Page 34: of Marine News Magazine (April 2017)

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SOFTWARE

Product Lifecycle Management for Shipbuilding

Tomorrow’s high tech ? eets will depend on shipyards – long after the christening is over. Siemens PLM software makes that dream possible – today.

By Joseph Keefe ccording to global powerhouse Siemens, a major chronization and productivity, as well as lifecycle ship transformation is underway in the marine sec- service and support, by optimizing shipbuilding process-

A tor. As operators strive to develop more energy- es. The way forward isn’t just a concept; Siemens version ef? cient, reliable and environmentally friendly vessels that is here today.

also lower operating costs, they will increasingly depend on shipyards to make that happen. That’s right: shipyards. In the Beginning: Shipyard Optimization

Long after the vessel slides into the water and the christen- Optimizing shipyard performance means more than ing party is but a distant memory, the clean and ef? cient implementing a fancy software program. Long after U.S. workboat of tomorrow will leverage a wealth of data that yards lost the vertical integration advantage of having steel the builder will manage. Before any of that happens, ship- production as a part of their core business, they’ve had to builders will also need to design and build ships faster and look for other areas where they can improve their game. better than ever before. Veteran shipbuilder Fred Harris, long an admirer of the

The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. The yards Korean shipbuilding model, once told this writer that ‘lay hoping to be around to serve tomorrow’s clients will, says down space’ – or in other words, ample real estate to work

Siemens, require a sea change in the way they operate. In – was also a key component within that Korean model. the future, says Siemens, it will no longer be good enough But, what if a yard has neither? That’s where Siemens to just build a good vessel. Operators will expect that the PLM comes in.

yard be an integral part of their vessel’s life cycle – from The modern shipyard bene? ts greatly from technology cradle to birth. It isn’t just about the ship – it is also about enhancements. Older legacy yards can gain similar – if not the shipyard itself. greater gains. In one shipyard in Germany that had been

In a nutshell, the Siemens Product Lifecycle Manage- building ships for more than 200 years, a Siemens digital ment (PLM) for Shipbuilding solution enables a holistic simulation and optimization analysis was able to reduce approach to optimizing shipbuilding. PLM for Ship- cycle time by 10% and labor by 20% by achieving a more building improves total enterprise collaboration, syn- ef? cient ? ow of material through the shipyard.

April 2017

MN 34