Ekium participates in the industrialization of the Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention program for Naval Group

The project involves the supply of 5 frigates for the French Navy, as well as an export program for the Greek Navy.
EKIUM
Since 2020, I've been involved in the industrialization of the new Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) program for our customer Naval Group, in Lorient (56). To date, this project involves the supply of 5 frigates for the French Navy, as well as an export program for the Greek Navy.
Laurent JEHANNO
Business Manager

The Frégate de défense et d'intervention (FDI) is a multi-role combat ship.

The FDI program contributes to the renewal and reinforcement of the French surface fleet, in accordance with the 2019–2025 Military Programming Law. Measuring approximately 120 meters in length and 17.7 meters in width, this new frigate can reach a speed of 27 knots (50 km/h). Heavily armed with missiles, the FDI can carry a heavy helicopter and a drone, as well as deploy special forces thanks to its two command boats. It is equipped with a four-panel fixed Seafire radar which, combined with the missile launch system, provides it with area defense capabilities.

The first FDI under construction at Naval Group's Lorient shipyard

Since its launch, this large-scale project has unfolded in 3 major phases:

  • The design (assembly): “Assembly” is a term specific to Naval Group that describes the 3D modeling of equipment, piping, structures, decks, bulkheads, cables, etc. This is a fundamental part of the design process, as it consolidates the iterative contributions of architects, hull designers, systems engineers, procurement teams, technologists, etc.

  • Industrialization: Laurent and his team work on this phase, which involves preparing industrial documentation based on design data, in line with the ship’s construction logic.

  • Production: consists of manufacturing, assembly, and compliance control.

This project is entirely innovative due to the implementation and use of new methodologies, new CAD (computer-aided design) tools, and industrialization tools, including ODIN (tools dedicated to industrialization). Everyone has adopted a complete overhaul of their work methods!

Vincent takes you on a tour of Naval Group's Lorient shipyard

Focus on the Industrialization phase:

Industrialization is part of the daily routine for Laurent and all the plant’s employees. Specifically, it involves compiling all the data generated during the preliminary design phase, then processing, expanding, and structuring it in the ODIN tool so that it can be made available to the manufacturing shop and/or the production line for final assembly. This includes:

  • Defining the manufacturing procedures

  • Generating the inspection campaigns to be implemented

  • Delivery of materials/equipment

  • Making definition drawings available

In other words, it involves using standardization and industrial optimization to ensure the manufacturability, maintainability, and constructability of products in accordance with the quality, cost, schedule, safety, and environmental objectives defined by the program.

This industrialization phase is divided into four areas of specialization:

  • Boiler room: fluids and networks

  • Mechanical: structural elements, chassis

  • Electrical: shipboard electrical wiring

  • Hull: overall ship structure and equipment.

Laurent’s teams have been key players since the project’s inception in the fields of metallurgy and mechanics, and have recently begun providing support in the field of electrical systems.

During the industrialization phase of the first ship, up to 18 Ekium employees worked together in the fields of metallurgy and mechanics.

A construction logic to respect

A ship is built using a "block assembly" approach, in which individual blocks—each corresponding to a different part of the ship—are assembled. Each micro-block is designed and manufactured independently, and these micro-blocks are gradually assembled to form a single unit.

This technique shortens lead times by allowing work on multiple blocks simultaneously, followed by staggered assembly phases, eliminating the need to manufacture the entire structure at the very end.

For several years now, Laurent has been passionate about this technical challenge he faces daily in the construction of these six frigates: learning and mastering the language of a field he was previously unfamiliar with, understanding how the project functions as a whole—particularly the interactions between different departments and stakeholders—and then applying his expertise to continuously improve and optimize work methods.

“The difficulty of the task lies particularly in maintaining the consistency of industrialization data for each ship under construction while taking into account, in real time, changes in specifications and on-board feedback, as well as specific requirements (Greece/France). We must indeed account for the fact that six ships are being built simultaneously at the Lorient site with very tight deadlines to meet,” Laurent explains.

A great challenge for Laurent and his team to tackle every day!