Feasibility Study: Automated Painting of Pipe Pieces, Hangers, and Other Small Parts: Maximizing Shop Painting Operations

Shipyard painting is most often viewed as pure ship construction operations, where the painting of the hull, deck, superstructure, and cargo spaces makes up the total effort and cost. This view may be justified when analyzing various trade production costs as parts of the total ship cost. However, parts preparation and painting costs are significant when looked at in summary as a new construction or repair contract sub-cost item. Once addressed, the historical means and methods for small parts painting in shipyards appears to leave much room for improvement. This is particularly true when comparisons are made to What happens, then, when a systems approach is applied to shipyard small parts painting? Can study techniques, analysis and design be adapted to facilitate painting systems which are cost effective for this industry? This paper attempts to answer these questions by presenting discussion of: ● Manufacturing Concepts of Parts Painting ● Use of the Industrial Engineering Analysis ● Systems Configurations ● Systems Cost and Justification other industries.