Study on Use of Numerically Controlled Flamecutting System for Increased Accuracy and Efficiency in Hull Construction

Abstract

Improvement and stabilization of the accuracy in cutting hull component parts form the basis for increasing accuracy and efficiency in the hull construction. These studies were begun around 1955 with the aim of developing an automatic flamecutting system in order to eliminate errors in cutting hull component parts. Optically controlled flamecutting machines were introduced at the Innoshima Shipyard in 1956 to eliminate errors caused by the conventional manual marking and manual flamecutting. Then, numerically controlled flamecutting equipments were introduced and put to practical use at the Sakai Shipyard in 1966 in order to eliminate errors peculiar to optically controlled flamecutting. The software HIZAC was developed for the preparation of numerical data necessary for numerically controlled flamecutting. Further, computer controlled flamecutting system was developed in 1972 in order to comply with various kinds of higher technical demands, which was applied to the newly constructed Ariake Shipyard in Kumamoto Prefecture in 1973. Finally, a series of studies have been made on the improvement of quality and production control of hull construction, based on increased accuracy of hull component parts.