Assessment of fabrication completeness for curved plates in ships and offshore plants using lightweight models and point cloud data

Abstract

The bow sections of ships and offshore structures incorporate curved surfaces designed to minimize propulsive resistance and enhance fuel efficiency. These surfaces are fabricated from thick steel plates. While extensive research has been undertaken to explore the manufacturing and dimensional verification of such curved plates, traditional methods remain prevalent in most shipyards. This research introduces a methodology for evaluating the dimensional quality of fabricated curved plates comprehensively. Reference design data were generated through lightweight models, and point cloud data for the curved plates were acquired using a three-dimensional scanner. A grid framework was employed to eliminate noise from the extensive point cloud and to create the measured surface. Dimensional discrepancies were determined by contrasting the measured surface with the design data, and the quality of the fabrication was appraised by allocating weighted scores based on spatial location. The efficacy of the proposed methodology was confirmed through its application to various curved plates within a shipyard setting.