Discrete event simulation and ergonomic software for the design of a visual testing system in an automatized workshop of jacket nodes

Abstract

Offshore wind power is poised to make a major difference to decarbonizing the energy sector yet still faces a certain degree of uncertainty with respect to its eventual cost competitiveness. In the case of jacket foundations, the leap from manual to robotized node welding may lead to a reduction of 30% in terms of manufacturing costs. For this reason, in this paper we present a case study where we have used the 3D discrete event simulator FlexSim along with the ergonomic package Tecnomatix Jack to design and optimize the implementation of a new visual test system for jacket nodes. This system will be integrated by NAVANTIA to a future workshop which is a fundamental investment in its medium-term roadmap. To this end, after the definition and creation of several scenarios in FlexSim to analyze the new production system, we developed detailed 3D animations of the worker performance. These animations raised the need for a more detailed ergonomic study. Hence, we then performed RULA analyses of the task with Tecnomatix Jack and proposed more ergonomic alternatives out of them. Finally, we adopted these changes into new 3D animation in FlexSim and obtained a final integrated model.