In a hull workshop with 200 workstations, the annual cost of paper materials and labor for printing, distributing, updating, and collecting SOPs is enough to purchase several industrial terminals. More troublesome is that when a shipowner changes a process parameter, process engineers must run through the block assembly, outfitting, and painting areas one by one to replace drawings. Even after replacement, it is not guaranteed that every drawing was updated correctly. Having worked as a process engineer in a shipyard for over ten years, I switched from paper Kanban boards to shipbuilding industrial terminals in recent years. After encountering pitfalls and experiencing benefits, here are some practical points.
1. Launch directly into SOP; do not underestimate this feature
What is most feared in a workshop? It is that workers have to click a few times after powering on to see the work instruction. When busy, these steps are skipped, and work is done based on memory. The Android all-in-one touch terminal we use automatically launches SOP upon startup. Once powered on, the current workstation's operation screen appears immediately, with no desktop or icons to click. This detail is particularly critical in shipbuilding industrial terminals because shipyard workstations are dispersed across block yards, internal compartment operations, and pipe pre-assembly areas, meaning workers are not seated at computers. Reducing one step increases execution rates significantly.
2. Oil/fouling resistance and interface availability are hard indicators for selecting terminals in shipyards
Shipbuilding sites differ from electronics factories; oil, dust, and humidity are common conditions. We selected 15.6-inch and 21.5-inch all-in-one units with IP65 waterproof and dustproof front panels. Capacitive 10-point touchscreens underwent industrial-grade anti-oil treatment, allowing operation even with thin gloves. A reminder: do not compromise with consumer-grade tablets. While tablets appear cheaper, they lack fixed workstations and Gigabit wired networks. Connecting barcode scanners and alarm lights requires adapters. All-in-one units come with four USB ports, RS232, and HDMI interfaces, allowing direct connection of barcode scanners, ID card readers, and USB programmable alarm lights. With four-color LED indicators and beeping, the light activates when a workstation lacks materials or calls a process engineer, which is more effective than shouting. Simply put, shipbuilding industrial terminals compete not on screen aesthetics but on comprehensive interfaces, stable mounting, and maintenance-free operation.
3. Version updates: scenario-based planning is more reliable than intuition
Suppose a shipyard has six production areas with 20 workstations each. If a process document changes, the paper solution requires printing 120 copies, manual distribution, and collection of old versions. Based on scenario analysis, the version update alone consumes half a day of labor per instance. Switching to a terminal solution allows management-side modifications to be distributed with one click, with automatic synchronization at each workstation upon startup. Estimated update time can be reduced to minutes. Note that this is a projection, not actual measurement, as network and process conditions vary among vendors, but the direction is clear. In practice, process engineers transitioned from "running until exhausted" to confirming distribution status in the office, which is the most tangible change.
Shipyard equipment has a long lifecycle, and terminals installed must serve for several years. During selection, I prioritized two factors: whether the software supports continuous upgrades and whether the hardware is manufactured by the original factory.
To conclude, when implementing shipbuilding industrial terminals in a shipyard, do not attempt to cover the entire factory immediately. Instead, select one area with frequent version updates and heavy oil exposure for a two-to-three-month trial. Ensure features such as automatic startup, barcode-triggered invocation, and alarm light linkage operate smoothly before expanding. During selection, clarify the interface list and installation method (bracket arm, wall-mounted, or floor-standing) with process and safety/environmental teams in advance to simplify future operations.