Page 45: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2019)

Norway’s Fjellstrand Shipyard

Rewriting the Shipbuilding Book

As maritime digests a number of historical changes, Norway’s Fjellstrand shipyard wants to put aside the rule book and look at the whole process in a new way, reducing engineering costs up to 70% and production costs up to 20%.

The process of designing and building a ship, tute for Mechatronic System Design IEM, one of even in today’s highly standardized mass manu- the TRaM consortium members. Fraunhofer IEM

HOW TO MAKE A facturing environment, remains largely a one-off, is an application-oriented research organization.

GOOD MOVE FORWARD one-of-a-kind design and build. Ships are most Its focus is on how objects and systems, includ- often built to a shipowner’s or operator’s speci? c ing manufacturing processes, work … and work

Since 2000, Steerprop has delivered more requirements, which are often based on ? xed pa- better. Its staff, with experience in aviation and rameters such as speed, fuel consumption, route car production, can look at the top-level require- and passenger vessels. Our solid track record and cargo or passenger capacity. ments of a vessel, or car, and then how different of references includes over 85 ice-class units

Blueprints are created, detailed plans are ap- building process parameters can be impacted. In and deliveries to 8 icebreakers. proved by a classi? cation society, ? nancing is TrAM Fraunhofer IEM is taking the lead in as-

Here are 16 reasons why customers choose us. secured and building is started, block by unique sessing how engineering planning and construc- block. tion methodologies can be improved to reduce

A good move to design the best vessel

Fjellstrand is part of the EU-funded Transport: costs and time. This is the crux of this part of the 1. a good vessel

Advanced and Modular (TrAM) Project, which is project: To determine how to create a modular 2.

We work closely with you throughout the coordinated by Rogaland County Council through approach to shipbuilding that create signi? cant conceptual phase, making it quicker and easier its transport company Kolumbus. The $13.2m savings by enabling engineering and production to design any type of vessel project initiated by industry cluster NCE Mari- to be replicable and modular. Dr. Jürgenhake said 3. Our propulsion systems allow you to create time CleanTech aims to build what would become that project’s objective is to ? nd the key part of the fastest battery-powered, zero emission, high- the design that is common to all these three pos-

All documentation and classification approvals 4.

are in order speed aluminum ferry, building on a growing lev- sible designs and then build modules up for there. el of zero-emission competence in Europe while By borrowing this approach from car and airline

A good move to successfully build a ship at the same time reevaluating the actual design makers, the aim is to have set of designs that can

Steerprop is open, engaged and committed 5.

and build process. still be tailored for operational needs. For exam- to your success ple, he notes that VW uses a central module in the 6.

Our project managers keep to your schedules

The Modular Approach chassis around which many different models can and plans

Taking “the airline approach” is a mantra heard be built. “It is a new way of thinking for shipown- 7.

Factory acceptance testing – all modules are tested beforehand in maritime circles often, globally, as the airline ers and operators. They need to look at the total 8.

Easy and straightforward installation process industry is seen as the de facto “standard in stan- lifecycle cost when looking at the system design dardization” in many regards. So, what if ship- options,” said Dr. Jürgenhake.

building could emulate some of the advances seen While the TrAM Project has yet to ? nd an ideal profitable ownership in airline construction or even car manufacturing? design, initial sketches suggest a twin hull cata- 9.

Your vessel will sail smoothly and reliably with

What if the modular approach, where core com- maran.

Steerprop propulsors ponents or central frames that are constant across For Fjellstrand shipyard, this modular approach

Lowest lifecycle costs – low maintenance and 10.

fuel consumption a range of models while other variable compo- could help them in a challenging shipbuilding

We start from your operational profile and 11. nents or systems can be selected depending on market where reducing costs remains a priority. fine-tune our packages to meet your needs changing demands? “Of course, there is the reduction of labor cost if 12.

Steerprop Care condition monitoring helps you

As much as the TrAM project is about building any of the processes might be automated but this plan ahead and reduce risk a high-speed clean ferry, it is also about building a modular approach to design might also lead to process template that can then be copied for other more ef? cient use of materials,” said Fjellstrand’s

A good move for your future vessels. The project will develop three distinct head of research and development, Edmund Tolo.

Good for propulsion performance 13.

uses for a zero-emission aluminum ferry: one for “We see that several car types are built on the 14.

Good for greater profitability – y – not at the expense of the

European inland waterways another for a London same platform and see that there is a bene? t in the environment city Thames commuter ferry and the ? rst vessel, cost within that industry. We have no reason to 15. Good for heading toward to be built to serve a community near Stavanger believe that this should not be the case also within zero-emissions and greener from 2022. the maritime industry.” shipping

All three have different speed, depth, passenger If so, then other partners in the project, such as 16. Good for future-proofing ess your vessel, regardless of capacity and range and noise requirements, but all aluminum ? rm Hydro Extrusions, or Leirvik, a w you po how you power it three have identical design features. A shipyard company focusing on superstructures, could cre- might elect to go through the same traditional de- ate a standard module that could be used on dif- sign process for all three ferries, but what if the ferent vessel designs, such as a deep-water high- only things that were changed in the design sys- speed ferry, or a shallow draft, slow speed, rapid tems arrangements of the vessels, were those that turnaround vessel with larger passenger capacity. needed to be changed? The project partners recognize that by revaluat-

Make a good move –

Nearly all modern vessels are designed with ing the process of designing and building a vessel with the proper choice!

their operation in mind said Dr. Christoph Jürgen- engineering costs can be cut by up to 70%, and hake, group manager at German Fraunhofer Insti- production costs by 20%.

www.steerprop.com www.marinelink.com 45

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