Formation Software Finds Place in Chinese Market

Fremantle, WA, Australia – January 11th, 2001; Following on from sales success in Japan and other export markets, Fremantle based software developer Formation Design Systems is finding new demand for its products in China.

Over the past ten years, Formation Design Systems has established a leading position in the worldwide market for the complex software systems which are used to design all kinds of ships, boats and fast ferries. Formation’s software is used to model 3D hull structure, produce accurate parts for numerically controlled cutting and simulate the performance of vessels in different sea conditions.

Formation has now opened up a significant new export market, with the appointment of a new distributor in China and the sale of software systems to a number of leading Chinese ship design and construction organisations.

At the Marine Design And Research Institute of China (MARIC) in Shanghai, naval architects are now using Formation’s Maxsurf suite of software to design vessels ranging from rescue and excursion boats through to general purpose cargo and container ships. MARIC is the largest ship and offshore structure research organisation in China and has over 1200 technical staff. The Maxsurf software finds a place in MARIC’s Computer Aided Design (CAD) section and is also used to produce models for testing in the group’s hydrodynamic test lab.

In the coastal city of Shangdong, Maxsurf forms an important part of an ambitious transformation of the local shipyard by Singapore businessman Brian Chang. Mr Chang has completely refurbished and modernised the Yantai Raffles yard and its adjoining design facilities. The design office now features six state of the art workstations running a complete suite of Formation’s design, analysis and construction software. The effect of these new processes and technology on the yard’s output has been dramatic, with the previous “low-tech” barge production being superseded by new trawlers, patrol boats and ferries. Plans are already on the drawing board for new high quality cruise vessels. Mr Chang comments “Maxsurf has proven to be an ideal part of our modernisation plan for our yard. Its flexibility, ease of use and ability to create complex hull shapes, has made it an indispensable tool for our design team”.

Inland on the Yangtse River at Wuhan, “Wuhan 701” is one of the largest ship design bureaus in China with over 200 naval architects specialising in high-speed vessel design for domestic and international customers. They are the most recent adopters of Formation’s CAD technology in China. The advanced 3D surface modelling functions and simulation capabilities of the software have significantly upgraded the technical infrastructure of the “Wuhan 701” design team. As well as providing critical software technology, Formation is also providing advanced training services. In one recent programme, members of the Formation technical development team travelled to China to upgrade the CAD skills of 30 of the “Wuhan 701” ship designers.

Formation Design Systems’ experiences in China prompts Managing Director, Mr Philip Christensen to observe, “the potential of the Chinese market is well known, however translating that potential into sales revenue is often problematic. These recent sales successes and the appointment of our own representative in China, show that with a patient, long term approach, and a technically advanced product, significant sales success in China is possible”.

Formation’s shipbuilding software will now be represented in China by Wuhan Propwave High-Speed Marine Engineering Ltd. Principal Jason Ma has extensive experience in marine design and construction in China and Singapore. The Propwave offices in Singapore and Wuhan, China provide a range of marine consulting services as well as marine software sales and support.

Formation Design Systems develops computer aided design software systems for naval architects, shipbuilders, engineers and designers. It has over 2000 customers in over 20 countries and supplies software to designers, consultants, builders, educational institutions and defense organizations. Formation customers include the largest shipbuilders and construction companies in Japan, universities such as Stanford, Harvard and MIT, the US and Australian Navies as well as Austal Ships and Incat Designs, two world leaders in fast ferry design and construction.