A recent article written about U. S. shipbuilding productivity states that automation technology; applied independently of corresponding system improvements, such as group technology and process lanes, will usually produce only limited results in productivity improvement. While I generally agree with this conclusion, our own experience with production automation programs at Bath Iron Works (BIW) clearly demonstrates that a number of excellent opportunities are available in shipbuilding for substantial productivity improvement by implementing stand-alone (i.e. system independent) automation technologies (which are referred to in this report as 'islands of automation'). A major government commitment exists today for improving shipbuilding industry productivity, mainly through the development and implementation of automation technology and system innovations. This commitment is emphasized in a number of government sponsored publications which include the National Shipbuilding Research.
National Shipbuilding Research Program 1985 Ship Production Symposium Volume 2 Paper No. 15: Islands of Automation in Shipbuilding
1985
27 pages
Report
No indication
English