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processes, such as plastic injection molding, lost-wax cast- Navy were provided initial operator training and were ing, green-sand casting, or CNC machining. A new Pattern able to successfully operate the MANTAS craft both from

Corrections utility in the Premium Edition of PropCad al- shore, and in the case of the ATG and CRS-3 personnel, lows users to specify machine stock and shrinkage factors from onboard their Rigid Hull In? atable Boats (RHIBs) to create machining models, casting patterns, and mold and Riverine Command Boats (RCBs). Through the ac- geometries. Eliminating direct manual manipulation of the quisition and application of the HydroComp PropCad propeller design surfaces, the utility allows these corrections software, MARTAC was able to – in a very short time to be speci? ed as parameters. The changes are applied math- – take complete control of the propeller design process, ematically and directly to the propeller parameters, with thereby resulting in a signi? cant increase in the number of calculation and visualization of corrected sections, blade potential manufacturers for their designs, and a dramatic parameters, and radial distributions. Consequently, adjust- reduction in the lead time for obtaining propellers for their ments to a pattern can be made by simply adjusting the pa- MANTAS series vessels. rameters instead of directly manipulating the surfaces. MARTAC’s Chief Technology Of? cer Jack Rowley per-

PropCad can export to a variety of CAD and CAM haps said it best, explaining, “PropCad was a key compo- packages, including Unigraphics NX, Rhino, Solidworks, nent in the ultimate success of the MANTAS craft opera-

Pro/Engineer, Creo, SurfCam, MasterCam, DELCAM tions in the RIMPAC/Trident Warrior naval exercises. As

Powershape, and others. Additionally, PropCad exports we further expand the design characteristics of the craft, to a variety of universal formats, such as IGES and point we expect that PropCad will continue to be a highly useful clouds. This ? exibility in CAD/CAM output enables users tool for improving our craft performance hydrodynamics.” to migrate propeller and pattern designs into a variety of

Donald MacPherson is co-founder and packages to add details and produce CNC tool paths.

Technical Director of HydroComp, Inc., a

After the propeller has been produced, PropCad includes consultancy established in 1984, specializing many different methods for quality assurance. These in- in applied hydrodynamics with particular clude detailed inspection maps and local pitch reports. For emphasis on the numerical prediction of vessel high value projects, data points from the surface can be and propulsor performance. MacPherson is a graduate of the

Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, a Fellow of the Society measured and input into the Scan Converter module. The of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, a member of 3D geometry from the measured propeller are derived and the SNAME H-8 Propulsion Hydrodynamics Panel, and a compared to the design values in order to verify the accu- frequent author and speaker on ship resistance and propulsion, racy of the manufacturing process.

sea trial and bollard pull analysis, and propulsor design.

RIMPAC SUCCESS

Adam Kaplan is a mechanical engineering

While at RIMPAC/Trident Warrior 16, MARTAC op- graduate of the University of New Hampshire and project engineering with HydroComp. With erated and demonstrated the MANTAS with their new an extensive background in CAD/CAM and

PropCad-designed propellers. The operations were wild- manufacturing, he currently leads development ly successful, and many groups including the Navy Mid of new versions of PropExpert and PropCad software at

Paci? c A? oat Training Group (ATG), Coastal Riverine

HydroComp. Adam is an active member of the Society of

Squadron (CRS-3), several U.S. Congressman and their

Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and the staff, high ranking military personnel, Defense Ministers

National Marine Propeller Association (NMPA).

of Allied Countries, and even the Undersecretary of the 47 www.marinelink.com MN

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