Today’s article is a brief explanation of the process of building a new ship.
It all starts with a customer who has the desire to have a new ship! He looks for several shipyards and asks for their building plans and budgets.
To build a new ship several naval architects, engineers, designers and other shipyard workers are needed.
In the process of building a ship there are several phases:
Ship design:
This is the first phase, where naval architects draw the ship according to the client’s will.
The design of the ship has to satisfy the purpose it will have, which varies depending on its future function (eg a passenger ship has nothing to do with a chemist).
You can check the article abut this at Types of merchant Vessels!
An assembly plan is also made detailing how the ship will be built.
Cutting:
After the drawing is finished and approved by the customer, the cutting phase follows.
At this stage, several metal plates are cut according to the assembly plane.
This is a dangerous operation, because gas is used to cut and melt the metal. It also involves the transport of large and heavy metals. For this reason workers must be well equipped with safety equipment such as appropriate clothing, helmet and protective shoes.
Putting the pieces together:
After cutting the metal, the pieces are put together in blocks, and little by little it begins to look like a ship.
Cranes are used because the parts are very heavy.
To attach blocks to others, these are welded.
Finishing touches:
When the ship is ready, the dock where it was built is filled with water.
The last equipment necessary for the operation of the ship is placed!
Sea trial:
For all those who worked on it for months, this is a very important day.
Here all the necessary tests are done to ensure that the ship is able to navigate.
One of the most important factors is whether the ship achieves desired speeds and overall stability.
Lauch cerimony:
After all the tests are done, the ship is delivered to the customer. The commander, the chief engineer, and the rest of the crew prepare the ship for it’s first voyage.
At its inauguration a great ceremony is held, where everyone wishes the ship a long life!