PROSTEP presented its OpenPDM SHIP integration platform, designed specifically for the marine industry, at the 19th International Conference on Computer Applications in Shipbuilding(ICCAS) in Rotterdam. The solution uses standardized connectors to connect shipbuilding-specific development systems with each other, with all the leading PDM/ PLM, ERP and MES systems as well as with mechanical CAD applications, thus creating the prerequisites for end-to-end digital processes in the shipbuilding and shipping industries. The new platform, which attracted considerable interest among those attending the event, is now available.
Successful companies in the marine industry often use different best-in-class solutions to perform different tasks in the product development process. Connecting these solutions using proprietary interfaces is very time and cost-intensive and makes it difficult to replace existing applications or quickly integrate new applications. PROSTEP therefore created an extension of this integration platform, designed specifically for the marine industry, on the basis of its proven OpenPDM technology. A key component of OpenPDM SHIP are standardized connectors that simplify both the horizontal integration between different authoring systems and their vertical integration in the enterprise systems containing the product structures(PDM/PLM, ERP, MES, etc.).
“OpenPDM SHIP offers companies in the marine industry an open, standardized platform that significantly reduces the effort involved in integrating their heterogeneous system landscapes”, states Matthias Grau, head of PROSTEP’s branch office in Hamburg and OpenPDM SHIP product manager. They can use it to merge information from different data sources in a digital ship model that accompanies a vessel throughout its lifecycle from initial design through to the operating phase.
On the one hand, OpenPDM SHIP makes it possible to exchange data between specialized shipbuilding applications such as NAPA, AVEVA Marine, CADMATIC or ShipConstructor and mechanical CAD systems like CATIA or NX. The latter are often used to design complex interiors, for example public areas on cruise ships or large yachts. When transferring information from mechanical to shipbuilding-specific CAD applications and vice versa, the integration platform maps the different data models to each other. This enables companies to use the CAD tool of their choice for any task in the ship development process without the loss of valuable information during conversion and data exchange.
On the other hand, OpenPDM SHIP supports the creation of complex CAx process chains with any synchronization points from initial design in NAPA or NAPA Steel to basic and detailed design in AVEVA Marine, CADMATIC or ShipConstructor through to pre-production, for which a number of shipyards used the software NESTIX. When it comes to CAx integration, retaining topology and feature-based product descriptions where necessary across system boundaries is a challenge. The integration platform supports this option and ensures that the digital information can be used throughout all the phases of the ship development process.
OpenPDM SHIP also provides connectors to all the leading PDM/PLM and ERP systems(3D Experience, ARAS Innovator, Teamcenter, SAP, Windchill, etc.) and thus makes it possible to merge CAx data from different source systems in a digital ship model and to manage this model over the lifecycle of a vessel. The vertical integration of authoring systems in the data and process management environment is a prerequisite for ensuring the traceability of ship development processes and the consistent management of all the information generated. At the same time, the integration platform makes it possible to link the digital ship models for digital twin applications with real operating data.