Clustering risk assessment method for shipbuilding industry
| Published date | 07 October 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-06-2014-0193 |
| Pages | 1499-1518 |
| Date | 07 October 2014 |
| Author | Remigiusz Romuald Iwańkowicz,Wlodzimierz Rosochacki |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems |
Clustering risk assessment
method for shipbuilding industry
Remigiusz Romuald Iwan
´kowicz and Wlodzimierz Rosochacki
Faculty of Maritime Technology and Transport,
West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a risk assessment method for production processes
of large-size steel ship hulls.
Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a quantitative-probabilistic approach with
involvement of clustering technique in order to analyse the database of accidents and predict
the process risk. The case-based reasoning is used in here. A set of technological hazard classes as a
basis for analysing the similarities between the production processes is proposed. The method has
been explained using a case study on large-size shipyard.
Findings – Statistical and clustering approach ensures effective risk managing in shipbuilding
process designing. Results show that by selection of adequate number of clusters in the database, the
quality of predictions can be controlled.
Research limitations/implications – The suggested k-means method using the Euclidean distance
measure is initial approach. Testingthe other distance measures and consideration of fuzzy c lustering
method is desirable in the future. The analysis in the case study is simplified. The use of the method
according to prediction of risk related to loss of health or life among people exposed to the hazards
is presented.
Practical implications – The risk index allows to compare the processes in terms of security, as well
as provide significant information at the technology design stage of production task.
Originality/value – There are no studies on quantitative methods developed specifically for
managing risks in shipbuilding processes. Proposed list of technological hazard classes allows to
utilize database of past processes accidents in risk prediction. The clustering method of analysing
the database is agile thanks to the number of clusters parameter. The case study basing on actual data
from the real shipyard constitutes additional value of the paper.
Keywords Shipbuilding, Prediction, Clustering, Risk assessment, Steel structure production
Paper type Research p aper
1. Introduction
1.1 Problem definition
Production processes of large-size steel ship structures (hulls and dec khouses, inter
alia) form a class of technologically most advanced manufacturing processes of
steel stiffened shell structures (Plate 1). The processes – regardless of the final
functionality of the structure – include two main phases of production: elements
treatment and assembly.
The phase of treatment covers operations resulting in a collection of structural
elements (in industrial practice often called details). Assembly phase consists of
mutual orientation of elements and parts of structures and then combining them.
Ship structures may consist of thousands of eleme nts, which justifies conducting a
multistage assembly in a series-parallel mode, where sub-assemblies of final structure
are also results of the multistage assembly (Cho et al., 1998). For the purpose of further
consideration the concept of assembly unit is introduced, which will be defined as
structure assembled on one workstation – with the possible positioning between
operations, but without moving it horizontally.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 114 No.9, 2014
pp. 1499-1518
rEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-06-2014-0193
1499
Clustering risk
assessment
method
Assembly units can be classified in accordance with increasing complexity of structure
during assembly. In the classical meaning, derived from characteristic nomenclature
for the shipbuilding industry,the assembly levels (subassemblies) are distinguished as:
components, panels, sub-sections, flat sections, complex sections, blocks, superblocks,
gigablocks and final structures (Storch et al., 1995).
The division of the hull’s structure into assembly stages is connected with the
division of the production process into phases:
.storage and pre-treatment of raw steel materials;
.treatment of details;
.initial assembly of components and subsections;
.assembly and painting sections and blocks; and
.final assembly of output structu re.
The following production techniques are used during the shipbuilding (Kyu-Kab et al.,
1999; Groover, 2010):
.treatment and maintenance of the surface: brushing, sandblasting, grit-blasting,
painting;
.cutting: acetylene, oxygen, plasma, laser, mechanical;
.machining: edge planning, grinding welds;
.plastic forming: reverse bending rolling, stamping pressing, bending on press
brakes, rolling curves of one- and two-axle;
.thermal treatment: drying by acetylene-oxygen burners, thermal straightening;
and
.welding: MIG/MAG, TIG, SAW.
Some of these operations are carried out in the halls and close d chambers, some of
them outside under the weather conditions. The level of process automation may be
different depending on their level of repeatability and the level of innovation of
Plate 1.
Lengthening of a ship hull
by a block inserting
1500
IMDS
114,9
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