Friday, June 10, 2011

Pre-Fabricated Parts Is Key To 21st Century Shipbuilding

By Timothy Posh


Shipbuilding is among the world's largest industries. The world's biggest shipyard can be found in Ulsan, South Korea. Other countries in Asia are growing to become main players in shipbuilding as well.

Some 60,000 years ago when man first built a ship, the process of building a ship barely involved skill, shingle for carving, and logs to create the ship's body. Nowadays, ships are among mega structures which are considered an engineering feat.

21st century technologies make shipbuilding fast. The approach involved these days entails block construction, which means, superstructures on the ship are pre-fabricated by sub-contractors. In setting a ship together, hence, several other industries are in action, such as the engine producers, the metal manufacturers and the sub-contractors for pre-fabricated segments for instance the hull, decks, among others.

To begin with, a maritime architect is commissioned to design the ship. He watchfully reviews the state of the ship as it sets to sea. As an example, he studies the hydrostatics, which is the condition of the ship while resting over the water and its ability to stay afloat. The naval architect also designs the ship based on stability, which is its capability to restore itself back to place in cases where the wind, wave, or the water inclines it or tips it over.

The naval architect also studies hydrodynamics, that is the ship's ability to force itself on the water. Part of hydrodynamics is the consideration for ship motion and maneuvering, which is the capability of the ship to maneuver amidst waves.

Formerly, the naval architect will craft a mock-up vessel to assess both hydrostatics and hydrodynamic properties. Recent equipment has the naval architect using computer software programmes that simulates the ship's performance on the water through a model ship created on the computer.

Shipbuilding is a crucial business in any world wealth since it makes probable the use of sea vessels for passengers, cargo, war-time use, and scientific explorations.




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