Windows lead the way forward

Desktop PCs are now so powerful that software which was once the preserve of dedicated workstations can now be run on general purpose hardware.

Windows NT is fast becoming the platform of choice in the CAD/CAM/CIM world, especially with smaller companies. This is being driven by the tighter lead times demanded by the ever more competitive shipbuilding environment. By using commercially available PC systems, the costs of hardware can be reduced by as much as a third. And the Windows 95 or Windows NT operating systems are now so widely used that savings on staff training can be a significant factor when deciding on a new network or updating an existing system.

Of the two major CAD/CAM/CIM software suites currently available to the shipbuilding industry Foran V40, from Spanish consulting and engineering house Sener, is now available on Windows NT as well as the usual UNIX and OpenVMS platforms. The move to Windows NT allows the software to be run on ordinary PCs as well as on engineering workstations. The performance of the program on PCs matches that obtained with UNIX and OpenVMS platforms says Sener.

The other major player, Kockums Computer Systems (KCS) with its well known Tribon system, has gone some way to placing its CAD/CAM/CIM suite on the Windows NT platform. Indeed, its Initial Structural Design and the Initial Design module, which provides rapid design definitions for naval architectural analysis at the front end of the complete Tribon 4 system, is totally Windows NT and Windows 95 compatible. By next year the whole Tribon system is expected to be available in a Windows version.