PROSTEP's tool for proactive production control in the shipbuilding industry

Maritime systems such as cruise ships and frigates comprise several million components, far exceeding the magnitude of other industrial products. This poses particular challenges for shipyards in terms of production planning and control. Which is why the Lürssen shipyard group, the Machine Tool Laboratory (WZL) at RWTH University in Aachen and PROSTEP AG carried out the ProProS research project. The project focused on developing an innovative methodology for planning and controlling the production of large individual products. The methodology is intended to enable the efficient use of available resources and the earliest possible assessment of the impact of disruptions. It is based on a digital twin that maps the ship and the production activities. In this twin, the activity plan is created without manual intervention based on the ship structure and it is planned and optimized with due consideration given to the available resources.

The software demonstrator created as part of the research project can handle the very large structures and activity plans found in the shipbuilding industry. The transfer of real-time data from production makes it possible for the production planners to rapidly detect incidents and replan the production process based on the current status. This provides them with a tool that increases efficiency in the production process and shortens throughput times. The software can even be used to make predictions about future activities.

The solution enables detailed and highly efficient production control when building complex individual products, without driving up the level of manual effort required for production planning.

The project itself was divided into four phases. Following an initial analysis of requirements, during which the technical challenges and constraints were identified, we derived a data and process model, which was transferred to the demonstrator in the third phase. The resulting solution was then validated in the final phase of the project. The project partners carried out all phases in close coordination with each other, while the primary responsibility in each phase was determined by the partners' respective strengths.

The combination of project partners – the Lürssen shipyard group, WZL and PROSTEP – created a consortium of companies that complemented each other in terms of expertise. The Lürssen shipyard group is a world-renowned manufacturer of megayachts, naval ships and special purpose vessels. It works continuously on the further development of its design and production processes, as well as on developing innovative products, and has been involved in numerous research projects in recent years. As an experienced industry partner, it contributed to the creation of a realistic solution in the ProProS project.

The researchers at the WZL work on the design and layout of structures and processes in production. They provide their industrial partners with support for the systematic implementation of a sustainable production strategy and an efficient value-added structure in numerous research and consulting projects. The laboratory also has experience with fault management and real-time production planning, which it was able to contribute to the ProProS research project and thus play a crucial role in its successful completion.

PROSTEP AG assumed the role of PLM and digital transformation expert in the research project and contributed its expertise to both the conceptual design and actual implementation of the software solution. Since PROSTEP's experts in Hamburg are also familiar with the shipbuilding context, they were able to use their experience and methods from past implementation and consulting projects for the successful execution of the research project.

If you would like to find out more about ProProS and our solutions, please feel free to contact us.