Striving for logistics and lines efficiency

Efficiency is a key driver of success. The quality of product from established European shipyards is largely unquestioned so any process that brings efficiency, however small an impact, can improve price competitiveness and make the difference between winning and losing a contract.

Krimpen aan den IJssel-based shipyard van der Giessen-de Noord, in the upper reaches of Rotterdam harbour, is investing in facilities, with its steel lines and logistics systems the most recent recipients of management?s attention.

The shipyard has recently completed a modernisation and automation programme on its steel plate and profile processing system, which applies to all imported steel profiles and parts at its fabrication centres. Central to its ability to do this is a Tribon computer-planning system. This gives parts and profiles unique numbers and sub-numbers at a very early stage of construction, which is subsequently useful in allowing the optimisation of material flow lines, says the shipyard.

This flow line has, itself, been modernised, with Norwegian company TTS Handling Systems helping the yard to develop a new steel plate shop with new equipment, including handling and sorting cranes, trolleys and cassettes as well as cutting platforms.

All of this is designed to enhance the shipyard?s competitiveness in tendering for contracts in its core areas of prototype roro passenger ferries, specialised offshore support vessels and, since its takeover by the IHC Caland Group, dredgers.

In the roro sector the yard has recently launched Pascal Paoli, a 37,000g ropax ferry for Mediterranean operator SNCM (see The Motor Ship, July 2002), which has very distinct external superstructure lines. The ship is scheduled for delivery in March next year. It follows the recent delivery of the 34,800g Mont St. Michel to Brittany Ferries.

The yard?s research and development department is heavily involved in developing safety of ropax ships with participation in national and international programmes. On an international scale it is working in the European Community Fire Exit program, with partners such as the fire safety engineering group of the UK?s University of Greenwich, which aims to develop design and simulation tools for improving onboard passenger safety.

Nationally the department is helping to develop an Evacuation Decision Support system. This aims to develop a system that can detect a calamaity, predict the consequences for an evacuation and mitigate the effects of the calamity by controlling the spread of smoke through the ventilation system, decreasing possible list due to an accident and, by using programmable and convincing escape route signage, to lead passengers to safety via the quickest and safest escape route.

Aside from Pascal Paoli, the yard?s current civil orderbook consists of two hopper dredgers, one with a 4,750m3 capacity for van Oord and due in March 2003, the other for DEME, with a 5,400m3 capacity and due in early 2004.