Creating the Industry-Wide Virtual Pipe Shop with STEP Software

Availability of a robust computer product model is critical to support the 50 year life cycle of Naval vessels. Shipyards need CAD independent computer aided manufacturing solutions so they can use “best of breed” CAD and CAM solutions and efficiently subcontract work between shipyards. This project will develop an ISO STEP AP227 product model translator for the widely used ShipConstructor™ CAD system. ShipConstructor™ is used on the Navy LCS program and the Coast Guard deep-water program. A STEP AP227 based pipe shop simulation, estimating, and control system will also be developed and demonstrated, using STEP AP227 to perform group coding, manufacturing simulation, job time and cost estimating, and numerical control data generation for pipe shops. One of the root causes for the lack of commercially available STEP piping software is the difficulty of creating software that can handle the STEP piping data format. A C++ toolkit for developing AP227 translators will be made freely available (open source) to the industry as part of this project.