Optimization of block erection using a genetic algorithm

Block erection is a very important and demanding skill in shipbuilding quality control as well as in productivity improvement. Though this work at the present time depends on skilled workers in the yards, these workers eventually become old and retire, and then the training of their successors, or other countermeasures, will be required. Recently, CAD and CIM systems have been applied widely, and also efficient measurement technology has been developed in the shipyard; thus it has become possible to apply positional control at the erection stage by computer simulation. This paper presents a computer simulation method to place a block, which has dimensional errors, in a suitable position as designed using a genetic algorithm (GA). A pilot program using a personal computer has been developed and applied to a typical hexahedron block. The simulation results showed good agreement in achieving the optimum position.