Flexible, Low-Noise Air Management

We propose to design, build, and deploy a Material Identification and Procurement System (MIDAPS). MIDAPS facilitates information-integrated synchronization of construction activities with materials management functions through a rapidly reconfigurable,centralized relational database management system. MIDAPS facilitates both new construction and ship repair jobs. The Phase I effort will define, design, and build a prototype MIDAPS. The Phase II effort will rapidly transition the innovation into anoperational shipyard application. The most significant innovation of the MIDAPS concept is the development of a materials system that becomes a real time management decision tool rather than a quasi-static information statusing tool. MIDAPS benefitsinclude (a) significant reductions in ship construction and repair cycle time and cost, and (b) substantial gains in ship throughput and capacity. The proposed open-architecture, model-based approach will produce accelerated and affordable deployment ofthe technology to the U.S. shipbuilding community.MIDAPS applications areas include Enterprise Resource Planning, Material Requirements Planning, Finite Capacity Scheduling, Material Planning and Control, and Production Planning and Control.