Page 8: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 1999)

Investment in Design Virtual Yard = Real Business As a fitting recognition of Poland's evolving shipbuilding tradition and solid, maritime technical skills, a devel-opment dubbed the 'virtual shipyard' has been established in Gdansk by Det Norske Veritas (DNV). The classifica-tion society's reinforced technological commitment to Poland has also been encouraged by the competitive environ-ment which now exists there, and which has fired the transitional economy. DNV's move taps an abundant resource of naval architects and endorses the mar-itime infrastructural role played by the Technical University of Gdansk, where the Norwegian classification society has set up its Nauticus Modelling Center (NMC). The objective with NMC is to ensure the efficient production of 3-D graphical models (3DGM) in line with the soci-ety's move towards the use of dynamic product models for classification pur-poses, spanning a ship's lifetime. The concept of the virtual shipyard, or NMC, is thereby central to future classification operations, applying all the society's amassed knowledge and specific ship information data in a single product model. For the client market in the shape of shipowners and shipbuilders, DNV's investment initiative promises improved efficiency as regards access to requisite information. The 3DGMs are prepared using the Nauticus digital platform developed by the Norwegian organiza-tion, and the product model supports the new Nauticus class notation. A small team of information technolo-gy (IT) personnel at DNV's Hovik head-quarters supports the staff at Gdansk, made up primarily of naval architecture graduates from Gdansk Technical Uni-versity, with a core of experienced naval architects drawn from the local shipping industry. Circle 30 on Reader Service Card Potent plant Wide cylinder bores are not without precedent in the medium-speed engine domain, to which the Stork-Wartsila (nee Stork-Werkspoor) TM620 was tes-tament. But the Wartsila 64, now going to sea for the first time in a German-built shortsea containership, marries an unprecedented power concentration in a single, medium-speed prime mover. An 11,600-dwt newbuild for Hans-Peter Wegener from the Sietas establishment at Hamburg-Neuenfelde marks the marine operational debut of the Finnish-developed engine, which offers a potent delivery of around 2-MW per cylinder at its nominal rating. Although derated for the 954-TEU German boxship installa-tion to 12,600-kW, the seven-cylinder plant is still expected to ensure a highly competitive service speed of 20.5-knots. Compared with the Dutch-engineered TM620, the Wartsila 64 has much longer Fp ft H by David Tinsley, technical editor "legs," by way of a 900-mm cylinder stroke, in addition to a wider, 640-mm bore. The initial seagoing recipient of the new class of diesel has been assigned charter to the Finnish company Contain-erships Oy, for its regular link between Helsinki, Rotterdam and Teesport. The entire series of multipurpose container-ships ordered from Japanese and Polish yards by Dutch operator Spliethoff s has also been specifed with the Italian-man-ufactured 64 engine, in six-cylinder lay-out. A 12-cyUnder vee engine has been operational ashore for some time, as part of a new, combined-cycle power station in Finland. Circle 31 on Reader Service Card www.champlabs.com Maritime Reporter/Engineering News ?or filtration, protection, and endurance, nothing holds up better in rough water than Luber-finer. Every filter is factory-tested to ensure the highest performance under Luber^finer pressure. And with one of the broadest application lines, it doesn't matter what your boat is.. .if it floats, we make a filter to fit it. Luber-finer. Filters made to tough it out. World Marketing & Sales Headquarteis 200 South 4th Street ? Albion, IL 62806-1313 U.S.A. Toll Free: 800-851-3641 ? Fax: 800-545-1508 ? TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE: 800-882-0890 Outside U.S.A.: Phone: 618-445-6011 ? Outside U.S.A.: Fax: 618-445-4040 Circle 289 on Reader Service Card 8