Autoplant News

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) has developed a complete CAD/CAM suite to meet the CAD/CAM needs in marine vessel design and construction, including two key programs in the CAD/CAM suite: Autostructure 3.0 and Production Manager 3.0. Autostructure and Production Manager are key components in the Autoship CAD/CAM suite, offering shipyards complete solutions in structural design, pre-construction drawing preparation and part nesting. Autostructure is used to create a 3D model of a vessel structure and to output the parts of that model in CAD format. The CAD representation can be used either to prepare construction drawings or for input to NC cutting processors.

Software that automatically produces loop, cable, and termination drawings from information in piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) allowed Merpro Limited to prepare electrical schematics for an offshore retrofit twice as fast as on previous projects. The retrofit involved a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) tanker, the Bluewater Uisge Gorm, which was increasing the water cut and accumulating solids in one of its separators. Merpro designed a system that addressed both problems. The documentation for the system included 78 electrical schematics, and in a time and cost-saving move designers created "intelligent" P&IDs containing equipment specifications, engineering information, and other data.

Autoship Systems Corp. (ASC) has initiated a new 'total system' approach to CAD/CAM software for shipyards, aiming to eliminate what it terms the most expensive CAD/CAM inefficiencies within the design-to-manufacture process: data exchange and interface discontinuities between specialized products (and the additional training and maintenance costs that result). ASC sought to achieve these goals through designed interoperability, with the overall system bringing a shipyard's major design and construction phases into the same data chain, and the interface remains familiar through each stage of the process. Autoship's total solution includes five ASC products and software options from two partnered companies. Autostructure performs internal structural modeling tasks.

Autoship Systems Corporation sold its CAD/CAM software to Herma Shipbuilding, Inc. of Quezon City, Philippines. Herma's installation of Autoship Pro, Autopower, Autohydro Pro, Autoplate and Autostructure and Production Manager is for two dedicated users across a network platform. AutoPlant, a 3D Piping program from ASC partner firm, Bentley Systems, Inc., was also installed with direct integration into Autostructure. Herma Shipyard provides shipbuilding, ship repair and ship conversion services. It is a member of the Herma Group, which provides petroleum, maritime and environmental services.

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) of Vancouver, Canada has been a leader in CADCAM vessel design software for nearly 25 years. Originally conceived for the monohull, ASC software is now used for designing all types of marine vessels – from conventional hull forms to oil rigs. In the early 1980s, PCs were beginning to have respectable computing power at a relatively affordable price. This situation encouraged Grahame Shannon of Vancouver, Canada to develop his idea of designing vessels on the PC-platform. Soon Shannon had many naval architects knocking at his door. His design software, called Autoship, had apparently made the vessel designer’s life a lot easier. Before long Shannon had to hire employees and move his business, Coastdesign Inc., out of his basement. Coastdesign Inc.