CAD/CAM

HVAC Featured In ShipConstructor2004

Scheduled for a September 2003 release, the next major revision of the 3-D product modeling software for shipbuilding and offshore platforms from Albacore Research Ltd., ShipConstructor2004, will include a full Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning module (HVAC). HVAC is a fully integrated member of the ShipConstructor suite of Structure, Automatic and Manual Nest, NC Code generation, Outfit, Pipe, Fairing, and Lofting tools. To facilitate automatic report generation, HVAC makes full use of ShipConstructor's SQL Server product database.

As with all ShipConstructor modules, HVAC is a full 3-D modeling package; this reduces drafting errors and time-to-production. With ShipConstructor, HVAC ducts are full-featured AutoCAD entities. Ducts keep track of their connections, allowing them to be stretched and moved in real-time while maintaining connections. Because ducts track changes to the system, ARL has virtually eliminated the need to re-draw large sections of HVAC due to small modifications. As with all of ARL's intelligent objects, ducts can be exported to regular 3D solids if desired.

Maxsurf Links with ShipConstructor

Formation Design Systems and Albacore Research Ltd. (ARL) have announced that Formation's Maxsurf suite of naval architecture and ship construction software now links with ARL's ShipConstructor software suite to provide shipyards with a complete end to end solution for ship design, detailing and production. The link has been developed by Formation Design Systems as part of their ongoing program of adding additional capabilities to the Workshop module within the Maxsurf suite of software. The new functions allow naval architects and structural designers to take preliminary structural definitions from Workshop and export them in a format compatible with ShipConstructor. This format allows transverse frames, longitudinal stringers, hull plates and decks to be transferred.

The new Maxsurf/ShipConstructor interface allows a range of parts to be exported. These include: export of hull plates complete with both 2D and 3D plate information and marking lines; export of stringer information including the full 3D stringer shape, export of transverse frames including cutouts for stringers and openings in the frame; export of decks including any deck openings. All parts can be rendered in 3D before export and verified in a similar way after import into ShipConstructor.

Albacore Research develops the software suite ShipConstructor, an easy-to-use, 3D product modeling tool for ships and offshore structures of all sizes. ShipConstructor provides functions for Curved Plate Production, Internal Structure, Piping, HVAC, Nesting and NC Processing. ShipConstructor runs inside of AutoCAD connecting all data to Microsoft SQL Server, thus presenting a familiar environment and resulting in minimal training requirements. The modular software design and flexible licensing allow ShipConstructor to be fully scalable to the client's specific business needs from the largest shipyard down to the smallest boat builder. ShipConstructor is used worldwide by hundreds of shipyards and naval architects on a wide range of vessels and offshore structures.

Neilsoft Outfit Steel Module Reduces Design Time

The Neilsoft Outfit Steel Module is a new modelling tool for the Tribon M2 Shipbuilding system enabling designers to easily, quickly and accurately create and place outfit steel objects into the Tribon Product Information Model (Tribon PIM). The outfit steel objects available are Walkways, Ladders, Staircases, Equipment Foundations and Masts. This module developed by Neilsoft will be marketed and sold by Tribon Solutions to Tribon users worldwide. In fact, this past October, Tribon Solutions and Neilsoft signed a developer co-operation agreement, wherein Neilsoft will support Tribon users world wide in the customization of existing Tribon applications, and by developing new tools using the Tribon M2 Developer's Toolkit (including the Vitesse application).These structures can be complex as each single structure may consist of up to hundreds of different parts. The Outfit Steel Module has a parametric modelling approach that reduces the amount of user interaction to a few simple inputs. Thereafter the module automatically generates the model objects of the structures thus reducing the design time to virtually a couple of minutes.

Autoship Continues To Make Waves

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) is making waves in a host of maritime industries — they remain a leading software supplier with a range of products that include complete CAD/CAM suites, Stowage Planning Systems (SPS), real-time Hydrostatic Engines, and real-time Structural Strength simulation.

With a customer list that includes companies such as Newport News, ASC can never forget its CAD/CAM roots - and the tradition continues with major additions coming soon to both Autostructure and Autoship product lines. Starting October 2003, Autostructure includes a complete Production Manager program (structural fabrication functions such as part nesting onto stock material), and a parametric design feature that will create a deck beam, frame, edge stiffeners, and brackets in one operation. Already being developed for next year's Autoship 9 are brand-new, state-of-the-art surface editing capabilities.

ASC continues to demonstrate that it can create stowage planning, hydrostatic, and structural strength products for any maritime market anywhere in the world: offshore, Great Lakes bulk cargo, tanker, container, break bulk, and RoRo. For example, new customers include Haliburton Subsea, Maersk, Statoil AS, Trans Ocean, Rolls Royce, BP, Teekay Shipping, Nile Dutch Africa, Upper Lakes Group, and Algoma Central Marine. Implementation of ASC's two largest Stowage Planning Systems (SPS) are well underway at both Westwood Shipping Lines (bulk, break-bulk, container) and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines (RoRo, container).

Provide Solutions Introduces 3D Laser Scanning

LIDAR-based 3D laser scanning allows designers and builders to view structural and machinery units already fit as a final product before construction and assembly are finished. Quick dimensional comparison can be made between drawings and constructed units, checks for accuracy and alignment can be made to control the general quality of the product — all while reducing the expense of re-work.

Provide Solutions, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is developing the use of this technology in the marine industry. In 2002, the company conducted a pilot test in partnership with ConocoPhillips Marine and Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale Shipyard. The goal of the pilot program was to determine the potential for 3D laser scanning to minimize rework during ship production by checking accuracy early in construction. The 3D laser scanner proved to be up for the job, as it is a high-accuracy, high-definition surveying tool that can rapidly and remotely measure ship sections and components for accuracy and control.

"The purpose of the trial was to integrate the technology to save time and costs associated with ship fitting and rework during the production process," says Scott Cedarleaf, president of Provide Solutions.

The 3D laser scanning technology uses multiple lasers pulses to measure the surface geometry of objects. These line-of-site scans have a range of 1 mm to 5 mm accuracy up to a distance of 50 m depending on the techniques used for measurement and data analysis. The scanner sends out laser pulses to an object and measures how long it takes for each pulse to return to the scanner. The data from each pulse are translated into 3D coordinates. Hundreds of thousands of measurements are made of each object during a scan, which typically takes 10 minutes or less, and together the 3D coordinates create a highly detailed 3D point cloud.

These point clouds can be immediately reviewed on a laptop computer in the field. They also can be imported into AutoCAD to create 2D and 3D drawings for further analysis, including design maintenance, value engineering and virtual fit prior to fabrication and installation of complex machinery and systems.

Provide Solutions worked alongside the shipyard's engineering and design, accuracy control and ship fitting departments to provide a balanced and objective approach for testing and implementing the technology in the production process.

During the pre- and post-erection processes, units can be virtually fit to previously fitted units and reworked in the staging area. Virtual fit-up can also be made between units and assemblies located at different work sites prior to the transportation of equipment to the assembly site. This proactive approach allows the building team to rework both the fitted unit and the unit to be fitted prior to assembly.

Nupas-Cadmatic Offers Versatile Shipbuilding Applications

Nupas-Cadmatic is a joint venture of Cadmatic Oy and Numeriek Centrum Groningen B.V. , a combination of resources designed to create a solution that exceeds the level of traditional software offered to the maritime market. Nupas-Cadmatic is a unique CAD/CAE/CAM solution for shipyards and consulting engineering offices interested in improving their efficiency in design, engineering and production. It is designed to be a new generation of open software for hull, machinery & piping, outfitting and interior design, engineering and producing a variety of production information as well.

With Nupas-Cadmatic 3D Show Extended the user has the possibility to start engineering of the hull construction from the start. This is done by using the NUPAS-CADMATIC 3D product model. During this early stage the information about the construction, like ships weight, center of gravity, is known in real time. The system guides the user with a maximum of assistance to build the model.

New Tech for Drafting, Data Management

SENER has partnered with think3, Inc., a global provider of integrated product development solutions, to incorporate technology from think3 to improve and upgrade its CAD/CAM software FORAN.

"The agreement with SENER will allow us to have an additional vertical application based on think3's kernel, dedicated to the shipbuilding industry. This represents a strategic area as well as a significant market for think3, through the direct and indirect channels", said Alberto Pittoni, think3's Indirect & OEM Channel Manager. think3 technology will enable SENER and its customers to reduce the time-to-market of new products and speed up significantly the product development cycle by allowing the full integration of 2D-3D and PDM. FORAN users will benefit from simple, easy to use software. This will be reflected in the streamlining of the production of drawings and the introduction of PDM functionality fully integrated with the FORAN 3D model.

J. Ray McDermott, Selects ABS NS

Marine constructor J. Ray McDermott has selected ABS Nautical Systems (ABS NS) as the software provider of choice for its assets worldwide, including all major derrick barges and associated equipment such as cranes and specialized offshore equipment. McDermott has purchased the following ABS NS modules: Maintenance & Repair, Purchasing & Inventory, Financial Reporting, Replication Manager and Crew Management.