Shipyard Block Logistics Simulation Using Process-centric Discrete Event Simulation Method

Abstract

In recent years, shipyards have conducted various studies to accurately investigate their production capacities and improve the accuracy of their production plans. Nevertheless, frequent delays in schedules inevitably occur at production sites. Simulation-based techniques are used in various fields to solve similar problems, especially those related to predicting loads on facilities and upgrading production planning by considering various constraints. Process-centric simulation modeling techniques are used in shipyards because the shipbuilding process has different characteristics from the general manufacturing process. Conventional resource-oriented modeling techniques are inadequate to construct a simulation model to analyze the logistical behavior of shipyards. In this study, a process-oriented simulation modeling method is applied and improved through the identification and development of additional modules needed to simulate the behavior of shipyard logistics. The core of the simulation is improved using a logistic token that can analyze the physical movement effected by each process. Moreover, such process modeling modules as the geographic information system, the route search module, and the spatial arrangement module are developed and integrated into one solution. 1. Introduction The shipbuilding industry in South Korea was affected by the recent global financial crisis. It has since suffered from a decline in global freight volume that has led to massive losses in all areas of commercial shipping and offshore plants since 2010. The shipbuilding industry in South Korea, especially large shipbuilders, received a large number of orders by competing in the market while reorganizing its business structure around the growth of offshore plants. This move was prompted by the flooding by Chinese shipbuilders of the local market with general merchant vessels (Fig. 1), as well as by prospects for the growing offshore plants' market due to crude oil depletion and high oil prices. However, the industry has suffered astronomical deficits in recent years due to unexpected losses, and the three major shipbuilders in South Korea are experiencing high operating loss and debt-to-equity ratio (Fig. 2), leading to fears of insolvency. Additional losses are expected due to large backlogs in orders for offshore plants.