can meet its sky-high demands on time and on budget. <\/P> Newport News Shipbuilding is already well on its way toward this shipbuilding technology future.<\/P><\/p>\n As it begins work on a new Ford-class aircraft carrier, the company has instituted a “drawingless” strategy designed to kick-start work toward a smart shipyard.<\/P><\/p>\n The idea is to eliminate all paper or 2D drawings from the design process and replace them with 3D digital files that are available throughout the entire engineering group. This is the first seed of the digital thread \u2014 digitalizing a manual, 20th century process to create a new, streamlined system that helps the operators work smarter and be more synchronized through the entire build.<\/P><\/p>\n The shipbuilder expects this innovation to generate at least 15 percent more cost savings over traditional manufacturing methods. For a ship that can cost billions of dollars to build<\/A>, that adds up to some significant improvements. And when you follow the thread out to sea, where those initial build costs continue to grow throughout the life of this ship, we can start to understand the real power this digital thread is offering the industry. <\/P><\/p>\n
\u2022 Increases accountability because everyone uses the same record of work
\u2022 Ensures that future workers have a complete and accurate repository of a project\u2019s or product\u2019s history, whether they are working on standard maintenance or an upgrade
\u2022 Integrates separate software platforms because they are sharing the same foundational data
\u2022 Speeds up all processes within the product\u2019s lifecycle<\/P><\/p>\n
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Leading companies are learning how to harness the power of the digital thread in shipbuilding technology.<\/span><\/span>Industry 4.0 moves to the shipyard<\/H3>
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The digital thread is bringing capabilities to marine engineering that weren’t possible until now.<\/span><\/span>Digital shipbuilder expects 15 percent savings <\/H3>
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