PC-BASED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS Design Systems & Technologies' PC-based software can be categorised in three groups: Design and Analysis, Ship Production and Ship Operation. Compatibility between systems and the ability to add programs to a practice as projects demand them is one of the key attractions. Design and Analysis: FastShip, GHS, NavCad, ShipMO, Maestro and Esti-MATE are used for preliminary design and analysis. FastShip (Proteus Engineering Inc) is a hullform design and surface modelling program that can also be used for superstructures and appendages. It has intact hydrostatic and stability calculations and interfaces with many stability, structures and hydrodynamics programs. First released in 1983, FastShip is now onto version 5 and includes parametric and Wizard modules to help in automatically producing new hulls from a set of parameters, such as ship type, overall dimensions, displacement, LCB location, form coefficients etc. Hulls can also be designed from scratch, derived from library hulls or by importing offsets. Easily learnt, FastShip includes industry-standard interfaces IDF, IGES and DXF. GHS/Win (Creative Systems Inc) is a General Hydrostatics and Stability package. The most powerful stability calculator in the microcomputer world, GHS goes beyond static stability calculations and checks for positive stability in all conditions. It supports variable density cargo, staggered heel/flotation plane conditions as well as compartment damage combinations. NavCad (HydroComp Inc) is a parametric resistance and propulsion prediction system and models can include hull, appendages, propeller and engine (resistance, power, thrust and torque) as well as 'non-ship' effects such as waves, wind, shallow water blockage and towed/pushed bodies. |
NavCad also has facilities for correlated alignment calculations
(to towing tank data, other experimental sources, proprietary databases
etc). Maestro (Optimum Structural Design Inc) is a finite element analysis based structural optimization package which, thanks to its fundamental coarse mesh approac, is uniquely suitable for the study of reinforced shells such as ship and submarine hulls and superstructures, offshore rigs, semi-submersibles etc. Selected areas can be evaluated using a fine mesh. Esti-MATE (SPAR Technologies) is used by small and large organizations to predict and manage the cost of shipbuilding. It uses parametric and database technology to integrate constantly changing information as well as an item-by-item approach. Interfaced to ship production programs such as ShipCAM and CAD-Link it is fully customizable and suitable for newbuilding or refit/repair jobs. Ship Production: Of most interest to CAD users who are already familiar with AutoCAD or Microstation are the PC-based ship production software packages, especially ShipCAM 97, NauSHIP and CAD-Link 98. Compatible with Microsoft Office for producing documentation, or importing into databases and spreadsheets for calculations, the ship production programs offered by DS&T allow for every piece of the steelwork (for example) to be given attributes. These may vary from post-processing codes for shipyard teams to which grade of steel the part is to be cut from. Classification Society approval drawings are generated from the 3D model, making any necessary modifications running throughout the design relatively painless. Danese has scrutinised the time sheets and figures for projects they have worked on and is confident that a third of the design and production time is saved in the concurrent process, compared to the traditional stage-by-stage method of working. ShipCAM 97 (Albacore Ltd) focuses on the fast and accurate production of shell-related fabrication data. |
Unmatched in plate development (surface-based as opposed to traditional
frame-based methods), inverse frame bending calculations (transverse
and longitudinal), automatic cut-out placement capabilities, ShipCAM
also offers all traditional shipbuilding functions such as shell
expansion, template forming, pin-jigs, weights and CG calculations. Double curvature plate deformation is quantified exactly and plate formability can be checked on screen, interactively, thus allowing plate size optimisation. ShipCAM supports most industry data exchange formats and database links integrate it with steel production modelling programs such as NauSHIP and CAD-Link: CAD-Link 98 (Albacore Ltd) is an AutoCAD-based steel production modelling PC program expressly developed for the small to medium shipyard. It has database links, CAD assisted nesting, structural modelling, basic piping and NC cutting interfaces and in its 3D solid element structural element approach is an industry leader. CAD-Link provides the tools to make 3D modelling as easy as 2D drafting and, having been thoroughly tested with ShipCAM users worldwide, it is established as an effective tool for all stages of ship production engineering. Perception (SPAR Associates Inc) is the leading tool for planning, scheduling and controlling the many elements involved in the production process of ship manufacture. Based on client-server tecnology it is a completely modular package, easily customizable to specific shipyard requirements. The system comprises Esti-MATE, mentioned earlier, Work-Pac, for tracking cost and work performance, Mat-Pac, to manage stock, purchasing and delivery and Pert-Pac which dynamically maintains resource allocation and scheduling, including automatic re-assignments at tagged event occurences. PropCad (HydroComp and Design Systems & Technologies sarl) allows the user to define a propeller in detail and to produce both a fully dimensioned construction drawing and a complete offset table suitable for the construction of a foundry plug. |
It includes several parametric propeller libraries or can define
arbitrary shapes or a combination of the two. Class strength rule
calculations are supported. Ship Operation: Onboard operations/monitoring programs offered by DS&T include Smart Engine and GLM while PropExpert aids with the choice of a proprietary propeller: PropExpert (HydroComp Inc) is a Windows 95 software tool for the selection and analysis of propeller systems for workboats and yachts. Developed for the engine/propeller manufacturer and dealer market it allows te user to select and match engines and propellers for a given hull type and operating profile. Smart Engine (HydroComp and Design Systems & Technologies sarl) is a performance, display voyage analysis and propulsion management software tool designed for onboard or onshore use. It addresses both strategic and tactical issues from real-time course and throttle settings to layup scheduling and a complete operating database is generated for comparative analysis. GLM (Creative Systems Inc). General Load Monitor is an onboard stability monitoring system for use by the vessel operators and is a special configuration of the aforementioned GHS. Using true ship geometry for real-time calculations, including wind heeling, cargo shifting, damage and grounding situations GLM can assess longitudinal strength in any condition Installed on dozens of ships and easily translated into any language it is perfectly suited for preloading and unloading calculations and real-time operations management. |
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