National Shipbuilding Research Program. Gainsharing-Employee Involvement in a Shipyard/Assembly Yard.

摘要

Kaiser Steel Corporation is the West Coast Coast's largest steel fabricator and producer of offshore drilling platforms. When it comes to the fabrication and assembly of offshore drilling vessels and specialized marine structures, Kaiser Steel has always been in the forefront. This pioneering spirit has its roots in the Company's early shipyard days when, in response to the nation nation's declaration of war in 1941 and President Roosevelt's call for shipbuilding of historic dimensions in support of World War II, seven Kaiser-managed shipyards containing 58 shipways rose in California, Oregon and Washington. In these shipyards all the dynamics of materials flow, the rhythm of operations and the management of masses of workers came into play. Fast welding techniques all but eliminated laborious riveting and prefabrication became the order of the day. Kaiser's first Liberty Ship was delivered in 226 days, a new U.S. record, but records became commonplace. Keel-laying to- launching was progressively chopped down to but 27 days and in time freighters were being launched at the rate of one each day. Following World War II, as the nation began moving toward the development of its offshore resources, Kaiser Steel, with sophisticated fabricating and waterside assembly facilities strategically located along the Pacific Coast, quite easily and logically made the transition from shipbuilding to the fabrication and assembly of a full range of offshore fixed leg and semi-submersible jackets and drilling structures as well as marine terminals.