Integration between Shipbuilding CAD Systems and a Generic PLM Tool in Naval Projects

In recent years, naval shipyards have increased their demand for the integration of CAD (computer aided design) applications with PLM (product lifecycle management) systems. This demand is usually addressed with file-oriented CAD systems, consisting of controlling the CAD model and assembly files in the PLM system, where those specific model relationships are reproduced and managed. However, integrating database-controlled CAD systems with PLM ones pose an additional challenge, as there may exist some overlapping between the functionalities of both systems. In this paper, it is shown how naval shipyards are implementing PLM systems as a global solution to the management of information through the life cycle of naval vessels, with the objectives of increasing productivity, reducing vessel design and production times, saving costs and improving the quality of the whole process. As result of this paper, an advanced architecture for CAD-PLM integration in a naval shipbuilding environment is presented. The architecture of the solution contemplates a bi-directional flow of information between both systems, in such a way that the most relevant vessel items can be defined in CAD or in PLM depending on the design stage and on the maturity of the available information. Also, the paper describes in detail how the solution meets the demanding requirements of military shipyards for CAD-PLM integration, and the benefits and advantages of this approach, which is based in FORAN system as the CAD tool.