SSI's CAD/CAM ShipConstructor software utilizes a Marine Information Model (MIM) to store a wealth of data that can be leveraged for maintenance, repair and lifecycle support.
Slated to exhibit at the American Society of Naval Engineers' Fleet Maintenance & Modernization Symposium (FMMS) from September 1-2 in San Diego, SSI USA informs that its representatives will be on hand to explain the ins and outs of MIM.
At the core of SSI’s MIM is a complete virtual model of the entire vessel including each of the various disciplines from hull production design and structural detailing to outfitting and assembly sequencing. All engineering disciplines work within a single integrated environment, sharing a consistent interface, and are connected via a project database that stores the intelligence, relationships, attribute information and 3D model plus the rules and standards used in the product model's composition.
The information within the database is associative at every level, beginning with the industry specific standards used to create the model and extending all the way to the automatically generated AutoCAD based production documentation used in the shipyard, SSI explained.
According to SSI, a key to leveraging the capabilities of ShipConstructor's MIM for lifecycle support is for shipyards to deliver an as-built model. Using this approach, the U.S. Coast Guard’s RFP for 11 new Offshore Patrol Cutters requires that "the 3D Product Model shall be provided in either ShipConstructor or an ISO 1030303 Step compliant system that is exportable to ShipConstructor."
Additionally, SSI notes that because the majority of U.S. Naval warships under construction are being designed and built with ShipConstructor software, leveraging the as-built data stored in the ShipConstructor MIM is a way to reduce repair costs and ensure that maintenance is more efficient.