engleski

Value Stream Mapping Micropanel Assembly with Clustering to Improve Flow in a Shipyard

The micro-panel assembly process produces approximately 20% of the components that are assembled in a typical commercial ship and improvements made to assembling these interim products will reap savings for shipyards. Micro-panels can be considered transverses, brackets, and unit panels stiffened with profiles. Value stream mapping is useful in illustrating the flow during assembly processes. In this paper a value stream mapping case study of an automated micro-panel and robotic micro-panel assembly line is made. Then the clustering technique is applied to the different micropanels assembled in order to demonstrate which micropanels should be assembled together. Then a methodology for an improved state of a combined automated and robotic micro-panel assembly line is made, with all the benefits illustrated. This includes duration time, man-hours, configuration improvement and space savings. The importance of kaizen or continual improvement is demonstrated in order for shipyards to achieve and maintain competitiveness.

Value stream mapping; lean manufacturing; clustering analysis; micro-panel assembly; shipbuilding; one-piece flow

nije evidentirano