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In Actual Practice Perhaps one of the biggest proponents of the ShipConstructor solution is Elliott Bay Design Group, a Seattle-based, full-service naval architecture and marine engineering firm. EBDG provides production support for the commercial marine industry, and its client base spans the full gamut of owners, operators, shipyards and government agencies. Committed to working in the CAD/CAM (computeraided design/computer-aided manufacturing) environment and staying on the front edge of technology to best serve its clients, EBDG is also committed to using the ShipConstructor product to get there. Like any tool, however, the ShipConstructor software is only as good as the operator. Using a unique DDROM SmartParts technology, ShipConstructor 2006 can now be used much earlier in the design cycle. The 3-D structural classification model is created and delivered automatically, derived from 2-D drawings. Back-end changes can be implemented into the production detail model. In essence, ShipConstructor provides all the necessary functions to build a production-grade 3-D product model consisting of hull plating, structure with all details, pipe, HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) and equipment, all rounded off by the penetrations. EBDG President John Waterhouse says, “ShipConstructor is evolving towards a full three-dimensional model, oriented towards production information. For example, the software determines the exact lengths of pipelines and cabling. A piping run in 3-D pro- �� turnkey synergy vides production information for bend ratios and flange information.” All of the data is stored in one single database, making it easy not only for designers but also for managers and production to get up-todate information when and how they need it. There are other products out there, of course. EBDG’s Waterhouse says that ShipConstructor New 1200 Ton Syncrolift ® 2800 Ton Drydock Contact: Mike Anderson Phone: 510-337-9122 E-mail: manderson@bay-ship.com 2900 Main Street, #2100 Alameda, CA 94501 www.bay-ship.com the maritime executive 55 maritime-H_061507.indd 1 6/14/07 7:12:19 PM
turnkey synergy is the right product for EBDG and adds, “This is the best software for handling a variety of shipyards and a variety of ship types. The product is robust and flexible, and we successfully serve a variety of clients with it. Those design groups dealing with just one or two shipyards or a single class of vessel might very well choose another product.” Shipbuilding, at least in the actual construction phase, is ultimately moving towards more of an assembly process. Gone are the days when an individual yard engages in constructing components such as engines, winches or other critical items. Increased and better technology is a big part of that reality, but as shipbuilding capacity in this country has contracted over the past half century the numbers of qualified personnel on the cutting floor has followed suit. The decision-making process on the floor has thus become a more critical part of the equation at a time when that expertise is going away. As such, software programs like ShipConstructor are helping to bridge the gap between the design and production stages. Using the industry-standard AutoCAD product, ShipConstructor provides essential information to the production floor that ultimately produces an efficient assembly process. Along the way, shipbuilders can proceed with confidence, knowing that all departments are using the same data from the central product model at all times. There is no time wasted by having to inform other departments of design changes or, even worse, of errors being made by working with the wrong data. The hull, structure, piping, HVAC and equipment data all feed into the same 3-D product model that is concurrently accessed by all parties involved. Concurrent engineering is critical to the ShipConstructor process. In the space of two years, ShipConstructor Software, Inc. has increased its customer 56 the maritime executive base by 100 percent, and the product is now the industry standard for production-oriented design software in the American mid-tier shipyard market. Although the larger shipyards primarily use another product, interest at that level is increasing. Beyond this, ShipConstructor is reporting some penetration into European markets. ShipConstructor Software, Inc. recently announced the decision to release ShipConstructor version 2008 (SC 2008) in late summer. The move towards quickly following SC 2006 with the release of SC 2008 was largely prompted by a desire to provide users with the ability to utilize AutoCAD versions 2006, 2007 and 2008 with the ShipConstructor software. Although ShipConstructor 2005 and ShipConstructor 2006 are not compatible with AutoCAD 2007, the newer version of the software will be compatible with both AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008. The Turnkey Package Although the ShipConstructor software is designed for ease of use by local users on site at the shipyard, there may be instances where the use of a naval architect is desired right on up to and including the design stages of the project. With a large OSV (offshore supply vessel) project taking as much as 12,000 to 15,000 man-hours to complete, it sometimes makes sense for a yard without a lot of internal engineering staff to enlist outside technical support. Arguably, no one outside of ShipConstructor itself has more experience with the software than does Elliott Bay Design Group. Fewer still have and provide the full spectrum of engineering, design and production support experience that EBDG can offer. The production game isn’t for everyone, though. And EBDG’s John Waterhouse adds, “Some design houses get in and ultimately decide that it is too tough to do it all.” There’s little room for error on the production floor, he says. Waterhouse also says that it was a conscious decision to remain deeply involved in all phases of the shipbuilding game. “I don’t think you can properly service your clients if you haven’t been involved in the production end of things, especially if there is a problem at that point of the process.” And when a mistake happens at that stage of the operation, it can often be an expensive one. Waterhouse speaks from long experience on any number of extensive projects performed for demanding clients. One such project involves EBDG’s participation in the development of a new class of 260-foot offshore supply vessels. In a near-perfect example of collaboration between the customer, the shipyard and Elliott Bay Design Group, EBDG was retained by Hornbeck Offshore Services to complete the detail engineering and 3-D structural and erection modeling of the vessel for Atlantic Marine/ Alabama Shipyard as part of Hornbeck’s newbuild program. The job was not without its challenges, but EBDG’s involvement in the project was a key to its ultimate success. Leveraging EBDG’s state-of-the-art detail engineering technology to develop a full 3-D product model of this sophisticated 260-foot OSV series, the ShipConstructor suite software and EDBG’s engineering organization allowed the shipyard to realize significant savings in production labor hours. At least four vessels have been built to this Leevac Industries’ design, utilizing the engineering support of EBDG and the ShipConstructor platform. Waterhouse is also especially proud of EBDG’s involvement with Bollinger Shipyards on a new class of barges being constructed there. Infrastructure and Technology Today: Building the Ships of Tomorrow The way that ships are being constructed is evolving for the better, both here and abroad. At the forefront of these changes, ShipConstructor software is also evolving, leveraging the industry standard AutoCad product and producing three-dimensional imagery and product database management to more efficiently build the ships of tomorrow, today. Shipyards and naval architects alike are unlocking the power of ShipConstructor. In an era where shipbuilding activity in this country has reached levels not seen in thirty years or more, U.S. yards are also competing in a global market. On the commercial side of the balance sheet, this can and does mean competing against foreign-subsidized efforts overseas. The ShipConstructor software – and the design groups and shipyards who utilize it – are ensuring that the American shipbuilding effort keeps pace. Making money in a robust market is one thing; keeping that base working and efficient in the down times that may follow is quite another. MarEx
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