Technological Advancements and Ship Building
The session on the Additive manufacturing, its application and future impact it will have on the shipbuilding and repairs was deliberated by following four panel members: Mr. Syed Abdi, Mr. Sujoy Seal, Mr. Aditya Chandavarkar, Dr K. Sastry and moderated by Capt. S. Kishore and assimilated by Mr Ulhas Kalghatgi. The session commenced with the poser, why Indian shipbuilding has not grown at all? and what role Additive Manufacturing will have in shipbuilding in future? Will it be a solution provider in the longer run? The all-pervading issues which plague Indian shipbuilding industry are the familiar ones known to everyone and the morning session on Maritime Commerce and Economy highlighted the problems facing the Indian Maritime Industry.
Outcomes of the Session - An overview
The Shipbuilding Hub - India
The expansions of international trade have been much advantageous to a developing country like India. The reduction of trade barriers has encouraged India to focus on building infrastructure like roads, ports, waterways along with the development of product storage and the shipment capacity.
Supply Chain Inventory
Any unpredictability in demand is one of the major issues in a spare-parts supply chain. In uncertain situations, to be able to keep up customer requests may mean having higher inventory in more locations. Organizations also need to provide support for previous and current generations of the products. This increases the inventory by many folds.
Infusion of New Technology
In the past, manufacturing businesses in the past have used subtractive manufacturing processes which include cutting, drilling, molds, etc. to manufacture equipment. While subtractive process has been extremely popular, new additive style technologies are gradually replacing them.
AM in Supply Chain
Additive Manufacturing can play a huge role in ship repairs and logistics support. Compared to the invention of new technologies and equipment, the lifecycle of a ship long. As such, ship repairs demand a complicated supply chain management and inventory management.
Development Prospects
The below development prospects are as a result of the IMRC 2022 symposium sessions and protected by the IMRC team. If you are a researcher who wishes to pursue any project as part of your graduate thesis, undergraduate thesis, PhD, or profession, you can apply with IMRC to do the same.
To apply, email us your name, email ID, institute name, background, purpose, contact number along with a one-page synopsis on your project of choice. IMRC will vet all applications. Selected candidates will commence the project with full support of IMRC, registered ISSN publications and IMRC's industry partners.
Business feasibility study - Enabling Indian SMEs with Additive Manufacturing for Ship Repairs
To infuse AM into the ship operations and repairs industry, it is important that a feasibility study with advantages and pitfalls be done. This study will aim to be beneficial to government bodies and private stakeholders to purchase equipment, learn about various parts that can be repaired using this technology, maintain a digital inventory, and streamline the spare-parts supply chain.
At IMRC, we invite you to partner with us for this study. We will soon be releasing project details and partnership opportunities. Email us to register your interest at imrc@isfgroup.in.
Increasing awareness & education on Additive Manufacturing
To introduce any technology into the industry, awareness and education are one of the most important elements. Correct education can assist organizations and individuals in making correct decisions and building their business. Additionally, to make the best use of any technology, understanding the correct use, advantages, limitations is primary. At IMRC, we will soon be developing education tools for new technologies such as AM. To partner with us, email us at imrc@isfgroup.in.