2.2 Integration of Information Technology
System approach or unmanned ship will require application of wide range information technology. Above those, value of information technology should be independently evaluated.
2.2.1 Information Technology needs to be applied more widely to ship designing.
1) Ship design has to base more widely on simulation of logistics/life time cost/performance/hull structure response/etc., to realize themes driven by system approach and challenging core themes. Building simulation models in such respect is most important and will require cooperation and effort of wider fields.
2) Presently, optimization tools such as Genetic Algorizm are becoming popular, but still is utilized for local optimization. As an example, IHI Wave Hull System can solve motion and stress simultaneously which work on hull at sea. But a higher rank system which uses Wave Hull as a tool is not yet developed.
2.2.2 After basic design idea of a ship is built, it is the age of CALS.
1) Concurrent engineering and virtual enterprise are key words from CALS, which sounds so good if achieved, but really we have to achieve, even with hardship. Key will be to keep promise especially on quality and delivery. ISO9000 is expected to provide proof for quality, but in reality it is insufficient. Business relation based on mutual trust among industries is most needed, but which is so often betrayed and longed for improvement.
2) Product Data Management system and data exchange standards and technology will be the key role for quality, efficiency and agility of planning in every field of designing, production and production control.
3) Nippon CALS (SHIP) made experiments of data exchange, approval actions, etc. but it is still primitive and far from PDM. Also Japanese contribution in the field of marine STEP is poor.
2.2.3 Changing eyes to efficiency in shipyards, there are still some room to improve. With such improvement, shipbuilders in Japan should get
