Thomas Gosch from FSG explains why the German shipyard employs its own software specialists and how far they have come in 3D development and the transfer of models
Mr. Gosch, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) is well reputed for good research and development. What is your internal[ds_preview] structure and how do you prepare in this area?
Thomas Gosch: We employ 25 people in research and development, ten of them are pure researchers. The others are primarily engineers, but in addition to the construction work they spend the other half of their time in research. Thus, we ensure research results are actually included in production and we do not build ivory towers that afterwards no one can use.
Which role does the simulation software play you obviously design on your own in Flensburg?
Gosch: A major role. Especially in areas such as hydrodynamics, ship safety, loading and unloading simulation it is worthwhile for us to have our own software specialists, because we can take the right steps from the very beginning to build the ship requested by our customers. Furthermore, we combine our own processes using appropriate software in a way that we can save time and resources. This does not only have a positive influence on quality but also reduces our price, which is certainly crucial to our success, as seen in recent orders.
Will you continue to adhere to in-house software development despite many software offers?
Gosch: Yes, because many of our research and development issues are very specific and there is simply no simulation software available at all. We are also usually developing our programmes within the context of funded research projects, a fact that reduces economic risks, but has also brought us a good network of partners. They always introduce new knowledge.
At recent COMPIT there was a lot of talk about 3D models. Is this an option for FSG, too?
Gosch: Absolutely, 3D is just one of our main subjects. It is becoming increasingly relevant in the very early design phase. If you start work in 3D mode from the beginning, you save interfaces and may consistently use all things compiled constructively at the beginning of development in detailed design later. Therefore, we are involved in several funded research projects to help us advance on our way in exploring 3D. We have already come very far, but are still missing some steps.
Then you probably also deal with the transfer of 3D models?
Gosch: We are closely committed to this, yes. We have already succeeded in connecting delivery documents, for example manuals of pumps, with our 3D model.
What other development issues are currently relevant for you?
Gosch: Energy management is such an issue, primarily the simulation of engine plants. We are very committed to the field of hydrodynamics and to constructions, tensile strength and structural mechanics. However, we still have some potential in the design of engine plants.
In order to make progress here, a large EU project is starting this month which will run for four years, and for which we are responsible. We thereby hope to attain a simulation module frame for engine plants in the end, so we may operate a vessel from a machine building point of view and compare different variants before the ship is actually there.
All this probably deals with the ship as a whole, since machines should have been sufficiently tested by the manufacturers already, shouldn’t they?
Gosch: Of course. As a shipyard, we are a system integrator. To say it from an easygoing perspective, we screw all components together. Jointing of parts such as pumps, motors or coolers is something we would love to simulate preliminarily.
Doing this the virtual way would help us realize where we may optimize things or save energy.
Nikos Späth
