Journal of Ship Production and Design, Vol. 34, No. 2, May 2018, pp.

168–179
http://dx.doi.org/10.5957/JSPD.170006

Shipyard Block Logistics Simulation Using Process-centric Discrete

Event Simulation Method

Yong-Kuk Jeong,* Philippe Lee,† and Jong Hun Woo‡

*Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
†
PLM Laboratory, XINNOS, Seoul, Korea
‡
Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Systems Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, Korea

In recent years, shipyards have conducted various studies to accurately investigate

their production capacities and improve the accuracy of their production plans.
Nevertheless, frequent delays in schedules inevitably occur at production sites.
Simulation-based techniques are used in various fields to solve similar problems,
especially those related to predicting loads on facilities and upgrading production
planning by considering various constraints. Process-centric simulation modeling
techniques are used in shipyards because the shipbuilding process has different
characteristics from the general manufacturing process. Conventional resource-
oriented modeling techniques are inadequate to construct a simulation model to
analyze the logistical behavior of shipyards. In this study, a process-oriented simu-
lation modeling method is applied and improved through the identification and de-
velopment of additional modules needed to simulate the behavior of shipyard
logistics. The core of the simulation is improved using a logistic token that can analyze
the physical movement effected by each process. Moreover, such process modeling
modules as the geographic information system, the route search module, and the
spatial arrangement module are developed and integrated into one solution.

Keywords: shipyard; logistics; DES; process centric

1. Introduction shipbuilders in South Korea are experiencing high operating loss

and debt-to-equity ratio (Fig. 2), leading to fears of insolvency.
THE SHIPBUILDING industry in South Korea was affected by the Additional losses are expected due to large backlogs in orders for
recent global financial crisis. It has since suffered from a decline in offshore plants.
global freight volume that has led to massive losses in all areas of Despite these pessimistic stats and market prospects, it has been
commercial shipping and offshore plants since 2010. The ship- predicted that the shipbuilding industry in South Korea can over-
building industry in South Korea, especially large shipbuilders, come this crisis because the global shipbuilding industry has
received a large number of orders by competing in the market witnessed cycles of boom and bust at relatively regular intervals
while reorganizing its business structure around the growth of since the development of steel vessels. Moreover, the industry is
offshore plants. This move was prompted by the flooding by expected to increase its competitiveness by restructuring and de-
Chinese shipbuilders of the local market with general merchant veloping new technologies.
vessels (Fig. 1), as well as by prospects for the growing offshore To overcome the current crisis in the shipping industry in Korea,
plants’ market due to crude oil depletion and high oil prices. the government is providing support in the form of research tasks
However, the industry has suffered astronomical deficits in projects. However, these are focused on the development of prod-
recent years due to unexpected losses, and the three major ucts and equipment. Investment to strengthen supply capabilities,
such as production, logistics, and procurement, remains insufficient.
Manuscript received by JSPD Committee April 3, 2017; revised manuscript Representative ways to enhance profitability in the face of
received April 4, 2017. fierce competition in the worsening shipbuilding market include

168 MAY 2018 2158-2866/18/3402-0168$00.00/0 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

 result of the simulation, identification of additional add-on compo-
nents, and a requirement engineering system for KPI identifica-
tion, are required. In this regard, a systematic shipyard simulation
framework is proposed (Woo et al. 2017), using which a shipyard
block logistics simulation system is developed in this study. 2) A
flexible development environment is then needed. Many existing
factory simulation studies have been conducted by using com-
mercial simulation solutions developed by Dassault Systemes
(DELMIA QUEST, http://www.3ds.com/), Siemens (Plant Simula-
tion, www.plm.automation.siemens.com), Rockwell (Arena, https://
www.arenasimulation.com/), and so on. These general-purpose
commercial simulation solutions provide wide-ranging features for
general simulation engineers. To implement CPS concepts, such as
Fig. 1 Comparison of orders booked among Korea, China, and Japan agile modeling and feedback, a lightweight and flexible simulation
modeling environment is required. In this study, features required
developing high-quality products and strengthening supply capacity. for the simulation of shipyard block logistics are loaded on and
The smart factory strategy, which has been driven strongly by integrated with the ShipyardOne™ (http://s1.xinnos.com/) kernel,
the government for several years, strengthens supply capacity. which was developed and distributed by Xinnos (www.xinnos.com).
This strategy is gradually being implemented while spreading to
the upper and lower supply chains of related industries, with the
automobile and the electronics industries taking the lead, and is 2. Research review
contributing to improvements in the health of the manufacturing
industry. Smart factory technology, which is part of Industry 4.0 Frensberg shipyard of Germany has been conducting a research
strategy (Kagermann et al. 2013), focuses on strengthening supply for the simulation project for application to the shop floor since
capacity, and is expected to become a new growth engine for the 2003, and simulation toolkit for shipbuilding was developed. There
shipbuilding industry by combining information and communica- came out a practice for the fabrication process (Kaarsemaker &
tions technology with traditional manufacturing industries. Nienhuis 2006) and one for the block assembly process planning
Research and development of factory simulation technology, system (Steinhauer & Meyer-Konig 2006). Also, there are several
which is one of the key elements of the smart factory, has been being papers those presented simulation research with shipbuilding case
constantly conducted for the prediction of behavior of target (Mclean & Shao 2001; Steinhauer 2003; Ljubenkov et al. 2008).
manufacturing system. Factory simulation technology is evolving These researches have their own significance in focusing on the
as Cyber Physical System (CPS) nowadays (Table 1). The CPS advancement of planning and prediction capability with the factory
methodology is identical to virtual and digital manufacturing basi- simulation to the actual ship production planning apart from
cally, but focuses on a practical perspective for quick and efficient traditional simulation approach in ivory tower.
feedback concerning the results of simulations rather than on the Meanwhile, biggest and most complex shipyards such as
modeling (Kagermann et al. 2013). Therefore, agile modeling and Hyundai, Samsung, or Daewoo are in Korea at present. So, latest
simulation, and quick feedback are emerging as the core competi- significant researches about shipbuilding are being announced and
tive features of the simulation as opposed to features such as three published in Korea. So, research review is going to be focused
dimensional (3D). on Korean shipbuilding industry during the last 15-year period.
For rapid modeling and feedback, two major barriers must be The first case of shipyard simulation research using an advanced
resolved (Woo et al. 2017): 1) for simulation-based decision- concept of digital manufacturing in Korea was “Integrated Digital
making, a set of guidelines for a series of processes, including Shipbuilding Technology for Development of High Value-added
goal setting, identification of key performance indicators (KPIs) as a Ship” (Project no. 00,016,038), which was carried out from 2001
to 2004 with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and
Energy of South Korea (Lamb et al. 2006, Han et al. 2008;
Hwang et al. 2010; Lee et al. 2007, 2009). In this project, with
Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. as the target shipyard desig-
nated by Seoul National University, digital models were con-
structed for all processes of the shipyard using 3D kinematic
simulation and discrete event simulation (DES) software DELMIA
QUEST (Dassault Systemes of Paris/France). For the panel line,
fabrication factory, and outdoor-yard production processes, a system
was developed to interact with the production management opera-
tions of the shipyard. This project was highly significant because it
was the first to present the direction of research in advanced digital
shipyards of the future by establishing digital models for all rele-
vant processes derived from the various use cases.
The next shipyard simulation project was “Simulation-based
Fig. 2 Operation profit and outlook for 2015 (Foreign economy lab Production Technology for Ships and Offshore Plants” (Project no.
of the export import bank of Korea) 10,035,331), from 2010 to 2015. It targeted Hanjin Heavy Industry

MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN 169

 Table 1 Changes in DES trend

Computer simulation Virtual factory Digital factory Smart factory

Period (year
5) “60–”85 “85–”95 “95–”10 “10–”current
Significance Modeling using computer 3D virtual modeling Virtualization of information Feedback from simulation model
to real manufacturing system
Focus Focus on scenario-based Focus on maximization Focus on operational Focus on agile feedback
what-if simulation of physical visibility information by from simulation model
through the 3D modeling simulation rather than to real manufacturing
of real factory 3D virtualization system before the problem
is recognized
Object Investigation of production Transition of real manufacturing Same as early stages in To secure management competency
index (throughput, utilization, system into virtual model using “60–”85 by agile decision-making system
WIP, etc.) based on various 3D Computer Aided Design (scenario-based simulation) based on simulation, which
simulation scenarios and digital mock-up technology originated from the concept
of the digital factory
Minimization of physical The difference is hardware Prompt action with respect to
rework by preventing and software enhancement, simulation requirements and
interference and collision which allows simulation consideration of given status
among physical entities engineers to extend the of target manufacturing system
scope and detail of modeling through monitoring is crucial
Keyword What if 3D Digital Cyber Physical System

and Construction Co. Ltd., and was supervised by the Korea of simulation-based assembly factory design and finite capacity
Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO, production planning (Song et al. 2009).
formerly MOERI) (Heo et al. 2013; Hwang 2013; Lee et al. 2014b;
Ruy et al. 2015). The goal of this project was the localization of
simulation kernels, which constitute the basis of simulations, to 3. Research target
acquire source technology related to the production simulation.
Through this project, simulation kernels were developed for crane In this study, a shipyard block logistics simulation system
lifting, process planning around quays based on a geographic is developed to improve the mid- to long-term block logistics of D
information system (GIS), transporter logistics, and shipbuilding Shipbuilding Company in South Korea. The block logistics at the
planning validation. On the basis of these kernels, applications shipyard encompass a series of processes, including the trans-
required for the workshops of Hanjin Heavy Industry and Con- portation of blocks to the stockyard using transporters between
struction Co., Ltd. were developed and applied. However, many outdoor processes and subsequent processes. There are limitations
shipyards were unable to participate in this project due to on the number of transporters that can be used for logistics
the sudden depression in the shipbuilding business. Hanjin, the movement and the area of the stockyard where the blocks are
only participating shipyard, could not invest much effort and stacked, which act as constraints. In this paper, we propose a
interest in the research and development of this project for the technology to analyze the logistics generated in the shipbuilding
same reason. process by using simulations based on a DES. Figure 3 shows a
A recently launched national research project in the shipbuilding flow diagram of the shipyard block logistics researched in this
area by the government of South Korea is “Development of study.
Simulation-based Production Management System for Middle-sized
Shipbuilding Companies” (Project no. 10,050,495). This project
is intended to strengthen supply management competency and 4. Logistics module added to process-centric
production management competency of middle-sized shipbuilding DES kernel
companies in South Korea that have been struggling to survive
since 2010. The goal of this project is to establish a DES system To perform the simulation, a modeling process that accurately
that can be used to develop shipbuilding APS (advanced planning simulates real objects must be available. It has been reported that
and scheduling) for planning and to verify the plans. The DES part due to its nature, process-centric modeling is more appropriate
involves upgrading features and systems based on kernels for shipbuilding management than resource-oriented modeling
developed in the shipbuilding planning validation simulation of the (Lee et al. 2014a). ShipyardOne™, which is the developmental
Project no. 10,035,331. basis of this study, features a process-centric modeling environ-
Other notable projects (those are related above projects) ment. This modeling methodology offers the advantage of simu-
conducted to meet the needs of shipyards include a study on the lating the shipbuilding process based on the plan activities, but
simulation of production plan verification for the block assembly has a limitation whereby it cannot define the logistics between
process (Lee et al. 2012), a study on the development of a simula- activities because it is modeled according to activities defined in
tion module for the construction of an integrated logistics control the production planning stage. Therefore, to define and simulate
system for shipyards (Woo et al. 2010), and a study on the design the logistics of blocks, additional features must be developed to

170 MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

 Fig. 3 Coverage of shipyard block logistics simulation

allow the definition of logistics in the existing process-centric as DELMIA QUEST and Plant Simulation of Siemens, are gen-
modeling methodology. erally used for production simulation are based on resource-
oriented modeling.
4.1. Process-centric modeling However, products produced in the shipyard are not uniform in
form and size, and their moving routes are not fixed. Therefore, the
In manufacturing, where most processes are produced by a flow, process-centric modeling method is appropriate for simulating the
such as in the automobile and the electronic industries, the locations shipbuilding process; our research team has been studying this topic
of facilities and the workers are fixed and products follow a (Back et al. 2016). The key to this process-centric modeling method
predefined route. In the case of a factory where production occurs is to create processes, rather than resources, where each process in
in this way, once the location of the facility is determined, its the method is composed of five detailed logics—approval, stock,
facility and routes of products remain largely unchanged there- process, transition, and delivery—as shown in Fig. 4. Furthermore,
after. Therefore, it is appropriate to create a simulation model this method allows the expression of process constraints in terms of
based on the facility. Commercial software applications that, such products and facilities.

Fig. 4 Improvement in process-centric modeling method for logistics (left: basic process-centric model scheme; right: advanced process-centric
model scheme with logistics token)

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4.2. Extension of process-centric modeling to logistics the “allocate” step, which allocates transporters required for the
logistics, is executed. If there are several candidate transporters,
The process-centric modeling method has been researched for the transporter logic, a logic which determines rate, is used.
use in shipyard simulations through application to the midterm Once the transporter is allocated, the “navigate” logic is applied to
schedule verification of shipyards, loading simulations, and other move the products to the factory. If the target factory is a tem-
applications (Jeong et al. 2016). However, in the block logistics porary stockyard, the logistics logic is executed again after a
simulation in shipyards, which is the subject of this study, there is a certain time. If the products have been moved to a factory where it
limitation in expressing the simulation model only using the is possible to work, the process logic is used.
existing modeling method. In this study, therefore, we extended the
existing modeling method and added a logistics token to define
logistical phenomena as shown in Fig. 4.
In this study, block logistics in the shipyard are defined as the 5. Module development
process flow and the movement of blocks between processes
defined in the production plan. In general, the production plan 5.1. KPI identification
for a shipyard consists of schedules for value-added production
processes, such as assembly, painting, outfitting, and erection, but In this study, we aim to identify the results of the simulation
does not include the flow of such logistics as the movement of such that they can be verified through block logistics simulation
blocks and stocking on the stockyard. Therefore, to execute the by referring to a preliminary study on a comprehensive framework
block logistics simulation, expressions for the movement and for simulation-based production management of shipyards (Woo
stocking of blocks must be added to the existing modeling method, et al. 2017), where series of processes was proposed to derive
and each step must be specified in detail and expressed as a logistic. KPIs using a performance pyramid and a value driver tree. In this
For the sake of implementation, this feature is expressed as a logistics paper, the KPI areas to be derived were classified using the perfor-
token, and approval, allocate, and navigate are set up as detailed mance pyramid proposed by Woo et al. (2017) and the management
logistics logics. items through interviews with field workers. By choosing the four
The logistics logic implemented in the logistics token verifies areas of delivery, work in process (WIP), time, and cost, and
whether it is possible to execute the logic in the given logistics excluding customer area, and the utilization items calculated by
situation through the “approval” step, which checks whether the time and WIP shown in Table 2, the appropriate indices for logistics
logic is executable, as shown in Fig. 4. If the logistics is executable, analysis were selected. For example, in the case of WIP, it must

Table 2 Identified KPIs for shipyard block logistics simulation

Category KPI Description

Delivery Timely supply rate to the following process The delivery time is not for the final product, but refers
(timely support quantity, deviation of to the relationship between the preceding and following
delay date, etc.) processes for semifinished goods
Timely supply rate of members/blocks between processes
considering logistic flow
WIP Block stocking quantity (workshop þ stockyard), Assess the impact of the plan on the operational strategy
time series stocking status by stockyard scenario for the stockyard (adjustment of the available
(quantity, occupancy area, etc.) stock of the stockyard)
Time Time series lead time for process sequence by It is possible to establish a plan by performing a simulation
block, and quantitative time required for with only duration and precedence information, ignoring
auxiliary work in the logistics part the start/finish time from the aspect of strategic review.
Furthermore, we can examine the possibility of improving
the existing plan by comparing the plan established through
the simulation with the reference schedule.
Cost Logistics cost (Transporter operation cost = It is possible to predict changes in the preexisting process
transporter utilization ratemovement distance time series for indirect cost (auxiliary work) through
(loading/unloading division), stockyard operation logistics simulation.
cost = stockyard occupancy ratestockyard
occupation cost)
Utilization (WIP/time) Area occupied by workshop or stockyard, In block logistics, the target of resource analysis can be divided
programming ratio (operating ratio) of into transporter, space (workshop/stockyard), and road.
transformer, load on the road The efficiency of the workshop is determined by the
production plan, but the load on the workshop can also
be observed from the viewpoint of logistics simulation.
The schedule compliance rate (e.g.,
5 compared to the plan)
can be determined by the timely supply rate to the following
process depending on the operation of the stockyard or
transporter, if the logistics activity relative to the standard
plan is considered.

172 MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

 Fig. 5 Configuration of additional modules of ShipyardOne™

be possible to verify the number of blocks in process for the entire step capable of shipyard block logistics simulation is performed
shipyard and those in process at the workshop or the stockyard by by mounting these modules on the DES kernel.
a time series. In the utilization area, it must be possible to verify
not only the area occupancy of the workshop and stockyard,
but also the index of the transporter carrying the blocks and 5.3. Process modeling module
the frequency of use of main roads. In this case, WIP is used not As mentioned earlier, the shipyard block logistics simulation
only to represent this number, but also the frequency of movement system constructed in this study defines the model required for
of the transporter or that of use of the road. simulation by transforming shipyard planning data and geographical
information. These shipyard planning data are used to identify and
5.2. Module identification define the logistical process, which requires a series of processing
steps. The production plans in the shipbuilding industry have a
As analyzed in the previous section, functional elements are hierarchical structure according to the period and degree of detail
required in addition to the basic modeling environment of of the plan (Nam et al. 2016). In this study, based on the master
ShipyardOne™ to derive a target KPI. The development environ- production plan in shipyards, we identified the logistical process
ment of ShipyardOne™ is flexible so as to be customized easily by using a production plan in the work package unit, which allows
(Fig. 5) (Woo et al. 2017). Logistical tokens that should be re- the identification of the start and the end dates of each activity.
flected at the kernel level are shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, four The production plan data classified by activity were redefined
additional modules are needed in the case of features required by based on the products, and the logistics process chain was defined
KPI analysis. As shown in Fig. 6, we must develop a process by identifying the activities in which the logistics actually
modeling module that can identify the logistical process by the occurred. The logistics process chain refers to the identification
input of a reference schedule, a GIS module for obtaining the and definition of only activities that occur in the production process
physical location and road information of the workshop or stockyard of each product. It is possible to define an integrated logistic process
in the yard space, a route search module for searching a route and chain by identifying and combining situations where the same
between points, and a spatial arrangement module for determining logistical process occurs even if the products are different. This
the arrangement of the stockyard space. Finally, an integration process is illustrated in Fig. 7.

Fig. 6 Development of additional modules for shipyard block logistic simulation

MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN 173

 Fig. 7 Generation of logistics process chain by master production plan

The logistics simulation process model generated from the master addition to the standard attributes. The GIS module developed in
production plan is shown in Fig. 12. The user interface of this study plays the function of converting GIS data managed by
ShipyardOne™ consists of a product list, a factory list, attribute the shipyard for use in ShipyardOne™. The logistics simulation
information, a process model, and a process chain list. The product is carried out using information concerning workstage and stock,
list contains products generated from the data conversion process. size and shape, location, roads on which transporters move, and
The factory list is a tree structure consisting of factory models and so on, which is automatically converted by the GIS module. GIS
facilities assigned to the factor models created through the GIS module loads the map information of target shipyard as input, and
conversion module. The process model is where the logistic process generates the hierarchical shipyard geographic model, space
chain is identified through the process shown in Fig. 7. In this information for each working area, and stock area.
model, the configuration and precedence relations of detailed For this purpose, a schema for the structure of spatial information
processes and their attributes can be controlled. The process chain was defined as shown in Fig. 8, and a function for creating a GIS
list includes the logistical processes selected for the given model, model for the shipyard block logistics simulation was developed
and shows the names for managing the process chain and the according to this schema. The structure of spatial information is
percentage of products that follow the process chain. The list of designed to store area, location, and road information. The area
process chains is a kind of process mining output that provides element was defined so that information concerning the working
insights for analyzing the logistical characteristics of the master and stock area. The road element was defined so that road in-
production plan in the presimulation stage. formation can be saved, on which such transportation facilities as
transporters can move. Finally, the location element in the schema
5.4. GIS module for logistics simulation was defined to represent a point with a specific role within the yard.
For example, the place where the transporter is waiting may be
The shipyard GIS data of the shipyard are a de facto standard expressed as a point indicating a specific location. Thus, location is
(Esri 2012). To analyze the logistical flow by using the movement defined such that point information can be stored under the location
of transporters, additional attributes and a hierarchy are required in to represent a point.

Fig. 8 Schema for spatial information structures

174 MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

5.5. Route search module 6. Integrated logistics simulation
In this study, an algorithm developed by Moon et al. (2016) is ShipyardOne™ not only includes the DES kernel feature men-
used to find the optimum route for transporters. In the study, the tioned earlier, but is also used for the easy development and inte-
authors claimed and verified that the Dijkstra algorithm is the best gration of modules for various functions. Of the four modules
algorithm for finding the shortest route in real time. In this study, described earlier, the process modeling and the GIS modules
we applied the algorithm and, to this end, the spatial information function as adapters for data conversion, and the route search and
of the shipyard was transformed into graphical notation, as shown spatial arrangement modules are called and used in real time during
in Fig. 9, to calculate the shortest route between any pair of the execution of the simulation.
nodes. However, the route search algorithm was simplified by
moving through the shortest route without considering the case
6.1. Use cases of the simulation modeling module
where a different route must be searched, since a specific location
cannot always be passed when moving a transporter. The process modeling and GIS modules are simulation modelers
that implement functionality through a data adapter. The process
5.6. Spatial arrangement module modeling module contains a function to generate a process chain
for each route by analyzing the master production plan. The GIS
The spatial arrangement module is called during the execution module generates the geographical model of a hierarchical shipyard,
of the simulation. It is used when determining whether a product containing such information as lot number and road, by using a
can be arranged in a space (workshop or stockyard), when decid- geographical model of the shipyard as input.
ing the actual arrangement location, and when delivering the
product from the located space. As shown in Fig. 10, two types of 6.2. Simulation use cases of the simulation executing module
arrangement algorithms have been implemented according to
arrangement type, and can be divided into closed area and opened The route search and spatial arrangement modules communicate
area arrangements. directly with the simulation kernel during the simulation. They are
The closed area arrangement type arranges blocks in multiple called and used when searching for the route of a transporter, or
rows. It is applied to relatively large stockyards, and location is arranging blocks at the workshop or stockyard during the simulation.
determined by a bottom-left-fill algorithm, which fills the lower To apply these modules to the simulation, the logistics and route
and left sides of the space first (Chazelle, 1983). On the other searching logics must be set in advance. If the corresponding
hand, the opened area arrangement type arranges blocks in a sin- module is prepared, the route search and spatial arrangement can
gle row, and is often applied to stockyards located along road- be checked in the logic selection screen, as shown in Fig. 11. These
sides. In this case, the arrangement algorithm is constructed by features are used by calling the functions defined in each module
judging whether to overlap only along the width of the relevant during the creation of the detailed process logics.
ship block.
6.3. Operation of shipyard block logistics simulation system
Once the shipyard block logistics simulation system is defined
as shown in Fig. 12, the block logistics simulation is executed
through a series of processes when a block is inserted according to
the master production plan, and the results of this process are
recorded in a log file. As shown in Fig. 13, when the blocks
defined in the plan are entered, the process corresponding to the
simulation date is carried out first. In Fig. 13, the painting process
is illustrated as the first process. When this process is completed,
the logistics token is called and a transporter that can transfer the
block is searched. For the search condition, we first consider the
weight of the block and then search for an available transporter.
When a transporter is selected, the route is searched using the
positions of the preceding and following processes as inputs. If the
workshop corresponding to the following process is available and

Fig. 9 Graphical notation transformed from spatial information of

shipyard Fig. 10 Arrangement types of closed and opened areas

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 Fig. 11 Route search and spatial arrangement module integration method

matches the date on the plan, the next workshop is selected di- 7. Report module of the simulation system
rectly. If the start date of the following process is further ahead in
time than 3 days from the given day, an available stockyard is The report module of the block logistics simulation system is
searched and allocated. At this time, the route search function is divided into product, process, facility, space, worker, and schedule
called. In case the following location is a stockyard, whether the attributes based on the six-factor shipyard information model
products are stocked is determined based on the possibility of the constituting the shipbuilding system, as shown in Fig. 14. The result
spatial arrangement. If it is not possible to stock the products in recorded in the simulation system was reinterpreted from the
the stockyard, the process of selecting the stockyard with the next viewpoint of each factor so that it could be checked. In the sim-
highest priority is carried out. The blocks that have been stocked ulation system, the results of simulations were recorded based on
are then taken out and moved to the corresponding workshop on schedule, facilities, factories, and products. The results for the
the next workday. number of blocks of each working area are shown in Fig. 15.
The simulation is carried out by repeatedly applying the earlier Figure 16 shows the raw data of results in terms of schedule,
process to all corresponding blocks. All events during the simu- product, space, and facility.
lation process are recorded as logs with such attributes as product, Figure 17 shows the difference between the simulation result and
process, location, time, and resources. the field record in terms of the total number of blocks in the yard.

Fig. 12 Configuration of shipyard block logistics simulation system

176 MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

 Fig. 13 Operation of shipyard block logistic simulation system

The gap between the simulation and the actual field was due to the 8. Conclusions
outsourcing block. The outsourcing of a block to another con-
structor was not considered in the simulation model. The gap In this study, we investigated simulations to actualize CPS,
of approximately 10% between the simulation and the actual field which is part of the industry 4.0 strategy, to strengthen the internal
data were due to the outsourcing of blocks. The outsourcing competitiveness of shipyards. The production activities include
of blocks was not considered in the simulation model. However, value-added processes such as processing and assembly, and
this discrepancy corresponded with planned block outsourcing. nonvalue-added processes such as logistics. The shipbuilding
Hence, the overall behavior of our simulation model was normal. industry is facing difficulties in logistics management, which is a
Detailed validation, including the movement of each transporter, nonvalue-added process. In particular, the industry needs preemptive
daily working load of each shop, and stock, is currently underway. forecasting for the production plan because the fluctuation in

Fig. 14 Six-factor shipyard information model corresponding to the results of block logistics simulation

MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN 177

 Fig. 15 Number of stock of each area (period: September 9, 2016 to November 10, 2016)

Fig. 16 Number of transporter call-outs within the given period

Fig. 17 Validation by comparison with the field record (bar: Simulation results for total number of blocks; red dotted line: field record)

178 MAY 2018 JOURNAL OF SHIP PRODUCTION AND DESIGN

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LAMB, T., CHUNG, H., SPICKNALL, M., SHIN, J. G., WOO, J. H., AND KOENIG, P.
In this way, we developed a system capable of simulating block 2006 Simulation-based performance improvement for shipbuilding pro-
logistics for shipyards. cesses, Journal of Ship Production, 22, 2, 49–65.
We are now in the process of validating the effectiveness of the LEE, C. J., LEE, J. H., WOO, J. H., SHIN, J. G., AND RYU, C. 2007 A study on
simulation results through comparison with the actual number of discrete event simulation of shipyard outdoor block movement, Journal of the
Society of Naval Architects of Korea, 44, 6, 647–656.
shipments and transportation performance from real shipyard and LEE, D. K., KIM, Y., HWANG, I. H., OH, D. K., AND SHIN, J. G. 2014a Study on
production plan data. We are also developing a feature to visualize a process-centric modeling methodology for virtual manufacturing of ships
the results for users by analyzing log files to improve the capacity and offshore structures in shipyards, International Journal of Advanced
of shipyard block logistics management. Manufacturing Technology, 71, 1, 621–633.
L EE , D. U., K IM , S. K., L EE , H. Y., P ARK , S. K., L EE , D. H., AND W ANG ,
G. N. 2012 A scheduling system based on DBMS for shipbuilding,
Transaction of the Society of CAD/CAM Engineers, 17, 26–34.
Acknowledgments LEE, J., LEE, P., YOON, K., AND NAM, J. H. 2014b Quality verification of
legacy data of manufacturing information system to improve results of ship-
This research is a result of a project (“Development of the yard manufacturing logistics simulation, Journal of the Society of Naval
Simulation-based Production Management System for Middle-sized Architects of Korea, 51, 6, 510–520.
LEE, K., SHIN, J. G., AND RYU, C. 2009 Development of simulation-based
Shipbuilding Companies,” No. 10050495) supported by the Industry
production execution system in a shipyard: A case study for a panel block
Core Technology Development Business of the Ministry of Trade, assembly shop, Production Planning and Control, 20, 8, 750–758.
Industry and Energy (www.motie.go.kr). The National IT Industry LJUBENKOV, B., DUKIC, G., AND KUZMANIC, M. 2008 Simulation methods in
Promotion Agency (www.nipa.kr) funded, and is supporting, a shipbuilding process design, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 54, 131–139.
project (“Production Strategy and Execution Simulation Technology MCLEAN, C. AND SHAO, G. 2001 Simulation in shipyards: simulation of
shipbuilding operations, Proceedings, The 33nd conference on winter sim-
Development for the Optimization of Offshore Plant Production ulation, December 9–12, Washington, DC.
Cost,” No. S1106-16-1020), which supported this work. MOON, J. H., RYU, W. S., AND CHA, J. H. 2016 Comparison of optimal path
algorithms and implementation of block transporter planning system, Journal
of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea, 53, 2, 115–126.
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