Dimensional Control Systems (DCS) has been awarded a contract from Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop a dimensional variation control software tool specific to the shipbuilding industry. This technology has the potential to allow shipbuilders to predict and resolve dimensional problems at the product definition stage. Several shipyards are already scheduled to participate in the effort. As this tool is going to be developed specifically for the shipbuilding industry, the project team, which also includes the University of Michigan, is encouraging shipyards and ship design firms to participate.

Traditionally, accuracy control in shipbuilding has focused on the production stages of the process. The product definition stage has been typically viewed as being a static process with respect to accuracy control. This approach can be attributed to limitations in technology. For two decades the automotive and aerospace industries have used computer simulation during product design to assess the impact of part and assembly dimensional variation on producibility. The application of this technology in shipbuilding has the potential to allow shipbuilders to predict and resolve dimensional problems at the product definition stage.

The primary objective of this project is to simplify the modeling of dimensional effects associated with weld shrinkage and distortion. The Company believes that it is possible to dramatically reduce the effort and time associated with modeling the dimensional effects of weld shrinkage and distortion, which will make the use of dimensional variation modeling, simulation, and analysis tools much more cost effective for the shipbuilding industry.