Page 69: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2017)

“ “There was a massive price difference in regards to coatings needed premised on the square footage speci? ed by the shipyard (in the Gen- eral Arrangement drawing) and what NYC DOT thinks the quantity of coatings should be. In step, there was a big price difference.”

Tom Thompson, President and CEO, Neptune Global Design

Greg Trauthwein

BY GREG TRAUTHWEIN eptune Global Design is a Today the Staten Island Ferry System in Norfolk, Va., and at the owner’s main- years, was the only one that was avail-

Miami-based Marine En- includes a ? eet of nine vessels and trans- tenance facility in New York, scanning able with color,” he said. “That might gineering, 3D Scanning, ports 22 million people per year (70,000 the underwater hull, the superstructures not seem like much of a value add, but

NReverse Engineering and passengers per day, not including week- and the interiors. “Pre-scanned, reverse as it turns out when you start dealing

Naval Architecture ? rm led by Tom ends) making about 37,180 trips annu- engineered gives a full, updated and ac- with multiple piping arrangements in

Thompson, President and CEO. Thomp- ally between St. George on Staten Island curate model regarding the amount of an engine room, for example, it makes son is a six year veteran of the marine and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. square footage that actually needs to be your life a lot easier as you’re sitting and industry, and has used 3D scanning for The New York City NYC DOT operates covered,” Thompson succinctly summa- trying to discern between different pipes this and other purposes for more than a and maintains the nine vessel ? eet. rized While the savings for this particu- and different systems, particularly when decade. In the maritime sector, Neptune lar project were not available from the you’re trying to reverse engineer things.”

Global is a partner to vessel owners, a Knowledge is (Negotiating) Power NYC DOT, Thompson said that it is not In brief, the systems portability and ad- partner in helping them to manage and As anyone in the maritime sector can uncommon for savings to quickly enter vanced features helped to save time.

mitigate the inherent risks and costs as- attest, careful management of a ? eet’s the ‘millions of dollars’ range. Thompson’s job is a mix of speed and sociated with maintaining and repairing maintenance and repair regimen is a cor- accuracy, and he said in the case of the a ? eet of vessels. Thompson uses FA- nerstone to pro? table operations. Simply Long Experience with 3D Scanning Staten Island Ferries, time spent was de-

RO’s 3D Laser Scanning technology to put, mismanagement of maintenance Until 3D laser scanning came along, pendant on the scope of the project. “The accurately pro? le a vessel. “My typical can sink the corporate ship, literally. So the traditional tools to ‘accurately’ mea- total reverse engineering time was 80 to scanning equipment is a FARO Focus3D when NYC DOT was taking its ferries sure a vessel were the GA drawings and 100 hours with the John Noble and that

X130 with at least ten spherical targets,” into dry dock, it was ? nding a discrep- a tape measure. “As we know, the GA was modeling the entire ship; the hull, said Thompson. “The advertised accu- ancy between what it and the shipyard drawings are usually close, but they’re the superstructure, the interiors … ev- racy of that speci? c scanner at the dis- believed was necessary for maintenance, not quite accurate,” said Thompson. erything,” said Thompson. But on the tances that I work with is +2mm. That speci? cally regarding the amount of He has been using the FARO System Newhouse the project was limited to tolerance varies based on range but is coatings needed for speci? c projects. for about 12 years, “ever since it was a superstructure coatings and ? ooring, as also quite generous, as it’s truly around “There was a massive price difference baby.” In comparing the FARO 3D scan- NYC DOT was removing the linoleum +1mm.” in regards to coatings needed premised ning solutions to other systems, Thomp- ? ooring and replacing it with a poured on the square footage speci? ed by the son said that FARO was a pioneer of coat ? ooring. “To go out to bid they need

Staten Island Ferry System shipyard (in the General Arrangement sorts, the ? rst to provide a battery pow- an exact square footage; I can give them

The Staten Island Ferry System is an drawing) and what NYC DOT thinks ered system that offers signi? cant advan- that relatively quickly, about 50 hours or iconic part of New York City, and like the quantity of coatings should be,” said tages when continuously moving equip- less,” said Thompson the Big Apple itself it has a long and Thompson. “In step, there was a big ment through tight maritime spaces. “With the FARO system I can re-model colorful history. The direct link reaches price difference in regards to coatings “Up until lately – lately being until the the entire ship and come up with an en- back to the early 19th century and the cost.” Thompson’s mission was clear: last couple of years – Faro was the only tirely new GA,” said Thompson. “Being

Richmond Turnpike Company, which Use his FARO Focus3D X130 to deliver battery powered system out there,” said able to give an ‘As-Built’ is valuable to received the right to run a ferry to New new, accurate ‘as built’ GA’s for four Thompson. “With other systems, as you the owner, whether it’s the entire vessel

York. It was in 1817 that the company vessels in the Staten Island Ferry ? eet tried to drag it around, you had to have a or a speci? c system or area. In the case began to run the ? rst mechanically pow- Senator John J. Marchi, Samuel I. Ne- constant power source, you had to have a where we’re doing something like pip- ered ferry between New York and Staten whouse, Andrew J. Barberi & John No- laptop tied to it; the FARO system is bat- ing for a ballast water system, once I’m

Island, the steam-powered Nautilus, bel – allowing the NYC DOT to better tery powered with an internal SD card, done modeling the ship or a system, the commanded by Captain John De For- estimate and negotiate maintenance and so it was more portable.” owner ends up with the new GA’s any- est, the brother-in-law of a young man repair costs with the shipyard. But compact and portable were not way because I have to reverse engineer named Cornelius Vanderbilt, according He achieved the mission, spending the only factors that drew Thompson to certain parts so that I can get the system to www.siferry.com. time while the vessels were in dry dock the system. “It also, until the last several in.” www.marinelink.com 69

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