Page 42: of Marine News Magazine (February 2016)

41 43

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE

Propelling

Modern Vessel Design with 3D Modeling

Glosten’s marine engineers and naval architects increasingly employ 3D modeling to enhance projects and communicate with stakeholders.

By Joseph Keefe he use of 3D modeling in many industries isn’t neces- stakeholders can visualize the design earlier in the design sarily new, but its advent on the waterfront and sub- cycle, and contribute to advancing the design earlier in

Tsequent impact on vessel designs and naval architec- the process. As an early adopter of the practice, Glosten’s ture is just starting to take off. For that reason, Glosten, a success with 3D modeling extends well beyond the design

U.S. West Coast-based naval architecture ? rm, regularly desk, all the way to the bottom line of its many clients. A uses 3D modeling to enhance projects and communicate look at some recent projects shows how, and why.

with stakeholders. In the past, shipyards would fabricate physical mockups of critical areas and compartments prior 3D Modeling to fabrication. Computer 3D modeling greatly reduces or Regardless of how you interface with the marine industry, eliminates altogether the need for physical mockups. chances are, 3D modeling will be an exciting, rapidly chang-

But, shipyards have actually been using 3D computer loft- ing part of your very near future. Already, naval architecture ing and pipe spooling software for years. Similarly, naval ar- ? rms regularly use 3D modeling to enhance projects and chitects have been using 3D computer models for perform- communicate with stakeholders. David W. Larsen, PE, Di- ing CFD and FEA. 3D software tools have been around a rector of Engineering of Engineering at Glosten, explains, long time, but those early tools required development of “3D scanning refers to laser scanning and we are excited to time-consuming 3D models. Because of this, 3D modeling say that 3D laser scanners are changing the way Glosten ap- was typically only undertaken once the design was mature. proaches re? t projects. Our 3D laser scanner develops color

Fast forward to today: software tools have signi? cantly images that are as detailed as high-resolution digital pictures. advanced, and 3D models are much easier to develop and The individual scanned images are ‘stitched’ together to revise – and therefore more cost effective to use – earlier in form a full color 3D model of the compartment that can be the design process. This allows for more iterations where used to obtain measurements. The scanned images are typi- *All photos courtesy Glosten

February 2016 42 MN

MN Feb16 Layout 32-49.indd 42 1/21/2016 11:38:58 AM