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Defense Authorization Bill To Strengthen U.S. Industry Based on the language of the FY 1994 Defense Authorization Confer- ence Report, the reality of a stronger U.S. shipbuilding base took another step forward. Established by the bill, under SEC. 1352, is the Na- tional Shipbuilding Initiative, which is "to be carried out to support the industrial base for national security objectives by assisting in the rees- tablishment of the United States shipbuilding industry as a self-suf- ficient, internationally competitive industry." Laid out in this initiative are financial incentive programs to provide loan guarantees to initiate commercial ship construction for do- mestic and export sale and to en- courage shipyard modernization. For additional details on the U.S. market, including a five-year newbuilding projection as well as the latest legislative news, turn to page 30. WE S K 100 SHIPS ST YEAR. And we may have saved hundreds of lives doing it. The ships we sank were designs tested with our PC computer-based programs that simulate the real-life experience of ships at sea. For instance, our new ABS SafeHull® System helps optimize the distribution of steel in a ship's structure by indicating where the steel is needed most to resist stresses. By doing so, ABS SafeHull greatly improves ship safety. Another ABS SafeHull feature is its revolutionary fatigue-assessment capability. This can reduce the instances of fatigue-related problems, including the effects of corro- sion, yielding and buckling. FOUNDED 062 i AMERICAN BUREAU OF SHIPPING & AFFILIATED COMPANIES HIGH TECH FOR THE HIGH SEAS NEW YORK 212 839-5000 HOUSTON 713 873-0700 SINGAPORE 65 353-5713 LONDON 44-71 247-3255 With SafeHull and other computer programs, ABS brings high tech to the high seas. Located in over 155 ports around the world, we survey ships in service or under con- struction. Our surveyors and engineers are thorough, experi- enced, and technologically advanced. And our standards are unmatched. Design and specification analysis. Rules development. Classification and certification. A host of advisory services. Whatever your marine or off- shore demands, look to us for immediate response and cost- efficient service. For more information about our services, contact your nearest ABS office. Circle 216 on Reader Service Card NSRP Syposium Tackles Technical Topics The National Shipbuilding Re- search Program's (NSRP) recent Ship Production Symposium, held in early November in Williamsburg, Va., featured the presentation of 25 papers examining a variety of topics of interest to a wide sector of the shipbuilding community. Sponsored by the Hampton Roads Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), the three-day technical symposium ad- dressed everything from integrated ship design, to Naval ship affordability through modularity, to a comparative study of computer aided manufacturing in small ship- yards. Jonathan M. Ross of Ross- McNatt Architects gave his presen- tation on "Integrated Ship Design and Its Role in Enhancing Ship Pro- duction." The presentation was a comprehensive look at the abilities of eight integrated ship design pro- grams, including: HULLTECH, AutoSHIP System, FORAN, HICADEC, IMSA, TRIBON, NAPA and NAVSEA CAD-2. Mr. Ross concluded that trendy in the field include further integration through product models, enhanced commu- nication with third-party programs, increased user friendly interfaces and extension of program capabili- ties into early stages of design and into production. The conclusion of a study of com- puter aided manufacturing in small shipyards in the U.S. and the U.K. was that these yards face a difficult task in effectively employing com- puters, based mainly on a shortage of capital for computer hardware and software (for more details, see related story page 59). Aside from the conference, fes- tivities included a keynote luncheon address by U.S. Coast Guard Com- mandant Adm. J. William Kime, who also presented the Kennedy Award, the Elmer L. Hann Award, and the Technical and Research Award. American Pacific, Unitor In Distribution Discussions At press time, rumors regarding a partnership in which Unitor AS of Norway would distribute American Pacific's Halotron fire suppression products in Unitor's markets, were just that: rumors. The fact is, the two companies are currently dis- cussing such an arrangement, ac- cording to American Pacific Corp. (Las Vegas), and American Pacific is optimistic that the current discus- sions will be successfully concluded soon. For more information on the products and services of American Pacific, Circle 120 on Reader Service Card For more information on Unitor, Circle 121 on Reader Service Card 6 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
