A SQC proposal for monitoring the shipyard panel line

Constructing cruise-ship hull is complex and requires precise metalwork, welding and assembly. Early anomaly detection and correction are vital for cost and time management. This paper presents a novel statistical quality control (SQC) methodology for monitoring the panel line in cruise-ship shipyards, i.e., one of the initial manufacturing workshops, with a relatively high level of automation. The proposed methodology adopts a standardized p control chart with samples of variable size, incorporating two elements: (i) it accounts for the high level of customization of panels, and (ii) it takes into consideration the measurement uncertainty associated with the large-volume metrology instrument employed for conformity verification (such as a state-of-the-art total station), following the ISO 14253-1:2017 standard. A real-world case study demonstrates its practical application.