NAVSEA's ongoing efforts to improve, standardize and integrate shipyard process instructions are outlined. This plan, will combine the best features of various DOD, Navy and Private programs including for example: (1) the navy technical information presentation programs, (2) DOD computer aided time standards, (3) Navshipyd/Ordnance Station EM & S automated support (NEAS), (4) the Carnegie Mellon/USS CARL VINSON CUN 70 ZOG program, (5) shipboard nontactical ADP system (SNAP), (6) NAVSHIPYD Norfolk - work planning and control systems - PROMPT, and (7) technical repair standards (TRS) program. Specific aspects of these programs will be discussed including computer aided authoring, group technology, and common vocabularies, and a status report of these efforts as well as future plans will be provided.

Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries/IHI-Marine Technology is developing a long-range plan for the U.S. shipbuilding standards program under a subcontract with Bath Iron Works Corporation acting in its capacity as manager of the Ship Producibility Program. Primary emphasis of the long-range plan is directed at near term (2 to 3 year) priorities to achieve maximum benefits at both industry and individual shipyards levels. Secondary emphasis is aimed at developing midterm (5 to 7 year) and long-term (10 to 20 year) goals to serve as planning guidelines for ongoing efforts. The basic goals and objectives of the U.S. shipbuilding standards program long-range plan are summarized. Included are such examples as the need to reduce design and engineering cycle time costs, the need to shorten manufacturing lead times for critical materials, and the desirability of implementing outfit unit construction and accuracy control concepts. The recommended organizational infrastructure for standards development is addressed, and appropriate divisions of responsibility among ASTM Committee F-25 on standards, SNAME Panel SP-6 on standards and specifications, the government, shipbuilders, regulatory agencies, supporting industries and other concerned parties are discussed.

The Institute for Research and Engineering for Automation and Productivity in Shipbuilding (IREAPS) is an organization which conducts an industry/government cooperative program for enhancing U.S. shipbuilding capabilities through development and implementation of improved systems and manufacturing technology. The primary thrust of the IREAPS program is the conduct of research and development projects for a variety of design and production processes in the shipyard. Such projects are initiated and pursued only upon consensus of the participating organizations and are not considered complete or successful until they have been implemented under actual shipyard production conditions.

This paper addresses the problem of establishing meaningful work order labor budgets for use in a shipyard pipe fabrication shop. Two methods are described for developing planning or scheduling standards. The first builds upon an existing base of detailed fabrication labor standards, which may be engineered standards or measured standards. The second uses sampling and statistical analysis to develop the planning or scheduling standards in situations where there are no existing labor standards. The first approach was applied in a seven month pilot project sponsored by the Maritime Administration through the Ship Producability Research Program. The procedures and results of this pilot project are described. The primary result was a fifty percent increase in the perceived capacity of the shop, with no additional investment in equipment or labor.

Over the past year and a half, five participating shipyards have been preparing labor time standards using MOST Computer Systems on a time sharing basis. The result has been the development of separate databases covering the following operating areas: blast and paint--platen and dock areas; Electrical--shop and outfitting; main assembly; fabrication shop; and staging erection and teardown--platen, dock and ways. The ability to transfer data from one yard to another is discussed, as well as the methodology for such transfer. The actual use of transferred data and its application is covered to the extent that it has occurred up to the date of the symposium.

During the past several years the Maritime Administration has sponsored the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP). The primary thrust of this program has been to identify those techniques which have enabled the Japanese to become world leaders in shipbuilding. To date, the NSRP has been directed primarily toward new construction. However, in the Fall of 1981, Norfolk Naval Shipyard embarked on a program to adapt these techniques to the repair of naval ships. This effort is based on the Outfit Planning and Product Work Breakdown Structure methodology presented in the NSRP publications. Further, a mini-computer system has been installed at Norfolk which allows schedules to be produced in a real-time manner. This system allows the shipyard to take full advantage of the NSRP techniques.

A significant portion of shipyard steelwork can be mechanized through introduction of modern production line technology. The productivity improvements on such lines arise principally from more efficient material handling and a corresponding reduction of time lost between operations. Panel lines are undergoing exiting developments and are being installed even in very small shipyards. Efficient and affordable web line and beam line technology is now available but not yet adopted by shipyards in the United States.