Since releasing the 2005 version of ShipConstructor, the AutoCAD-based 3D product modeling software company Albacore Research has been working closely together with customers worldwide to introduce even more time- and cost-saving features. Accuracy Control Marks and Automatic Straking, developed in close collaboration with Japanese and Australian shipbuilders, will raise the bar of what can be done with a CAD system.

Small inaccuracies easily add up to significant deviations during multiple steps of assembly. In Japan, Accuracy Control Marks are used for two tasks: aligning stiffeners with high accuracy on plates as well as the accurate joining of plates for welding. For aligning stiffeners, a mark is made on the plate and on the stiffener so they can be easily aligned during assembly. ShipConstructor scribes accuracy control marks onto plates during NC-cutting. For stiffeners, the software automatically generates stiffener plots with dimensioned locations of the accuracy control marks, or the data can be fed directly to an automated stiffener cutting system. For joining plates, a line is made on each of two plates to be welded together such that the line runs parallel to the plate’s edge and is offset a certain distance from the edge. Before welding, yard workers measure the distance between these lines at various points to ensure perfect alignment. Without these lines it can be difficult to maintain the correct spacing between plates, especially for plates with beveled edges and weld gaps.

ShipConstructor users in Australia, who rely heavily on aluminum construction, have brought forward the issue of ‘Automatic Straking’. Automatic straking is used for automatically dividing predefined areas, such as decks and bulkheads, into planks based on the parameters of available stock, then generating a BOM automatically. Previously, straking had to be done manually, so an automatic method of straking represents a significant saving of time. Automatic straking also works with state-of-the-art prefabricated aluminum extrusions and sandwich panels, which are increasingly being used outside of Australia as well.