Overview
Ship Check Data Capture (2005-380)
Project Team:
- General Dynamics Electric Boat
- Bender Shipbuilding & Repair
- Bitwyse Solutions, Inc.
- Construction Systems Associates, Inc.
- Direct Dimensions, Inc.
- Gulf Coast Region Maritime Technology Center
- Intergraph Corporation
- Shipshaper LLP
- Wollpert LLP
- Photo Measurement Solutions, Inc.
January 2005 - January 2007
NSRP ASE Investment: $725K
Industry Investment: $730K
Objective:
Develop a process to capture ship check data in digital format, process the digital data, and create and/or validate 3D CAD models for that data cost effectively.
Summary:
The objective of this project was to automate the process of capturing ship check data and incorporate the results into the shipâs CAD documentation. A ship check is the process wherein shipyard personnel board a ship in advance of a refit or repair period to capture as-built conditions from within ship compartments. As currently done, the process is labor-intensive, employing paper drawings, tape measures and photographs. A team led by GD Electric Boat Corporation and other data capture, survey, processing and evaluation subcontractors evaluated three-dimensional laser scanning, close range photogrammetry (FotoG) and other technologies that capture as-built ship conditions in digital format to create three-dimensional electronic models using this digital data.
Extensive ship checks were performed on a Torpedo Weapons Retriever and a submarine. The team found that laser scanning technology has the potential to collect as-built data, which will provide time and cost savings to the shipbuilding industry during ship checks for retrofit or modification projects and for validation of as-built to the design CAD model. This technology also has the potential to eliminate frequent visits to the site to obtain measurements of missed data such as that which is missed using traditional ship check methods with tape measures.
Photogrammetry (FotoG process), like total stations, if used in tandem with the laser scanner has the potential to assist in accurately linking multiple scans and avoid the use of the troublesome âbest fitâ routines in the laser scan data post processing software. The FotoG process has the potential to complement the laser the data collection from each of the two processes. Follow-on efforts were funded in 2006 to refine the âbest practicesâ and lessons learned developed under the first project by conducting a repeat ship check on the same submarine (to resolve measurement discrepancies) and a second ship check on an Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair surface ship at Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co., Inc. The lower cost ship checks and quality designs enabled by this project will cut labor costs by maximizing factory-fabricate in lieu of field-fabricate. The project also provides a cost-effective solution to perform life cycle cost management of ships with the archived digital data.
Key Deliverables:
Final Report – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
Point of Contact:
Kenneth Peters, Electric Boat