PLM to get to grips with shipbuilding

An IBM Product Lifecycle Management Solutions product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Apr 14, 2004

Meyer Werft Shipyard has signed a multi-million-dollar contract for product lifecycle management solutions and related services.

Meyer Werft Shipyard has signed a multi-million-dollar contract for product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions and related services.

Pilot tests carried out at the shipyard showed that the integrated IBM PLM solution developed by Dassault Systemes, including Catia V5 for collaborative virtual product development and Enovia V5 for product data and lifecycle management, has the potential to reduce design time by 30%, production time by 20%, parts inventory by 50%, and to optimise supply chain operations.

The PLM solution will enable the company to develop its ships and track all design dependencies in a 3D virtual environment.

A large cruise ship is composed of as many as three million components.

Catia V5's powerful digital mock-up and analysis functions will permit Meyer Werft to produce virtual prototypes and therefore bypass costly, traditional scale models that were formally used to verify the fit of complex assemblies.

IBM PLM Business Consulting Services (BCS) will be responsible for implementation of the PLM solution, including the technical co-ordination and training.

The IBM Shipbuilding Centre of Competency, based in Hamburg, Germany and the Shipbuilding Competency Teams from Dassault Systemes in France and the USA will support the project.

Meyer Werft Shipyard, family-owned for six generations, cited a highly competitive market and large demand fluctuations as the main reasons for the investment that will drive design and production efficiencies and boost its ability to innovate.

"In addition to the performance superiority of the solutions, we based our investment decision on the excellent relationship we have had with IBM and Dassault Systemes since 1989.

Their long-term engagement in our shipbuilding programmes and the reliability of their solutions is a significant plus", said Joerg Ackermann, Manager IT and Organisation, Meyer Werft.

"We are sure to acquire a strategic competitive advantage and extend our market position through our decision to implement the shipbuilding solution from IBM and Dassault Systemes".

Meyer Werft will use its PLM platform to develop and build cruise liners and ferries.

The platform will link all of the company's product, process and resource data, as well as its development teams, in a collaborative 3D development environment.

Co-operating closely with IBM and Dassault Systemes, Meyer Werft expects full implementation to be completed by the end of 2006.

"Shipbuilding is a highly complex industry, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of the market that is heavily influenced by unpredictable world events", said Klaus Schaefer, Vice President, PLM, IBM Europe Middle East and Africa.

"Our industry-specific solutions support shipyards, such as Meyer Werft, with applications and methodologies that enable them to analyse business implications of product development, delivery and support and also streamline their design and production functions to face demand fluctuation".

"Through our close working relationship with the world's leading shipbuilders, Dassault Systemes has developed a cutting-edge V5 shipbuilding solution that combines our existing V5 middleware and generic applications with industry-specific shipbuilding modules and best practices", said Francis Bernard, Executive Committee Advisor, Dassault Systemes.

"The Solution gives shipbuilding manufacturers the proven methods and processes, as well as next-generation tools, to speed development, enhance innovation, and cut costs".