An Integrated Steel Workshop for Shipbuilding: A Real Application of Automation

The paper describes the layout of an innovative automated steel workshop for the manufacturing of ship blocks, recently set up at Fincantieri's Monfalcone Shipyard. The system implements the results of a European EUREKA! research program called FASP -Flexible Automation in Ship Prefabrication. The various working areas of the shop are described; for each of the new technologies being applied, the level of automation and integration with the other areas is discussed; the advantages obtained are compared with the best typical standards of a traditional production workshop. Inside a fully automated workshop, the information support must have a high integration and flexibility level. The two main issues relevant to information technology are described, i.e., :the modular and integrated systems for the design, part program generation and transmission; andthe production programming, management and control system.