Concurrent Engineering: Application and Implementation for U.S. Shipbuilding

Abstract

This paper reports on a SP-8 Panel project to analyze the application of Concurrent Engineering (CE) in U.S. shipbuilding and to perform a pilot implementation of CE within a U.S. shipyard. It describes (1) results of a Shipbuilding Concurrent Engineering Questionnaire survey; (2) a summary of product development performance benchmark surveys conducted at several U.S. shipyards; (3) visit to several foreign shipyards as well as Boeing Commercial Aircraft Company, Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, and the Concurrent Engineering Research Center to discuss implementation of CE; (4) requirements for successful CE implementation by U.S. shipbuilders; and (5) the status of the pilot CE implementation at Bath Iron Works Corporation.