Aircraft carrier

[mrloudly]

Why are we building sections 600 miles away from where the units are to be assembled??? Surely
it would be easier to take a waterjet cutter, crane and welder to the final assembly site to assemble the parts
where they're needed? I wonder if the Koreans carry sub-assemblies 600 miles in their shipbuilding?

[Eric Mc]

Why two aircraft carrier threads?

Very unproductive.

For the record, I bet the Koreans do make components at different locations and bring them together for final assembly. It's mot an unusual occurence in manufacturing.

[ralphrj]

mrloudly said:

Why are we building sections 600 miles away from where the units are to be assembled??? Surely
it would be easier to take a waterjet cutter, crane and welder to the final assembly site to assemble the parts
where they're needed? I wonder if the Koreans carry sub-assemblies 600 miles in their shipbuilding?

1. Was any single UK shipyard capable of handling the whole job?
2. Spreading out the construction keeps more shipyards open and boosts the supply industries around those yards.
3. Spreading out construction can reduce the total time to build by having parts of the ship built concurrently.

[mrloudly]

Eric Mc said:

Why two aircraft carrier threads?

Very unproductive.

For the record, I bet the Koreans do make components at different locations and bring them together for final assembly. It's mot an unusual occurence in manufacturing.

Really? I've been and seen some of the yards out there and they don't, why would they? Furthest they move parts is from the assembly hall to the dry dock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LTEFjzLXa4&fea... 2mins onwards
These are tiny yards ;-))

[Eric Mc]

I was talking about manufacturing in general - not just shipbuilding. Both the auto and aero industries use sub-contracting and outsourced component suppliers extensively. Often, the only main process carried out at the "factory" is the assembly of the pre-manufactured components.