Automation in the automotive industry has been the norm for many years. However, the U.S. shipbuilding industry was slow to adopt automation as mass high speed production is not part of its industry. The ShipWorks Robotic Laboratory project being developed and demonstrated by the Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center is showing shipbuilders how they can effectively incorporate robotics and process simulation into its processes.

The Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center (GCRMTC) at the University of New Orleans, College of Engineering (UNO COE) undertook a research program that has the potential to greatly assist the shipbuilding industry in incorporating robotics in its processes. This project is called ShipWorks Robotics Laboratory. The project goals are to develop methodologies that provide rapid robotic programming, increase the tolerance of the robot to handle shipyard accuracy levels (may require some type of vision system), provide a baseline for shipyards to estimate return on investment, seek other process applications beyond welding, and establish a training program to support shipyard applications. This research and demonstration project is a joint effort between UNO COE, the Naval Surface Warfare Center - Carderock, and the Navy Joining Center. Industrial collaborators include Northrop Grumman Avondale, Atlantic Marine, Bender Shipyards, Bollinger Shipyards, Electric Boat, Jeffboat, NASSCO, Northrop Grumman Ingalls, and Newport News Shipyard.

GCRMTC purchased the hardware (welding robot) and software (Delmia Simulation), and built a robotics experimentation facility. With this facility and equipment, it is possible to create a virtual visualization facility in which models of different robots can be built, robotic process visualization can be achieved, part simulation within the facility can be accomplished, welding equipment types (welding guns) can be selected, and welding processes and parameters can be optimized prior to committing resources or dollars to production. With the simulation package, it is possible to import the computer aided design model of the parts to be welded and locate it in the proper positions, define the desired weld paths, download the welding program, which has been prepared off-line, and weld the part.

One of the industrial collaborators in this project has sent materials for an actual assembly to GCRMTC for modeling and welding. The demonstration project resulted in the achievement of the targeted cycle time and required quality. Based on this demonstration, the industrial collaborator committed to installing the system at its facility. The expected payback for the investment is less than two years.

Another project related to this research effort involves using the same simulation hardware and software to prove the feasibility of replacing the welding robot with a robot equipped with a metal cutting process (oxy-gas, plasma, or laser), and utilizing alternate product flow and processing in the shipyard. Again, the simulation and visualization systems will allow for the analysis of this project before the shipbuilder commits to changes. Interim reports to the industrial collaborators have been, and will continue to be made as the research and demonstration project continues.