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CAD/CAM SOFTWARE The fact that it works on AutoCAD is huge, adds Car- nevale. “People swap AutoCAD drawings all the time.” The issue for shipyards, according to one user who asked to not be identifi ed, is whether they want an application that is a one-stop shop – which is what Sener is pitching - and whether they are willing to pay big for it. Meanwhile, Sener is well aware of SSI’s market share, but thinks it has an alternative to offer. “ShipConstructor is a good solution and has some ad- vantages; it’s very well known,” conceded Alonso, but, she added, it is “not so complete or so advanced” as FO- RAN. “We have been in the market for many, many years, enough to give added value for shipyards to change. We offer a solution that is complete – 3D, single layer; you won’t see inconsistencies in production.” SSI CEO Darren Larkins takes issue with the idea that FORAN is ‘more complete.’ “It’s true FORAN has an ini- tial design capability(naval architecture, analysis) that we do not offer, but we read initial design data from any of these programs.” On the engineering side (basic/detail/ production design) “we offer broad options driven by cli- ent demand.” Not only does ShipConstructor stack up to or best the competition when comparing apples to apples, says Larkins, but the company’s commitment to integrat- ing with third-party vendors enables clients to be able to choose the vendor who best suits their needs. Back to the Future FORAN, the granddaddy of naval architecture applica- tions on the eve of its 50th anniversary, has prior history in the North America. According to the naval architect, FORAN was used “a teeny bit” in the 1990s, at compa- nies like the Philadelphia and the then Alabama shipyards and Canadian Shipbuilding & Engineering Ltd. As those contracts predate her tenure at Sener, Alonso said she can’t speak to why those relationships lapsed, other than to note that over time, most shipbuilding has migrated to Asia. However, the company is determined to give North America another go. “We think we have something differ- ent to offer clients.” Hence Sener took some initial steps late last year, forming a North American subsidiary (required to compete for naval contracts) and signing two contracts: Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (Eastern) signed a licensing agreement with Sener that covers implementation of the complete FORAN System comprising: Forms Generation, General Arrangement & Naval Architecture, Hull Structure, Machinery & Outfi tting, Electrical Design and Advanced Design &Drafting. Eastern, which also licenses ShipConstruc- tor, picked up FORAN as part of its efforts to expand its ship design offi ce at its shipyards in Panama City, FLA. The initial project in FORAN involves the fi rst of two 340-foot multi- purpose supply vessels, with an initial focus on improving the quality of the design (see photo). “They created a new design with new people, new software and a new strategy from zero, and they have had success,” said Alonso. STX Canada Marine (STXM), naval architecture and marine engineering consultants, signed a contract to licence FORAN’s Hull Forms, General Arrangement & Naval Archi- tecture, Hull Structure, Machinery & Outfi tting and Drafting and Drawing modules. Specializing in offshore supply and pa- trol vessels, the company has four offi ces in North America. FO- RAN was selected as part of an “ongoing modernization process” at STXM, because it “enables STXM to cover the total process of the ship design in 3D, which is fundamental to improve the productivity and quality.” The company has since been bought out by VARD, and could not be reached for comment. SSI, however, was quick to say that STX acquired FO- RAN for initial or basic design, and “not to replace the de- tail design work that is being done . . . with ShipConstruc- tor. CEO Larkins added, “Eastern, a client since 2005, is still using ShipConstructor . . . to deliver the majority of their workloads,” which include the fi fth in the Bravante PSV series, the fourth of six in the HOSMAX 310 series, an order for 4 Z-Tech tugs and an inland towboat, he add- FORAN is a multidisciplinary and fully integrated system that can be used in all design and production phases, in all disciplines. All the information is stored in a single database. www.marinelink.com MN 25 MN Oct14 Layout 18-31.indd 25 9/18/2014 3:29:08 PM
