SHIPWEIGHT

When designing and building a vessel, weight and center of gravity are key parameters for successful performance. Speed, strength, deadweight, stability and seakeeping are all parameters crucially dependent on the weight and center of gravity. To ensure and maintain these parameters a reliable estimation of weight and center of gravity followed by an organized tracking and monitoring activity is essential

ShipWeight is the most powerful application for weight control and can be utilized from early conceptual design and all the way throughout construction until the vessel is ready for delivery. The stored data will be available through the whole lifecycle of the vessel

ShipWeight is a weight engineering software tool useful for weight estimation as well as weight monitoring and tracking. ShipWeight can be used from the early conceptual design work, based upon parametric regression of historical data, and all the way through production until the vessel is launched. In addition to weight estimation and weight monitoring, ShipWeight features weight distribution curves, calculation of gyration values, center of gravity sanity checks, uncertainly calculation and more.

The weight reports and reporting systems are very powerful and may be tailored to meet each customer's desire, both on layout and graphics as well as the data to be presented. ShipWeight can be set up in a multi-user environment with permission control and login, running on an SQL database. It is also highly adaptable to any organization with regards to work breakdown structures, and customized import and export information betwwen ShipWeight and other software tools within the user organization. .

ShipWeight Concept
The ShipWeight concept is based upon the realization that in an early stage of the design process, weight and center of gravity must be estimated on the basis of past ship data.This requires a tool which to the greatest extent can structure and make reuse of weight data as easy as possible. Using breakdown structures, ShipWeight divides the ship into weight groups containing information on weight, center of gravity and other relevant information.A specific formula for weight estimation is attached to each weight group.

ShipWeight Estimation
Estimation of weight and center of gravity is done according to the breakdown structure. In every weight group and estimation method of the form Weight = coefficient * parameters is attached. To obtain the right coefficient for an estimation method the coefficients from relevant ships are plotted in a graph. By setting parameter criteria only relevant coefficients are plotted in the graph. A regression line is inserted according to a plot parameter to help the user select the right coefficient. When a coefficient is selected, the weight is estimated.

ShipWeight Monitoring
Monitoring means first and foremost to fill in weight and weight relevant information into the weight groups of ShipWeight. The user can use the work breakdown structure in any extent he wants and, of course, fill any number of items into the weight group. As well as entering weights for each weight group is important to enter specific parameters for that weight group to obtain the estimation coefficient for use in later estimation.

ShipWeight Report
Combined with Crystal Reports, ShipWeight gives you the opportunity to design, explore, visualize, and deliver reports via the web or embedded in enterprise applications. It enables users to create reports with stunning visualizations, conduct on-report business modeling, and execute decisions instantly from the report itself.

ShipWeight Features
Some of the ShipWeight features besides general weight/CoG estimation and monitoring are: Weight distribution curve: Distribution data can be exported to file formats for import to other design systems (NAPA, GHS, AutoShip). Gyradius key values: Value for roll, pitch and yaw as well as combined motion values. Comparing projects: Any project can be compared on a weight group level. This is valuable when analysing the deviation between estimate and monitoring projects. Uncertainly and successive calculation: Taking uncertainly into account when estimating. Equipment database: ShipWeight is shipped with an equipment database which the user can edit to obtain a relevant equipment database for putting equipment weights into an estimation project.

ShipWeight Benefits
In a low-margin market, reduces margins must be met with higher confidence in preliminary weight estimation and better weight control during construction of the vessel. Yet, many ship designers and ship builders does not appreciate this point and use old methods and tools, treating weight and center of gravity in a random and unstructured way. ShipWeight may help getting this important activity organized and under control. Company Benefits Exploit/use historical data Timesaving Weight control; a competitive factor Accuracy of margins ISO certifications A way of systematically storing data Project leader Benefits Consistent results Early and easy recognitions of trends Competence on the uncertainly User/weight engineer Benefits Combine the structure of a database with the calculation power of a spreadsheet Systematic approach through work breakdown structure (SWBS) makes structuring and reuse of weight data easy as possible Same system for weight estimation and weight tracking The user is always in control