# Developing a Digital Twin and Digital Thread Framework for an 'Industry 4.0' Shipyard
## 6 Industry 4.0 Shipyard
### Proposing Digital a Twin/Thread Framework in Australian Shipyard  
As a result of the progressive implementation of smart and autonomous systems of Industry 4.0, the shipbuilding industry has developed a new, radical paradigm in its manufacturing systems by integrating automated tools and processes, creating new demands for more lean production processes, while increasing production efficiency, improving ship safety and reducing environmental impacts. Furthermore, in a very complex shipyard site that contains large areas for fabrication of the ships, dry docks, slipways, warehouses, painting facilities and so forth, there exists many moving goods and many parts may look alike during the entire ship building life cycle. Hence, there is a need for ship operators to develop a relatively energy efficient way of moving goods and to accurately identify and trace moving goods to minimize impacts and to improve productivity and safety in the shipbuilding process. In developing Shipyard 4.0, we believe a right framework is required to assist in designing a virtual work environment using highly detailed DTW, which could optimize the entire shipbuilding process by delivering the right information at the right time to avoid mistakes and increase productivity. The concept of the DTH is typically defined as the flow of information that informs how a product moves through its design and production lifecycle (Figure 11). The implementation of DTH allows the monitoring of production in shipyard facilities and of the suppliers' production in their own plants. This provides greater product and process visibility to the ship builders, as well as greater transparency for the customer throughout the building process. Figure 11: Digital Twin and thread implementation scheme for a shipyard. A DTW of the shipyard will improve the efficiency of the factory flow when data can be extracted via behavior simulations of an operation process, such as machining time. Extracted data can be connected via DTH and fed into the DTW to identify bottlenecks. Furthermore, having a twin/thread framework where the DTW resides offers benefits in time management in scheduling and delivery. This relates to the inclusion of supply-chain data in the DTW. A fully integrated supply chain allows users to access the full spectrum of information available. A twin/thread framework could improve decision-making thanks to its single source of information. In addition to improving manufacturing and design stages, DTW and DTH could enhance managerial decision-making processes. Provided that a true DTW of the shipyard is created, the information generated from all areas would be conducive to optimizing and achieving key performance indicators. Additionally, if the supply chain was integrated into the DTW, this information would give management information on what to expect, potential future issues and time to adjust to unforeseen circumstances. Ships are normally built to last for up to thirty or more years. Therefore, it is important to ensure the continuity and traceability of design-to-service and design-to-maintenance information until their final dismantling. After its construction ships will continue to operate in the seas and will have impacts on the environment throughout their operational lives. The use of the twin/thread framework with the integrated MBSE and big data will be able to help providing a way of more effectively dealing with environmental and other issues. According to the Australian Naval Group's SEA 1000 program [70], a total of 12 submarines will be built and all expected to be in operation by the mid-2050s. When considering future design aspects, over the next 30 years, the DTW offers the opportunity to test and reiterate designs via virtual testing, such as thermal and structural analysis, for improvement through its feedback loop processes. Legacy, historical and real-time data (maintained history, sensors data, test results etc.)