COMPIT 2004 in Siguenza/ Spain - Institut für Entwerfen von ...

Concurrent Engineering through the Supply Chain
from Ship Owner to Supplier
Otto Millbourn, Tribon Solutions, Malmö/Sweden, otto.millbourn@tribon.com
Abstract
Efficient shipyards of today use a 3D Product Information Model as the main backbone for their
design, planning and production. In 2000, TRIBON Solutions AB released Tribon.com, an Internet
based, searchable shipbuilding component database. The database contains searchable and
structured information and 3D models of shipbuilding equipment.Tribon.com brings the supplier
closer to the design process of the yard and makes collaborative engineering possible. The idea to
complete the supply chain and include the ship owners comes naturally. Today the communication
during the new building process is often cumbersome and costly. The most expensive option, on site
inspections, is used to a great extent. The new process offers an integration of the Product
Information Model and Tribon.com. It enables the ship owner to monitor the design and progress of
the new building via the Internet. The ship owner will be able to comment on the design, follow up
milestones, simulate operations, and get sufficient information on equipment - in real time. Some ship
owners and yards already test the new process. The benefits for all stakeholders are substantial: less
rework, fewer man-hours spent, fewer misunderstandings, increased onboard safety and others. The
next step is for the ship owner to use the Product Information Model and Tribon.com to decrease the
life-cycle cost.
1. Introduction
Today shipyards and ship owners communicate in different ways in the new building process (usually
after the order is signed). The communication is extensive and relatively unstructured. The yards
communicate with classification societies, suppliers and owners. The methods are fax, e-mail and
ordinary “snail mail”. In most cases, the documentation is sent as paper-based 2d drawings and
specifications. Due to old traditions and the competitive situation among various suppliers, the
individual supplier tends to reveal its technical and commercial “features” at “as-late-as-possible”
stage. In addition, the owner communicates internally between staff on the building site and the head
office.
The communication and all the papers/documents are a problem for both the yards and the owners
because of misunderstandings in 3D to 2D conversions and the extent of the information. This
problem has been expressed by a number of yards and owners: Could we give access to the PIM via
Internet, could Tribon.com be one information channel? The current process is costly and
cumbersome.
2. Tribon components
2.1. Digital Product Model
A product model can be regarded as a comprehensive “Ship Database” containing all relevant
information about a specific ship. The Tribon Product Information Model is object-oriented in the
sense that all design and production data are stored and handled as objects. These objects represent all
of the types of physical items found in shipbuilding (systems, components, assemblies, pipes,
equipment, cables, plates, stiffeners etc.). The description of each object type is formulated such as to
contain all the necessary technical data and/or properties required for the description of a particular
instance of the object. The technical data and properties are then used to derive the graphical
representation of the object for use in symbolic sketches or in 2D or 3D views, depending on the
presentation context. When design modifications become necessary this technical data is changed
rather than the graphical information, which would be the case in most general purpose CAD systems.
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