Development and Implementation of Computer Simulation Models for the Manufacturing of Outfitting Components

Abstract

The utilization of computer simulation in the shipbuilding industry is not a new concept and many shipyards in the U.S. and around the world are using simulation tools in a wide variety of ways and with various levels of success. In many industries, computer simulation of production processes has proven itself as a powerful tool for reducing nonvalue added activities and promises to become much more prominent in its use as a resource management tool. Its use in the manufacturing of Outfitting components in U.S. shipyards has had limited success due mainly to the inherent nature of ship construction, especially those yards primarily engaged in military ship construction. The focus of this paper is directed towards the implementation aspects of a computer simulation tool for the manufacture of Outfitting components in a naval shipbuilding context.