Meyer Werft: The New Old Yard

Praised by colleagues in the German shipbuilding industry for its efficient, quality operation, Meyer Werft has been in business since 1795 — but has since 1975 been building a completely new shipyard, and most of the plants on-hand today were installed only in the last decade.

The yard has a varied product history known for its production of highly sophisticated ships, particularly luxury car and passenger ferries, passenger vessels, and RoRo ships.

Currently Meyer Werft is building three 70,000-gt cruise vessels for Celebrity Cruises, for delivery in 1995,1996 and 1997; the 67,000- grt cruise vessel Oriana for P&O for delivery in Spring 1995; and a 6,000-grt passenger ship for the Republic of Indonesia for delivery in 1995.

Its current orderbook will supply full employment for the yard's approximately 1,800-person workforce until the spring of 1997.

Meyer Werft offers what is reportedly the world's largest covered building dock, which allows the building process to be undisturbed by weather.

Known for productivity, Meyer Werft touts the following as helping it keep up with international competitors: CIM/CAD; short distances throughout the shipyard; inventories management systems with container depot (computerized); justin- time deliveries; close cooperation between subcontractors and shipyard; underwater plasma cutting; and prompt decision making.

To help gain and maintain a technological lead over competing countries, Meyer Werft plans the development of productivity-enhancing methods, such as new welding techniques and process-oriented production.

Also planned are further technical developments of products, such as environmentally friendly propulsion systems with optimized fuel consumption rates, and environmental technologies/waste disposal (Green Ship).

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Maritime Reporter Magazine, page 30, Sep 1994

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Maritime Reporter

First published in 1881 Maritime Reporter is the world's largest audited circulation publication serving the global maritime industry.