Investigation of different cutting technologies in a ship recycling yard with simulation approach

The operational costs of ship recycling yards will increase since the new regulations require more stringent standards for preserving the occupational and environmental health and safety of the people involved in recycling activities. Improvement of the current operational procedures and current levels of productivity will be critical to survive in a competitive industry dominated by low-cost substandard yards. The main aim of this study is to increase the productivity of the yards through the improvement of processes. In this study, cutting operation in the secondary zone is investigated using discrete event simulation. Alternative cutting technologies have been tested in a simulation to assess their impact on production performance and operating costs. This study shows that plasma cutting is a good alternative to oxyfuel cutting. Overall research conducted in this study is significant contribution to the literature as a novel approach for modelling processes and for the implementation of cutting technologies.