Project Participants: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.
Project Start: July 2014
The ability to convey digital information to the deck plate craftsman is either nonexistent or very limited in applications. The amount of digital data in shipbuilding has increased throughout engineering, planning, manufacturing, training, etc. There exists a need to migrate off paper dependency and provide digital information to the deck plate in real time. The development of laptop computers, tablets, smart handheld devices, and other recent technologies offers additional capability for supplying this digital information.
The DDG Digital Storyboard Project will develop the process, and produce a pilot demonstration, for providing a digital work package to the craftsmen for construction. Digital Storyboarding is the process of providing information by interactive digital screens into the hands of the craftsman, which enables visualization of the ship compartment as designed, and provides instructions regarding construction. The existing work package is paper-based, and includes engineering drawings, planning bills with sequencing, material requirements, special instructions, and quality control checklists. The Digital Work Package will include product sequence and assembly visualization, manufacturing instructions, material lists, quality control checklists, any other special instructions or related information and will be provided to work package consumers electronically on a mobile device.
The Digital Storyboard solution will reduce the duration of the current paper-based processes by eliminating the conversion of digital data to paper and any other associated delays. The craft will have access to current engineering design information through implementation of Digital Work Packages. The Digital Work Package will include product sequence and assembly visualization, manufacturing instructions, material lists, quality control checklists, any other special instructions or related information and will be provided to work package consumers electronically on a mobile device.
The project will be implemented over 12 months. As the Digital Work Package is executed, an equipment time study will be performed to capture duration and field feedback. This information will be compared to historical data and a cost savings assessment will be generated. Upon completion of the last task, a business case analysis will be conducted to document various labor costs including vessel labor time and process improvements. Once implemented, Ingalls anticipates this effort will reduce pipe outfitting man-hours by 10% from current activities which equates to a cost savings of $3.4M per DDG Hull.
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