![New PrimeShip-HULL system released by ClassNK](https://iims-media-library.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/12153103/class-nk.jpg)
PrimeShip-HULL (HCSR) has long been the go-to design support system for ship designers worldwide. To date, over 800 licenses have been provided to more than 90 shipyards. In response to the latest amendments to the IACS Common Structural Rules for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers (CSR BC & OT), ClassNK has just released its latest version, PrimeShip-HULL (HCSR) Ver. 3.0.0.
Adopted in 2013, the CSR BC & OT were designed to enhance safety and reliability. Although they represent a major step forward for ship safety, they also present a number of new challenges for shipyards and designers due largely to the increase in overall vessel design time. To alleviate the burden of these new rules on ship designers and cut down the required man hours, ClassNK released PrimeShip-HULL(HCSR), a multi-functional vessel design support tool that makes it easy for designers to carry out rule calculations and optimize their designs.
The new version builds on the success of ClassNK’s existing system with some nice tweaks and capabilities. As always with PrimeShip-HULL (HCSR) upgrades, ver. 3.0.0. is up to speed on all the latest rules and is fully compliant with the February 2016 corrections (Corrigenda 1) made to CSR BC & OT.
The prescriptive calculation software includes enhanced data linkage with popular commercial CAD systems, which further streamlines the design process. In particular, data linkage with the widely used 3D ship design system NAPA Steel has been updated to include all structural members in the fore and the aft of bulk carriers and oil tankers. This makes it possible to exchange an entire ship model from NAPA Steel so that ship designers will be able to benefit from even further reduced modelling time.
Its familiar interface ensures a smooth user experience while designers can expect more streamlined direct strength analyses thanks to the improved fine-mesh FE model creation function and a new entire ship batch analysis function for the direct strength assessment software. Input errors are minimized as whole ship FE models are automatically split into hold models, and then analyzed and evaluated in line with CSR BC & OT.
This free, easy-to-use tool supports the design of safer ships compliant with CSR BC & OT and is available completely free of charge to all ClassNK clients.