Benefits

a. Design phase

An accurate representation of all components of the propulsion train, including engines, gearboxes, bearings and propellers, is created using details about each element. Because of the easy drag and drop function of ShaftDesigner, all the propulsion train components are relatively fast to place, to speed up shaft line modelling. From an engineering point of view ShaftDesigner provides a useful tool to explore offsets to optimize the position of all propulsion train components based on acceptance criteria set by the user. This is done in order to, at an early stage, guarantee a good bearing load distribution and thus safe operation of the shaft line. Because ShaftDesigner can identify this issue in the ship's design phase, possible time-consuming and costly (re-)alignment problems can be avoided. Also, at this early stage, with the various vibration modules, it is possible to calculate if a certain lay-out has the potential to create harmful vibrations and estimate possible alterations which could be necessary.

b. Construction phase

If the propulsion train was not modelled with ShaftDesigner in the design phase of the ship's construction, ship builders can reap significant benefits from modelling it before the alignment of the shaft takes place. Where designers can benefit from the fast modelling capabilities of the drag and drop function, ship builders profit from the fact that exact measurements can be easily entered into the ShaftDesigner software, automatically updating the model every time a new entry is made. ShaftDesigner provides the data for various shaft alignment techniques including jack-load and laser alignment which can be used at various stages of the shaft line's installation. An accurate representation of all components of the propulsion train, including engines, gearboxes, bearings and propellers, is created using details about each element.

c. Maintenance and repair phase

For maintenance and repair purposes creating a model of the shaft line in ShaftDesigner is a good way to start the job. By subsequently calculating the alignment and possible vibrations of the shaft, it is possible to detect issues at an early stage that could be influencing the state of the shaft line's components. Stress points of bearings can for instance be recognized and thus can be checked for wear on board, avoiding costly ship down time in case of failure. Also, using ShaftDesigner it is very easy to verify shaft alignment as condition monitoring after a ship is grounded or after another incident, and evaluate acceptability of alignment changes.