Classification society ABS has signed two new agreements with Korean shipyards Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries, which will see ABS work with the respective yards on applying new digital technologies in the design, construction and post-delivery maintenance of new vessels.
The agreement with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) will see the partners undertake a joint development project (JDP) encompassing 3D digital disclosure, data exchange, and the use of analytics to support the construction process and pilot new approaches to vessel surveys.
The JDP is specifically focused on three areas: Piloting a 3D Model Based Plan review; developing a utility to import data from the SHI CAD system into ABS’ Engineering Software; and piloting the use of artificial intelligence to supplement traditional non-destructive testing in the shipbuilding process.
“We have been leading digital innovation from design to production in order to adapt to the fourth industrial revolution and to ensure continued competitiveness,” said Jong H Youn, Vice President of SHI.
“We expect this JDP with ABS will be a great opportunity to advance innovative certification and inspection.”
ABS’ other deal, with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), also incorporates Hyundai Global Service (HGS) and aims to create a new Digitalisation and Decarbonisation (D&D) ecosystem, bringing together class, shipyard and ship service company.
The new framework would enable HHI, HGS and ABS to support alternative means of compliance with new remote survey capabilities in the future, using the recently commissioned ABS Remote Decision Support Centre and supported by HHI and HGS’ technology and services.
The deal also extends to identification of new technologies, designs, fuels, and simulation techniques for mutual clients, with the ultimate goal of establishing a lifecycle partnership from the design of the vessel through to the steel cutting and to post-delivery of assets.
“ABS is a leader in data and digital and at the forefront of assisting the maritime industry to meet the IMO’s decarbonisation objectives. We are proud to work with HHI and HGS. Together we offer an unrivalled strength in depth to go beyond today’s shipbuilding state-of-the-art,” said Christopher Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO.
“In parallel, we will examine the myriad of possible technologies to be able to bring forward the most technically mature, economically viable, and compliant concepts to ship owners.”
The framework agreement also points to the development of new cyber security standards, and calls on communications companies to pursue a data infrastructure standard to support data exchange, integration, and analysis for classification and non-class purposes.
This new framework will be applied to ABS-classed vessels being designed and constructed by HHI and sold with HGS lifecycle services, the companies said.
In related news, SHI also reports that it has received a new Approval In Principle (AIP) from Bureau Veritas for its SVESSEL smart ship system. SVESSEL construction includes the creation of a comprehensive Digital Twin of a ship and its applications, reconstructed from building specifications, design drawings and test reports. The system also incorporates a remote operations system for semi-autonomous functions, connected to an onshore control centre.
