ZHOUSHAN, China, Feb. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Jinhai Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. (JHI) held discussions with several top intelligent equipment providers regarding the introduction of intelligent shipbuilding production lines and software systems. As one of the world's few shipbuilders dedicated to large-scale investment, JHI will spend 500 million RMB on intelligent transformation. All related business contracts will be signed before June.

Last July, JHI announced an investment of 3 billion RMB in the construction of intelligent shipyard that is "sophisticated, light, flexible and beautiful" according to the requirement of "one workshop, one shipyard, one system". The intelligent upgrading will lay equal emphasis on hardware and software. On one hand, JHI will bring in several dozen units of intelligent manufacturing equipment, construct intelligent steel stockyard, segmented intelligent workshop, intelligent tube workshop, intelligent coating workshop and intelligent shipyard. On the other hand, ERP, MES and other information systems and software will be installed, giving "brain" to the hardware and linking the whole process from design, manufacturing, logistics, quality to on-site operations. The upgrading will lead to automatic, digital and intelligent shipbuilding.

According to a project manager of some equipment provider, to make the need of an industry leader of JHI, they have introduced advanced concepts of auto manufacturing and other industries and come up with a few practical solutions, e.g. intelligent sub-assembly line, intelligent plane line, intelligent tube processing line and intelligent stereoscopic warehouse, etc.

Suo Zhe, director of JHI Chief Engineer's Office, said, "according to the principle of 'overall planning, step-by-step implementation', we will primarily focus on the construction of automatic production lines and improve the capabilities of lean production and flexible manufacturing in the 1^st phase. Meanwhile, the interface should be reserved for later use. The project is expected to be completed at the end of the year. In addition, the newest technology like double-curved-surface steel plate bending machine will be co-developed, which is meant to explore a path to intelligent upgrading that fits in with shipbuilding sector."

SOURCE Jinhai Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.