The NSRP Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (ASE) Program plans to issue a formal Research Announcement on a new research focused on industry-wide implementation of solutions to improve the efficiency of the U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair industry. This initial announcement is issued as a pre-solicitation notice to potential proposers since the response time to the formal solicitation will be limited. Proposals will be solicited for research, development and implementation of best practices across the following major initiative areas in U.S. shipyards: Shipyard Production Process Technologies; Business Process Technologies; Product Design and Material Technologies; Systems Technologies; Facilities, Tooling and Risk Management; and Crosscut Initiatives.
Shipyard Production Process Technologies addresses all production processes used to transform raw material, components and equipment into completed products. These processes include steel and aluminum fabrication, assembly and erection, outfit fabrication, installation and test, surface preparation and paint, process control, engineering, production control, and services.
Business Process Technologies encompass all principal business processes required to rapidly and effectively respond to the customer's needs, from the initial business strategy development through life cycle support service.
Product Design and Material Technologies include the design rules and standards; material standardization, design and analysis tools; and engineering data required to rapidly and efficiently design modern ships in response to market inquiries and to support the follow on contract design, detail design and production phases.
Systems Technologies include the overall application of information technologies to shipbuilding. The scope of systems technologies includes the underlying information systems infrastructure required to support the other initiatives with emphasis on the tools, environment, and integration required to reduce product realization lead time and provide for tighter coupling between enterprise functions. The information technology systems facilitate dissemination of information electronically without manual intervention, passing paper, off-line translations or reformatting. Information is entered once and reused throughout the ship lifecycle.
Facilities, Tooling and Risk Management includes the functions of providing and maintaining a physical plant capable of assembling, modifying and repairing ships in an efficient, safe, controllable and environmentally acceptable manner. This initiative focuses on asset management issues such as facility utilization, facility planning, and maintenance. Included with this major initiative are several risk avoidance issues such as environmental, safety, health, and ergonomic practices within the shipyard.
Crosscut Initiatives encompass the key factors related to people and organizations that can impact the successful implementation of technology advancements and changes in the shipbuilding and repair industry. These factors integrate into all of the major initiatives identified in the NSRP ASE program.
