IBM PLM Version 5 Solutions for Shipbuilding Digital Manufacturing: The Virtual Shipyard

•The Virtual Shipyard

Yards worldwide are undertaking significant facility upgrades with one objective in mind – to streamline production. Waterfront expansion, larger high-bay assembly buildings, larger crane lifting capacity, improved materials handling, assembly lane modernization, robotic welding panel lines and integrated pipe bending are just a few of the upgrades being made. Why are yards making these changes? One answer is that the economics of shipbuilding have changed and only those with adaptable and lean manufacturing practices will be able to bid on new ships and grow profit margins.

Many yards have responded to changing economics by relying more and more on off-yard suppliers to build larger and more complex subassemblies. This “build anywhere” philosophy challenges yards to take advantage of the capabilities of each site and to define optimal processes that can deliver each component when needed. Many of the ship’s systems must be installed so that they can be easily swapped out at some future date for updated technology.  Coordinating suppliers with internal production requires far greater precision than ever before. And when several ships are being built at the same time, there is competition for key equipment and yard area as well. These economics and new ways of building have brought digital manufacturing to the forefront.

•Digital Manufacturing

What is digital manufacturing? Essentially it is a computer technique for defining all the steps necessary to build a product (structural assembly, install an engine, join blocks together, bend pipe, etc.), test them for completeness, and generate machine and work instructions to manufacture them. The overall phases are: Process Planning; Process Detailing and Validation; Resource Modeling and Simulation; and the extraction of Manufacturing Data and Work Instructions. The three most critical objectives of Digital Manufacturing are to shorten time-to-production; dramatically reduce rework; and improve craft labor utilization and efficiencies.   Digital manufacturing focus on reducing production schedule variances, avoiding unbuildable or ergonomically unsafe conditions, minimizing change orders after design freeze, and shortening response time to changes and unplanned conditions in the yard. Since shipbuilding has become such a collaborative effort between suppliers and often is done in collaboration with other yards, other goals include maximizing pre-outfitting during hull section assembly, early assessment of design for production, increased return on production assets, and minimal work in process. 

•Benefits of a Virtual Shipyard

Given the new economics of shipbuilding, the ideal Digital Manufacturing solution is one that provides a bridge between design and manufacturing and enables simulation-based design where no physical prototypes are required. Digital Manufacturing takes place in a virtual, collaborative environment and offers the following benefits:

• Promotes design standardization;
• Derives detail from functional requirements;
• Derives production data from planning;
• Validates the plan as buildable and efficient;
• Supports Just-in-Time deliverable extraction; and
• Delivers applications that use a common, shared Product, Process and Resource data repository

•Version 5  Architecture Enables Digital Manufacturing

IBM PLM Version 5’s architectural base is the Product/Product/Resource philosophy.  Two major databases within it, the Engineering Hub and the Manufacturing Hub, create all the necessary data integrations between CATIA, with product authoring capabilities, and DELMIA, with product simulation capabilities. The PPR serves as a common database offering widespread integration benefits between design, engineering and manufacturing applications. The Digital Manufacturing environment enables the manufacturing team to influence the design to reduce the cost of manufacturing and eliminate engineering change orders caused by previously undetected problems with manufacturability. Data in the manufacturing hub:

• Integrates solutions with historical data, making it available for company- wide use.
• Retains data in logically-linked relationships so that data must only be physically stored once.
• Provides the ability to generate status reports during every planning phase.
• Increases planning accuracy by promoting the transparency and consistency of data.
• Provides all users the same up-to-date data.
• Reflects any data change immediately for all users.

High-level Process Planning during the conceptual design phase ensures that the units of construction can be efficiently manufactured in yards and in supplier facilities. Because a Digital Manufacturing environment allows the discovery of producability problems early in the design cycle, the cost of change is minimal. 

During the detail design phase, detailed planning and process design is finalized and verified in a 3D environment. These producability studies can be used to create 3D work instructions for the shop, unifying the spectrum from concept design through production execution. Digital manufacturing includes the creation of the production system, the planning of the production process and verification of the sequence of operations using simulation to support design for manufacturing. The functions supported include process planning, process verification, time measurement, layout planning, ergonomics, robotics, NC simulation, yard material flow simulation, production management and 3D Electronic Work Instructions. 

Engineering and production managers will quickly see the benefits of having seamless integration between digital design and digital manufacturing using an integrated, authoritative build-to, buy-to and support-to database.  This common, shared database ensures that all participants work with then-current data for design and manufacturing.

•Implementation in Shipyards

A number of shipyards worldwide have started aggressive digital manufacturing programs already.  Some important ones are:

Design for Assembly, Design for Supportability, LPD-17 The LPD 17 (Loading Dock Platform) class of transport dock ships represents the future of the Navy and Marine Corp's amphibious warfare. Traditional practices started production with only 20-30% the design complete. Fast-track time gains were at the expense of rework later on. With DELMIA simulation tools, the design was 80% complete before any steel was cut. On the LPD 17 project, no steel was cut or welded until every step had been proven by simulation thus avoiding rework, cut apart and reweld.

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) is optimizing panel line production with QUEST. It is being implemented to develop a next-generation digital shipbuilding system integrated with industry best practices. The digital shipbuilding system is simulated to optimize the entire shipbuilding lifecycle process in a virtual environment. This project has received attention as a landmark for process innovation in traditional shipbuilding. SHI plans to invest over three years. By the end of 2004 the project is expected to make significant contributions in cost reduction and improved quality through more streamlined and automated manufacturing processes.

•Production plan optimizes production at BIW for LPD-17

DELMIA Digital Manufacturing software products were used to visualize the conceptual designs of shipboard systems, structures and human considerations concerning functionality. ENVISION allowed LPD17 designers to create their own geometry concept files or to import CAD files to evaluate the arrangement of critical facilities on the ship.   Using digital mock-up capabilities, the design of the ship took place in a team environment, with different groups participating in the arrangement of each zone of the ship. Assembly sequence plans were developed and a digital shipyard model of Bath Iron Work’s waterfront -- including buildings, roadway layouts, railway layouts, cranes, equipment, floating dry-dock transporters and other heavy machinery -- was built. The digital model is used to detect collisions and ensure that ship components will fit into facilities. BIW realizes project-to-project carryover of its modeling and simulation resources.

Building a standard design at multiple yards – DD(X) stealth destroyer projectThe Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Technology Center (GCRMTC) at the University of New Orleans, with sponsorship from the US Office of Naval Research, uses IBM PLM Digital Manufacturing techniques to research ways to streamline the shipbuilding process for the US Navy's 21st Century DD(X) stealth destroyer project. Researchers and production specialists evaluate design for manufacturing, define high-level processes and sequences, build libraries of best practices and analyze processes that effect capacity, flow, cost and value-added. 

•Off-line programming of welding robots at Fincantieri and NGSS

Fincantieri Shipyards S.p.A., Monfalcone, Italy, specializes in cruise and merchant ship construction. Traditionally, shipbuilding is plagued with small weld batches as no two ships are identical, nor are any two ship sections alike. To improve turnaround times, reduce piece-work costs and ensure consistent quality from block to block, Fincantieri invested in new robot systems and off-line programs using UltraArc PC-based packages.  Working with Fincantieri, DELMIA developed an Arc Welding Macro Programming system called AMP which uses UltraArc to systematize the process of robot programming and to retain the knowledge and processes from one hull to the next. Fincantieri has achieved 100% offline programming – no touchups are needed.  Welding process knowledge is now retained and transferred from one project to the next.

•ISSELNORD maintenance training

ISSELNORD, technical engineering service company based in Italy, is researching the application of advanced simulation and virtual reality to ship maintenance. Initial assessments were made of replacing a ship’s propeller blades. Models were prepared of the propeller assembly, surrounding hull form, and the dry dock area where work is performed. The propeller blades are very heavy, requiring special lifting procedures. In addition, the propeller blades are attached using tools that exert extremely high pressure.  DELMIA DPM holds all the physics-based information needed to run such a multifaceted model. The world-class cruise ship builder, Fincantieri, sees the potential for application of this technology at its yard. Development at ISSELNORD was supported by the DELMIA team of Turin, Italy.

Design / Build using Digital Assembly analysis at General Dynamics Electric Boat

Electric Boat has used a product-centric approach to define manageable families of products and to design the right facility to manufacture them. EB developed process models for various product families for next-generation submarine production. These process models help define space, equipment and manpower requirements. Approximately 100 products were identified as candidates for assembly in the new structural fabrication facility. DPM Assembly and CATIA CAD models -- down to the individual part assembly level --were created for foundation tanks, bulkheads, spheres and decks. A number of process improvements were realized, reducing non-value added time and overall production time for components modeled. The resulting facility layout provided numerous advantages over current production facilities at Electric Boat.

IBM PLM Digital Manufacturing

IBM PLM Digital Manufacturing is delivered in a series of steps that begin when DMU product models, produced in CATIA, and the product structure, produced in ENOVIA, are released for manufacturing. At this point they become linked to the MBOM in the Manufacturing Hub, where Process Planning, Detailing and Validation, Resource Modeling and Simulation take place. The end result is Manufacturing Data for machines and Work Instructions for personnel.

CATIA V5 Binary Code Serving in Windows Server 2003

The purpose of the article is to provide updates to the CATIA users who want to deploy V5 using the binary code serving option in Windows server 2003 environment. Discussions about the feasibility of code serving of CATIA V5 with Windows Server 2003, best practices and effect of code server going in offline mode are featured here.

In many CATIA user environments, “Binary code serving” has been an established option for deploying CATIA V5 with Windows Server 2000 and with Windows 2000 Professional as Client. Microsoft and Infosys have published a “Patterns and Practices guide” about CATIA V5 on Windows environment.

The guide is available here.

Windows Server 2003, the latest Server operating System from Microsoft provides a host of enhanced functionalities and performance including File Serving.  Infosys experience in deploying CATIA V5 with various clients in Windows 2003 environment is discussed here.

Configuring Server and Client

The involved steps are as follows

• Server: Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition

Install CATIA as a local install in Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition. Share this CATIA installation folder by Clicking on Start -> Programs -> Server Management -> File Serving ->Share Folder -> Select CATIA installation Folder, in offline files settings do not check the second option with Optimized for performance.

Note that the Methodology to setup Offline Folder in Windows Server 2003 and Sever 2000 are different.

• Client: Window XP Service Pack 1

The client needs to be enabled for offline folder. The process to be followed is

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Click on Tools -> Folder Options -> Offline Files
3. Check Enable offline Files
4. Remove all other checks (Synchronizing and Reminder)
5. Set the amount of disk space minimum of 2GB (suggested)
6. Delete unnecessary offline files if required (Offline files can be viewed using the view files button).
7. Configure CATIA V5 for code serving (Refer chapter 4 of the pattern and practices guide available in the URL mentioned in the previous section)

Code Serving with Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP

Infosys carried out various tests with Windows 2003 server and Windows XP.

1. Sharing the CATIA folder with and without Optimized for Performance. The tests indicated that performance of CATIA is better without checking the optimized for performance.
2. Different users using the same client. When ever a CATIA user runs CATIA from a client which already has offline files available, the files are not brought offline again (This could be confirmed by negligible network activity).
3. The first time any users executes CATIA from a client, even if the offline folders are populated, the server should be on line.
4. Clients were running CATIA normally when Code server was either offline (share removed) or shut down.

Conclusion

1. Code Serving CATIA with Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP is feasible.
2. Setting up of offline folder enhances the performance.

Further help

If you need additional information / help on the above subject please mail the author at mannamalai@Infosys.com.

Boeing Signs Long-Term Contract with IBM and Dassault Systemes to Standardize Product Lifecycle Management Platform on Version 5

Boeing to deploy full suite of V5 PLM solutions company wide and across extended enterprise to reduce costs and speed roll-out of 7E7 and future projects

IBM and Dassault Systèmes have recently announced that The Boeing Company has selected their latest generation of Product Lifecycle Management PLM solutions as its company wide product development platform.

The double-digit million-dollar contract includes several thousand ENOVIA licenses that will be used to develop the technologically-advanced 7E7dreamliner, the first Boeing project to be entirely developed using version 5 PLM technology.

By implementing the complete portfolio of IBM PLM Solutions developed by Dassault Systèmes,   Boeing will standardize use of specifications, engineering rules, operational parameters and simulation results across its extended enterprise. The partners and suppliers that comprise Boeing’s Global Collaboration Environment (GCE) for the 7E7 will also implement the virtual product development platform, which is the industry standard used in all major new aircraft programs. Harmonization on the platform across Boeing’s supply chain will improve collaboration, innovation, product quality, time-to-market and return-on-investment.

Effective until 2007, the contract includes companywide transition to CATIA V5, for collaborative design and product development, and ENOVIA Life Cycle Applications LCA) and SMARTEAM, for collaborative product data and lifecycle management. Dassault Systèmes’ DELMIA Solution for digital manufacturing will enable Boeing to define and simulate new manufacturing facilities and processes. In addition, IBM’s DB2 Universal Database will provide a secure data repository for Boeing’s internal teams and external development partners throughout the development cycle of the aircraft.

“We are entering the 21st century with new ways of doing business,” said Scott Griffin, CIO, The Boeing Company. “Breakthrough business processes and systems technologies will enable us to achieve completely new, innovative ways of developing our products. Dassault Systèmes is integral to our success.”

“Dassault Systèmes’ cooperation with Boeing to make the 777 the world’s first all-digital designed aircraft was a milestone for the manufacturing industry,” said Bernard Charlès, president and CEO, Dassault Systèmes. “Digital mock-up became a reality. Ten years later, CATIA, ENOVIA, DELMIA, and SMARTEAM are helping Boeing revolutionize the way it develops and supports products by merging products with lifecycle management, again making PLM a new milestone for the industry.

“IBM actively supports the aerospace industry with solutions that help aircraft builders, like  Boeing, rationalize costs and develop more efficient and technologically sophisticated planes  faster than ever before,” said Scott Hopkins, general manager, IBM Product Lifecycle Management. “IBM PLM has been working hand in hand with the world’s leading aerospace companies for more than 20 years, transforming the way aircraft are developed and produced.   IBM will continue to provide solutions and industry thought leadership that will help the aerospace industry innovate and face the challenges of the future.”

How About Some One-Liners?
By Bill Abramson

• Do feel comfortable that the cost of developing, enhancing and maintaining your customized applications is balanced by the value realized through the enhanced functionalities?
• How does your enterprise make their ‘way of doing business’, their ‘smarts’ and their standard practices available throughout the PLM environment and how do you maintain that capability?
• Do you allocate sufficient funds and resources to maintain your enterprise’s expertise as technology advances and as industry ‘gets smarter’?
• Do you require your very highest corporate expertise to research and evaluate the latest technological advances and where they could fit into your infrastructure? What are the benefits, risks and value proposition?
• How do you network with your peers to understand how other organizations are dealing with challenges pertaining to your vertical? Pertaining to you PLM environment?
• Do you know the cost of evaluating the service readiness of new releases or new technology and the cost of deployment?
• Are you in the IT business? Does your IT budget say otherwise?
• Do you spend more money on protecting information and data than the information/data is worth?

Are the above are differentiators between the winners and mediocrity?