Load Planning Software News

Canadian firm Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) in cooperation with its Norwegian reseller, Coastdesign Norway (CDN), has developed an offshore stability software for jack-up vessels called - the Autoload® - Jack Up version and has won a contract to install the solution onboard Seaway 7’s first self-propelled jack-up vessel, VIND 1. Autoload is also installed onboard their entire fleet of vessels which include open deck semi-submersible heavy transportation vessels, cable lay, heavy lift crane installation, and Installation support vessels, Autoship Systems said.

Autoship Systems Corporation (ASC) of Vancouver, Canada announced the sale of their onboard stability software, Autoload, to Olympic Shipping AS for their latest environmentally friendly new-build, Olympic Zeus. Olympic Zeus is an anchor handling tug supply construction vessel designed by Ulstein Design AS and one of the biggest vessels of this type built by Ulstein Verft AS. Developed for advanced operations in deep sea conditions, Olympic Zeus operates with a new type of optimum fuel saving hybrid propulsion machinery which was developed by Ulstein Design AS.

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.

The past decade was a tough one for the Canadian shipbuilding market. It was a decade that produced a decline of both employment and decline of newbuilds, many of which were contracted in the late 1980s still awaiting construction. This unfinished business was concentrated mostly on various military projects that had been thought out but were never actually followed through. It is estimated that by the time the 1990's came to a close that Canadian yards had experienced the worst decade since postwar times with total sales declining by about 50 percent since 1991. In addition, total employment in the industry has broken off by about 50 percent from 12,000 workers in 1990 to today's figure of 5,000.