1. T 9
MODULAR SHIP CONSTRUCTION – A PARADIGM SHIFT
Cdr (retd) Kamal Kanagat, Cdr (retd)RK Chakervarti,
LCdr (retd) Anand Kannan
Abstract
The Indian shipbuilding industry is passing through phase of advancements
of IT solutions and infrastructure modernization. In the present Indian and global
scenario indigenous shipbuilding requires to be globally competitive through
significant capacity enhancement and to produce global quality standards at
competitive prices. This necessitates a comprehensive study and debate over various
means of achieving above goal. This paper brings out the requirement of modular
construction as an essential step in that direction. Various requirements of
construction facilities and different methods / options possible for undertaking
modular construction have also been discussed and their respective merits vis-à-vis
conventional methods have been highlighted.
1. INTRODUCTION
In today’s international competitive shipbuilding market, success is often based on offering
quality ships at competitive prices and shortened build periods. Over the last three decades, there has
been a continuous pressure, world over, to reduce build periods as well as construction costs. Initially
the focus of cost reduction efforts had been on fabrication of steel structures. However, as the scope for
further improvement in the ship structure production and assembly techniques diminishes, the
shipbuilding industry increasingly explores other options to save time and money, which includes
enhanced automation, innovative designs, increased pre-outfitting and modular construction.
Shipbuilding, particularly warship construction, is an extremely complex process on account
of large number of structural members, systems and equipment to be installed and interconnected
within terribly restricted space and stringent environmental tolerances. Notwithstanding thorough
planning and execution of all activities, the overall schedule is largely dependent on shipyard’s
facilities and construction philosophy/ methodology. World over the trend is towards use of high end IT
solutions, concurrent engineering, large shipyard infrastructure to process highly pre-outfitted mega
blocks, weather independent construction, and finally, complete digital shipbuilding. Indian
shipbuilding Industry, however, has been surviving on its cheap shipbuilding labour cost for too long,
thereby restricting to labour intensive conventional shipbuilding methods, and not really taking off with
the modern shipbuilding techniques. The need of the hour, therefore, is to break the capacity barriers
and conventional methods of ship construction, and adopt contemporary practices.
Conventionally, ship construction process had been slow due to manual process, longish
design time cycles, low crane/ material handling capacities, restricting block sizes, and low percentage
of pre-outfitting. Majority of the outfitting took place post block assembly on the slipways or dry docks.
The process was slow and the vital facility remains occupied for very long duration, thereby severely
restraining yard’s production capacity. In Indian shipbuilding industry even today, though up-
gradations are in process, the crane capacities pose a big bottleneck.
This paper takes the reader through a journey, firstly at the modern shipbuilding trends
prevalent today globally, and then traces the modular construction concepts being practiced world over,
with some illustrations, followed by aspects on modular design. Finally L&T’s integrated & advanced
approach as a solution to the shipbuilding industry, to effectively utilize contemporary trends is
presented.
The Global trends are towards making shipbuilding process much more effective and
repetitive. The advancements in the shipbuilding have been spear headed by the Korean shipyards, who
getting into serious shipbuilding in 1970s have quickly advanced to become No. 1 in shipbuilding
nation. Today about 7 out of top 10 shipyards in the world are from Korea. The main emphasis in the
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2. contemporary shipbuilding is given to use of high end IT solutions in design, increased block size,
enhanced pre-outfitting and modular approach for design and construction, high automation in ship
construction and employing different modes of launching, other than conventional dry docks/ slipways.
These features have been briefly discussed in succeeding paragraphs.
2. HIGH END IT SOLUTIONS
IT solutions include design software that handle design from initial design stage through to the
exact details needed for production, surrounded by VR and digital 3d mockups, robust database
management systems, ERP packages for material procurement, inventory management, Operations
techniques like JIT etc, remote information sharing portals, digital manufacturing with
CAD/CAM/CAE integrations, and overall a total digital shipyard solution.
3. 1 Ship design software
Initial as well as detail design software tools are available that communicate with each
other to share the design information to and fro, for iterative design activities, as required. Through
automating routine tasks, building libraries of Class Rules and pre-configured parametric equipment &
system components, shipyards benefit from quicker time-to-design schedules. Automated drawing
generation functionality provides shipyards with instant, accurate and up-to-date production
drawings/documentation. Advanced software, with their central data bases, 3D models and security
features, enable concurrent engineering from geographically different locations, thereby making design
refinements & reviews easy. Newer upgrades, with more advanced features, for above software are
being developed regularly.
3. 2 Digital mockups and Virtual reality
Envisioning the environment in virtual reality has become inescapable, for modern
shipyards. High-end IT workstations on powerful graphic interfaces with sound 3D digital technology
have helped create virtual ships much before production. The virtual reality simulates walk through of
fully populated compartments and ship. Such virtual models are of immense help in visualizing,
analyzing and resolving various potential problems like accessibility, operability, maintainability
interference etc., thereby improving the production efficiency many folds.
3. 3 Product Lifecycle Management
The process of managing the ship’s entire lifecycle from its conception, through design
and manufacture, to service and disposal is being provided by PLM solutions. Integrated with 3D
modeling software and digital manufacturing processes etc. PLM solutions allow users to create a
collaborative workplace that breaks down the barriers between engineering and design functions,
accelerating the product development process and bringing about a new level of decision support,
innovation and collaboration.
3. 4 ERP - Open Data Centric Architecture
A trend in the shipbuilding industry is for shipbuilders to implement enterprise resource
planning (ERP) systems such as BaaN, MARS, SAP etc. Effective integration can yield benefits up to
eight times more than derived from automation alone The ERP suites offer the Engineering and
Procurement Interface (E&PI) module as a solution to managing the BOM from various sources,
consolidating them, and providing information to procurement Consistent WBS information is also
integrated to effectively complete production design and exchange BOM information.
3. MAXIMISED AUTOMATION
4. 1 Production Automation
Most of the major shipyards are moving towards direct extraction of production information
from advanced nesting software and feed seamlessly to automated NC profile cutting machines, robotic
profilers (in case of advanced shipyards) to reduce the amount of time and manpower required to
prepare plates and profiles before assembly. These yards have exhibited how effectively centralized
engineering information could be leveraged for increased production.
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3. 4. 2 Panel line production
Panel line production has caught up to streamline the shipbuilding process and to optimize
resource utilization very effectively. Today some of the Japanese and Korean yards employ a level of
precision and standardization that ensures every single plate needs to be processed only once, and that
all operations and processes that must be applied to it as well as its location in the ship is self evident to
the workers in the yard. Further, panel line production is optimized through high end IT applications to
develop next generation digital shipbuilding system integrated with industry best practices
4. 3 Robotic welding
Traditionally, shipbuilding is plagued with small weld batches due little similarity amongst
different type of ships, and different sections of the same ship. Robotic welding leverages high level of
standardization and sophistication in the yard processes, and therefore, provide the optimal solution for
highly advanced shipyards. For example, Fincantieri, Italy invested in new robot systems and off-line
programs using UltraArc PC-based packages to improve turnaround times and ensure consistent quality
from block to block. Arc Welding Macro Programming system was developed, which uses UltraArc to
systematize the process of robot programming and to retain the knowledge and processes from one hull
to another. Fincantieri has achieved 100% offline programming – no touchups were needed.
4. DIGITAL SHIPBUILDING
Overall the trend in modern shipbuilding is moving towards a complete automated digital ship
building solution by integration of CAD / CAE / CAM / PDM, virtual reality and other technologies to
achieve effective product design tools and production processes to shorten product development cycles.
All production related information are being generated and communicated to NC machines directly and
automated panel lines, plate, frame and pipe bending machines would cut and provide the exact profiles
required of finished components.
5. LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENHANCE PRE-OUTFITTING
As discussed above, to leverage high degree of automation and digitization, efforts are on by
shipyards to continually increase the blocks sizes and reduce number of blocks per ship. Although
bigger (or mega) blocks enhance the percentage of modular construction and pre outfitting per block
greatly, this necessarily requires to be supported by large infrastructure, crane capacities and
transportation systems for handling bigger block sizes. Today crane capacities in excess of 500T are
very common with shipyards.
South Korean shipyards have shown tremendous improvements in
production efficiency by reducing assembly time through pre-outfitting
mega blocks in weather independent shop-like environment, and
transporting them by hydraulic transporters. Slipway / Dry dock, an
expensive facility, often gets blocked for several months for final ship
assembly, thus limiting number of ships that can be launched per year.
Most of the shipyards are resorting to dry dock independent launch by
ship lift / Floating dry dock/ Pontoon etc.
Panel Line Robotic Profiler NC Profile Cutting
6. MODULAR CONSTRUCTION – A PARADIGM SHIFT:
If the shipbuilding industry had witnessed a quantum leap in the transition from 2D to 3D and
digitization processes, even more powerful and productive transitive phases are being witnessed which
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4. is from pre-assembly to modular construction. The concept of modularity has been realized and applied
very efficiently in construction and manufacturing industry today. Modules are nothing but units,
containing pre-assembled and prefabricated components, integrated with their associated systems, and
readily available as a package, which can be easily buttoned up or integrated into the main block. It is a
product arising out of a series of assembly operations done remotely. Modules are configured to suit
transportability and joining effectiveness.
What has stepped up modular ship construction is the need to enhance productivity, ensure
better quality in the non-conducive & confined working environment, Further, the impacts of
globalization of products and information technology shall give rise to unprecedented advancements in
technology for which shipyards need to gear up with inbuilt flexibility and adoptability features, if they
need to keep pace with the advancements. Modular construction approach provides an effective tool in
that direction. In order to tap the available talent pool and resources, which are only getting closer to
each other in this flat and competitive world, the ability to collaborate and undertake product
development, utilize the build anywhere, integrate anywhere concepts are prompting modular
construction to be the key driver of the shipbuilding industry.
Although the concepts of Modular Construction are equally valid for commercial shipbuilding,
its impact on the cycle time is much more emphatic for warship building due to enhanced complexities
of involved process & technologies, interface requirements of various weapons/ electronic equipment
and long gestation periods, spanning over a decade for conventional design and construction.
As naval warfare scenario is continually evolving and the newer technological developments
are taking place world over in related fields, several weapon equipment either get replaced or upgraded
during the design and construction of a warship. This, more often than not, results in significant time
and cost overruns, despite meticulous planning and adherence to good shipbuilding practices by the
shipbuilders. It is, therefore, imperative that the cycle time be reduced to the extent feasible.
7. MODULAR CONSTRUCTION– APPROACH
During conventional construction, resources
flow directly to the site for assembly, while modular
assembly permits application of resources at multiple
work places in the fabrication yard, or even at
different yards. Thus enabling fabrication and
assembly performed at the most efficient location for
a specific project. Modularity in construction can be
realized in any combination of three separate levels:-
Equipment, Compartment and platform.
8. 1 Equipment Level Modularity
Development of compact and easy to install ship
borne equipment is the trend world over, but more important is to ensure the modularity of equipment
with complete associative systems. The complete assembly of equipment or group of equipment is
mounted on specially configured skids outside, prior lowering into the ships. The advantages pan across
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Thyssen Nordseewerke (TNSW) - have resorted to standardization and modularization in engine
room design, which they observed was accounting for 40% of the production hours and ship costs.

5. new construction to easy maintenance and efficient operation. Modularisation brings in reduction in
number of pipe spools required, enhancement of prefabrication and parallel assembly of components.
Moreover, the associated systems can be centrally controlled from one point and all parameters
monitored better. For maintenance routines and replacement of parts and assemblies, these interim
products have easy pull out and jack up facilities, for extremely quick replacement, thus avoiding a lot
of degutting and re-gutting, which is often a nuisance while undertaking ship refits.
Role convertibility is another major advantage offered by the modularisation concepts. As
exhibited by MEKO class warships developed by Blohm & Voss, Germany, modular weapon systems
configured specially with standard structural & system details, can be easily interchanged for
conversion of role or to meet customer specific requirements, as shown in the picture below.
Meko Concept:- all systems’ components accommodated in a single module with standard
services’ interfaces. Modules - Green: Mast; Red: Weapon; Blue: Electronic; Yellow: machinery;
8. 2 Compartment Level Modularity
Compartments’ designs are standardized and used for ships of same as well as different classes. This
avoids re engineering, every time a new ship design is processed. Modularity of compartments offers
assembling the complete compartment outside at the most conducive location and assembled at the ship
assembly site. Royal Schelde, Germany has produced some very good designs in this regard. Also
decks such as flight decks, hangar, accommodations, E/Rs with propulsion systems etc have been
identified as potentials for modules. Complete decks, when made as a whole module also reduce
construction complexities and time frames for role conversion.
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6. Schelde “Enforcer” ships Modular Bridge Concept Modular Accommodation
SuitesModular Decks
8. 3 Platform Level Modularity (Mission)
This is particularly useful for design
& construction of similar class of ships with
different mission requirements. Sections of the
ship, in that case, can be designed as the base
ship and mission specific modules can be
added as required to produce specific solution.
Advancement in electronics has helped
generate such solutions called “Open system
architecture”. Containerization of role
packages has been developed, where
containers can be lowered into the ship for specific missions. These containers have built in common
interfaces, for being plugged into different ship classes also. Such “Plug and play” concepts are playing
a pivotal role in bringing together flexibility to achieve mission modularity
Abeking & Rasmussen (A & R), Germany ahs produced some of the designs which are highly
mission specific, while keeping the base ship configuration same, the mission profile can easily be
changed, as required
German Shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen (A & R) : Mission modules concept
9. MODULAR DESIGN
Undertaking modular construction is not as simple as it sounds, it requires specialized
construction facilities along with carefully designed and laid out outfitting facilities to dovetail well
with the carefully thought build strategy. This alone, however, is not adequate and needs to be backed
up by ship designs that incorporates equipment disposition, system designs, zoning of ship systems and
block definitions that are commensurate with the infrastructure and modular construction philosophy of
the yard. There is a paradigm shift in the design philosophy from ‘Build the way it is designed’ to
‘Design the way it is to be built’.
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7. The modular ship design,
therefore, is required to
address issues related with the
block boundaries, systems
zoning, selection and
disposition of equipment, and
block joining details, at early
ship design stage itself. The
potential benefits of modular
design and construction have
been realized as permanently
hovering around the silhouette of the ship, as can be viewed in this figure.
Owing to the reasons sited above, the Indian warship building has been affected by severe cost
and time overruns. This, the country can ill afford at this juncture of huge development plans of the
Indian Navy and Coast Guard. The need of the hour, therefore, is to break the capacity barriers,
conventional methods of ship construction, and adopt the modern techniques, e.g. Modular
Construction with maximum pre outfitting.
With Indian private shipbuilding industry willing to take up the challenges of setting up such
expensive modern facilities to be globally competitive, this is just about the time that we look at the
shipbuilding with a different perspective. In order to make Indian shipbuilding self reliant and
comparable with global shipbuilding leaders, it is imperative to adopt the contemporary shipbuilding
techniques holistically.
10. L&T’S APPROACH TOWARDS SHIPBUILDING
L&T’s shipbuilding is gearing up for an
in-house capability to develop basic modular ship
designs. L&T has a proven track record as
developer & supplier of several mechanical,
electrical and electronics equipment and systems
to defence forces. The above capabilities are
planned to be leveraged optimally, and the
upcoming mega green shipyard being specially
developed for the modular ship construction,
L&T efforts to bring the complete modular
solution to the Indian warship shipbuilding. Steps
in this direction have been already taken to some
extent, while working on INS Arihant.
3D Model
Design
With already deployed state-of-the-art software tools, refer fig above, L&T is continually
driving towards modular construction. The overall approach of L&T towards shipbuilding is
summarized at fig below.
L&T new mega Greenfield
shipyard is being developed for
modular construction, and the
modular designs are evolved and
offered keeping in mind these
construction facilities, ‘the way it is
built’. The ships which would be
delivered from this shipyard would
have above modern IT tools and
modern construction approach
employed while building it. Designs
would involve simplified geometry, structures and use of standard parts & fittings. Overall approach is
3D model centric wherein the model is generated as soon as the hull form is ready in the initial design
software. The model thus developed becomes the central repository of all technical information of the
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8. project and the single window for all transactions to the production facilities, initial design Virtual ship
concept being used effectively as a tool for visualizing problem areas and taking corrective actions
ahead of schedule. The vision is to move towards complete digital solution at the earliest. Virtual ship
thus developed can be used for variety of purposes as shown below:-
11. CONCLUSION
As the world moves towards high tech ship building processes, the ship building giants like
Hyundai and Samsung Shipyards are converting the, otherwise arduous, shipbuilding to virtually an
assembly line kind of production industry by standardizing and automating the processes. They have
almost done it for the commercial ships and to quite an extent even for naval vessels. Indian
shipbuilding, however, have not been able to keep pace with the advancements in this field, largely due
to thrust on availability of cheap labour, high investments for modernization and prevailing business
scenario. Now with the liberalization of policies, and ambitious plans of Naval and Coast Guard, it is
the high time that India gets into state-of-the-art ship building techniques. An attempt is made in this
paper to bring out the potential benefits that modular construction provides to the shipbuilding industry
at large, and Indian naval shipbuilding in particular, in terms of mission flexibility, upgradeability,
overall cost, and shorter build periods.
The success story of South Korean shipbuilding industry from 2% of global business in 1970s
to the world’s leader in shipbuilding, is largely due to the all-out government support. The competitive
situation of the world shipbuilding market requires innovative solutions and speedy execution from
yards. The only solution for shipyards, therefore, is to be equipped with an integrated solution, wherein
all processes of modern trends of shipbuilding including collaborative product developments, IT
architectures, large infrastructures and modular construction are synergized in order to bring about a
quantum dynamic change.
As the old saying goes “If you do what you did, you will get what you got”, the need of the
hour, therefore, is to think innovatively.
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Virtual Ship- compartment walkthroughs Virtual Ship- Advantages
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9. Page 9
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