This article highlights the various processes involved in shipbuilding such as design, production planning, material sourcing, and outfitting. Since the program’s inception, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), has leveraged its computer-aided- design, -manufacturing, and –engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) system and IT infrastructure to successfully revitalize its engineering environment and remain profitable in a rapidly changing marketplace. NNS engineers perform all of their ship product modeling using a proprietary program called VIVID, a design system that enables users to concurrently design structures in a multidisciplinary environment. As part of the continuing effort to develop its IT infrastructure and automate production processes, NNS has invested $60 million in upgrading its engineering design systems and automating manufacturing facilities with advanced material-handling systems, robotic cutting work cells, and robotic welding work cells. NNS is also transitioning its product-modeling systems from a Unix workstation environment to Windows NT platforms based on Microsoft’s ActiveX and COM technologies.

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Computer software, Computer-aided design, Design, Engineers, Manufacturing, Modeling, Shipbuilding, Ships, Solid models, Cutting, Robotics, Computer-aided engineering, Computers, Engineering design, Production facilities
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