Keel-Checker success
The maritime industry is benefitting from new small craft engineering software, developed by a senior lecturer from the Maritime and Technology Faculty at Southampton Solent University.
Keel-Checker is a software programme which helps yacht designers to become familiar with the new industry standard ISO/FDIS-12215-9 developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
Robin Loscombe, has been part of the ISO working group developing the new small craft scantling standard, of which there are ten parts, since 2001.
Keel-Checker is a compiled excel program in which users enter the data for their boat and can then make comparisons of the keel structure against the requirements of the Final Draft version of the standard.
Launched via the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) website, the free software has been downloaded by more than 150 designers and engineers from around the world.
Robin says: "It was made freely available as part of Solent's strategic plan to extend its educational and training mission beyond the confines of the undergraduate programme. It encourages valuable links with industry, which helps prepare students for the real world of work and ensure its academic staff are at the leading edge of developments in their subject areas."
The Keel-Checker was set as a case study for students studying BEng Yacht & Powercraft Design within their Marine Craft Structures (theory) unit in 2010-2011. Students benefitted from 'real-world' interaction using the latest procedures.
ICOMIA secretary general,Tony Rice, said: “This initiative by ICOMIA and Southampton Solent University has been shown to be of significant value to the industry and we shall be completing other similar projects in the near future.”
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