Adjacency-based facility layout optimization for shipyards: a case study

A shipyard located in Yalova, Turkey, with an annual processing capacity of 50,000 tons of steel, is studied to improve the layout to increase the production efficiency. The material and personnel traffic inside the shipyard is complex, considering the nature of the shipyards. Therefore, an adjacency-based optimization procedure has been adopted in this study since this procedure allows quantitative evaluation of these aspects. Systematic layout planning (SLP) and graph-theoretical approach were used to generate 12 alternative layouts. Then, the best alternative layout was selected using the efficiency rate method. This study demonstrates the use of SLP and graphic-theoretical approach in a maritime context and utilizes the efficiency rate method to compare the alternative layouts, which are between 48.91% and 73.91% efficiencies, respectively. This study is a novel contribution to the literature in terms of demonstrating this methodology for shipbuilding applications, and practical applications for the industry can improve the industry to improve the efficiency of their operations.