MAKING 3D MODEL-BASED APPROVAL A REALITY

Abstract

In recent years, various classification societies and shipbuilders have conducted R&D activities on the use of 3D models created during the design phase for approval (so-called 3D Model-Based Approval, hereafter “3DMBA”). 3DMBA is an attractive concept that could bring digital transformation to the ship design process, but it also poses significant practical challenges. In particular, there is an issue with the division of design work and information in structural design, which requires the use of different software applications for different tasks such as 3D modeling, rule calculation, direct strength calculation, and 2D drawing. This causes a situation whereby each time a design change happens, it becomes necessary to modify the data in each software application, resulting in frequent duplication of work. This is also an error-prone process, because of possible discrepancies between various types of information in each application. The introduction of 3DMBA under such circumstances would further increase the workload of shipyards, as they would have to repeat this duplication of work on each software application to complete a precise 3D model. The authors have been conducting a project to realize an efficient 3DMBA process, and they concluded at ICCAS2019 that the key to achieving 3DMBA is to integrate the engineering process for rule and direct strength calculations into 3D CAD, and to implement viewer functions for efficient plan approval to enable shipyards to easily create 3D approval models. This paper presents the latest achievements and future prospects of the project.