Marine News, August 2005

<BODY> <div> 36 • MarineNews • August, 2005 Transas Gets Type Approval Transas Group, a manufacturer of soft- and hardware simulation systems for the professional training and certification of sea specialists, was awarded the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) Type Approval Certificate for Maritime Simulators. The Transas simulation product line covers all the aspects of modern ship operation and requirements for training. In June, 2005 the Transas Bridge Oper- ation Simulator (NAVI-TRAINER PRO- FESSIONAL 4000) and Machinery Oper- ator Simulator (Engine Room Simulator ERS 4000) were Type-Approved by DNV to the Class A Standard for Certification of Maritime Simulators No. 2.14. This achievement was announced at International Transas Simulator Users Conference held on June, 28-30 at Cal- hoon M.E.B.A. Engineering School (Maryland, USA) and met positive cus- tomers' feedback. The official DNV recognition opens new opportunities for existing and potential users of Transas simulator systems and reflects company's effort to provide its customers with the highest quality products and service. New Tech Drives Sim Activities Kongsberg Maritime reports a strong first half of 2005 with a number of new contracts and upgrades. This performance has been enhanced by the company's ded- ication to making best use of high-fidelity technology, specifically in two new sys- tems, SeaView R5 Visual System and BigView Interactive Mimics. Polaris SeaView R5 With increased computing power now available at lower cost, Kongsberg Mar- itime has developed a new version of its SeaView visual system for Polaris shiphandling simulators. SeaView R5 has many new features to provide the student with vital controls including starboard and port wing view control for docking, and joystick controlled binocular, panning and searchlight. New additions in R5 include multi-level sea-state control (Beaufort scale), sun and star effects, traffic vessel roll and pitch, tug operations alongside and the move- ment of mooring and towing lines. "SeaView R5 represents one of the largest investments in our product line in over five years," comments Herbert Tay- lor, President of Kongsberg Maritime Simulation Inc. "It is widely regarded that realism is the goal in visual technology as trainees are more likely to retain informa- tion presented in a realistic fashion. With SeaView R5 we can provide photo-realis- tic textures and life-like water and move- ment physics, making the learning experi- ence as close to real-life as possible." Neptune BigView A new large screen, software-based interactive mimic, "BigView" provides benefits in quality of training, cost effec- tiveness and flexibility. Designed for use with Kongsberg Maritime's Neptune engine room and cargo handling simulator systems, BigView comprises standard hardware components including projec- tors, hardware mock-ups and four 50 in. or 60 in. screens. BigView is extremely flexible with valves, pumps and controllers operated by mouse and keyboard. Three-dimensional models and electronic documentation can also be integrated into the system. As the system is software-based, it can utilize any of Kongsberg Maritime's Neptune engine room or cargo handling simulator models, adding many more choices than conventional hardware mimic panels. Circle 24 on Reader Service Card PCCI Offers Emergency Response Training PCCI, Inc. develops and conducts emergency response training consistent with the National Response Plan (NRP) for federal, state, and local government agencies, and for industries throughout the world. We prepare any level of responder or manager to plan for complex emergencies and to better synchronize internal and external response efforts, incorporating the concept and organiza- tional structure of the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS). NIMS, devel- oped by the Secretary of Homeland Secu- rity at the direction of the President in his 2003 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5), provides a consis- tent nationwide template to enable all government, private sector, and non- governmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents. HSPD-5 requires Federal departments and agencies to make the adoption of the NIMS Incident Command System by state and local organizations a condition for Federal preparedness assistance by FY 2005. PCCI's emergency response train- ing is carefully structured to ensure com- patibility with federal, state, and local reg- ulations as well as business realities. Our instructional staff specializes in training for Emergency Management, Contin- gency Planning, Homeland Defense Prin- ciples, and Workplace Management. TRAINING & EDUCATION International Simulator Users Conference 2005 Maritime training professionals from all around the globe gathered recently at the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in Easton, Md., for the First Transas Interna- tional Simulation Users Conference. This three-day event provided a unique forum for ideas and information exchange, as well as an opportunity for the customers to influence the future development of Transas simulation products directly. The Cal- hoon MEBA Engineering school, with its conference and maritime training facili- ties, provided the location for the event. The school is home to a suite of recently installed Transas Naviga- tional and Liquid Cargo Handling Simulators, offering the latest devel- opments in maritime simulation technology. A number of signifi- cant product enhance- ments were unveiled and demonstrated during the three days of the Confer- ence, including new con- cepts for expanded mod- eling capabilities, mar- itime accident/incident analysis, new solutions for LNG terminal operator training, Distance Learning Concepts and TRANSERV. Moreover, certification of both Transas Navigational and Engine Room Simulation software systems to DNV class 'A' standards was announced by guest speaker Mr. Eric Seither of Det Norske Veritas. By providing innovative quality solutions, as well an unrivalled level of customer service, Transas maintains its' reputation as the leader in Maritime Simulator Systems industry. Circle 25 on Reader Service Card GMATS Broadens Offerings The Global Maritime and Trans- portation School (GMATS) at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is the nation's most extensive maritime and transportation professional education program, offering over 140 courses in the fields of Marine Engineering, Nau- tical Science, Transportation, Logis- tics, and Management (TLM), and Maritime Security. GMATS recently received the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administra- tion's (MarAd) and the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) approval for the fol- lowing four specialized Security Training Courses: Facility Security Officer (FSO), Vessel Security Officer (VSO), Company Security Officer (CSO), and the combined Vessel and Company Security Officer (VCSO) Courses. These security courses, as well as our other TLM courses, are offered at various times throughout the year and are aimed at training trans- portation professionals seeking to learn about leading-edge advances and practices in intermodal transportation, logistics management, and manage- ment techniques and practices. The Nautical Science courses at GMATS consist of over a dozen USCG approved courses, including Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch- keeping for Seafarers (STCW) train- ing programs. Our Marine Engineer- ing courses are directed towards, but not limited to, seagoing and shoreside engineers, including port engineers and professionals from the shipbuild- ing and offshore energy industry. Circle 26 on Reader Service Card AUGUSTMN2005 5(33-40).qxd 8/2/2005 2:34 PM Page 36 </div> <span id="lblContents"></span> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.digitalwavepublishing.com/" title="Digital Magazine">Digital Wave Publishing</a> </BODY>