Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Building a ship
What type of industry is shipbuilding ?
Partly manufacturing but predominantly
an assembly industry
The shipyard assembles parts made in-house with parts bought in
from other manufacturers.
There may be 200,000 individual parts to assemble in a large ship.
Typically between 60% and 80% of the cost of building a ship is in
the cost of buying materials for assembly.
Other manufacturing / assembly industry sectors:
Motor cars
Aeroplanes
Computer manufacture
.....
Does shipbuilding have anything in common with these other
sectors?
Building a ship
Does shipbuilding have anything in common with automobile production?
High Volume
steelworking
capacity
Large
building
docks
Very large
cranes
(which are
essential for
productivity)
Target markets
Size of business 104 ships in 2009 and around 3.2 million tonnes steel
processed
Employees 9,000 in 2011 plus subcontract and
suppliers (all shipbuilding)
Revenue estimated around $5 billion in 2011 (Ulsan
only)
Key aspects of
the business
model
11 capesize bulkers
12 VLCC
7 Suezmax
4 LNG
14 LPG
Target markets
Building a ship
Does shipbuilding have anything in common with automobile production?
Shipyards tend not to use a moving assembly line but work flows
none-the less.
The final products may not be identical in shipbuilding (but interim
products should be at least similar if not identical)
But the basic assembly process is the same:
Cut out steel parts
Shape the steel parts
Assemble steel parts
Paint
Install outfit
Shipbuilding has learned a great deal from the automotive sector in
terms of product, process design and organisation of work.
+
=
Shipbuilding production
Shipbuilding production
The sequential installation of hull and outfit led to a long cycle time
Outfitting was forced to be done at the most expensive time
Demarcation between skilled trades led to disputes
Clashes of trades in small spaces was unavoidable, leading to
inefficiency and idiosyncratic products
Work tended to be done substantially in the open air, leading to
weather delays
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
WWII
Development of steel
shipbuilding in Europe / US
Development of mechanised
shipbuilding in Japan
Development of shipbuilding
to industrialise South Korea
1.
2.
3.
4.
Steel
Outfit
Disadvantages
Highly craft skill dependent
All work undertaken at the most expensive
possible stage
Inherently long cycle time sue to the sequential
steel and outfit work
Low capacity of slipway (one ship every 1 to 2
years)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Advantages
Blocks built in workshops leading to lower cost of steelwork
Introduction of potential for automation and de-skilling
Integration of steel and outfit reduces total cycle time and
total cost
Slipway capacity increased (more than one ship per year
possibly 4 if the berth cranes are large enough)
Steel
Steel
Outfit
Outfit
Advantages
1.Slipway capacity significantly increased possibly up to 8 ships per year
2.Further automation and de-skilling of work
Steel
Steel
Outfit
Outfit
Steel
Steel
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Semi-tandem slipways
Semi-tandem slipways
Slipway
ship being
completed
Stern of next
ship being
fabricated
alongside
slipway
Semi-tandem slipways
Semi-tandem slipways
Semi-tandem slipways
Advantages
1.Slipway capacity significantly increased possibly up to 8 ships per year
2.Further automation and de-skilling of work
Steel
Steel
Outfit
Outfit
Steel
Steel
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Outfit
Advantages
1.Assembly capacity significantly increased 20+
ships per year per dock
2.Heavy cranes mean that more outfit can be
included in the blocks erected in the dock
3.Larger blocks allow better productivity
Rolls Royce
Silver Ghost
Model T Ford
1907
1908
Rolls Royce
Silver Ghost
Model T Ford
They did this through welding (not riveting), standardisation and adopting mass
production techniques
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
Million GT delivered
100
80
60
40
20
Year