Book Description

The primary purpose of this discussion is to introduce a new version of the REAPS Program. In 1971 a Maritime Administration (MarAd) Advisory Group recognized a void in the area of computer aided shipbuilding. In response, MarAd acquired rights to the AUTOKON-71 system, the most widely used system in Europe. MarAd and the participating shipyards recognized the need to provide maintenance and support for the AUTOKON system. That effort was sponsored and paid for jointly by the industrial users and the government. It soon became apparent to all concerned that there was much more to be gained from computer applications in the shipyard than just running the AUTOKON system. A total shipyard program for computer automation beyond AUTOKON was needed. It was this decision that gave birth to the Research and Engineering for Automation and Productivity in Shipbuilding (REAPS) program; a joint participation program involving five shipyards, MarAd, and IITRI. Its purpose was to identify and address common problems in ship construction. The advantages were obvious. Participants could pool both the technological know how in identifying and solving problems and their resources to solve a common problem only once not repetitively at every shipyard. The REAPS program, a new concept in cooperative developments among several shipyards, was working. One thing began to change--the objectives of our development projects. Originally, they were oriented to a specific computer system, AUTOKON; now they were becoming non-system oriented, standalone modules with no relationship to a specific computer system or software package. A new concept was needed. The "new" REAPS program as it has evolved to date is a non-systems oriented program with the separation of all AUTOKON related activities. The overall concept of the new REAPS Program consists of five basic elements: Advance Planning, Technology Assessment, Development Program, Technology Information Services and Discretionary Development.