The fifth FORAN Users Meeting (V FORUM) which recently took place in Oviedo from the 11th to 13th June, was a great success both from the organisational side and from the enthusiastic reception by the attendees from all parts of the world. This success was backed up by the high level of attendance of these FORAN users, reinforcing FORUM as an ideal encounter for customers and SENER to interchange opinions and experiences.
Jorge Unda, General Manager of SENER, opened the proceedings welcoming all the guests and giving a brief account of the current buoyant financial situation in the different Business Units of SENER, with particular emphasis on the excellent results of the Marine Business Unit. He was followed by SENER’s special guest speaker, Antonio Sánchez-Jáuregui, General Manager of PYMAR, who explained the role of PYMAR in small and medium Spanish shipyards.
SENER staff presented papers on topics of maximum interest, such as the current situation of FORAN and collaborative engineering and a new approach for defining general arrangement in FORAN. Papers were also given describing the new features to be introduced in the next release of FORAN and all the disciplines (structure, outfitting and electrical) were covered. The marine engineering section of SENER was not forgotten and the recent designs developed using FORAN were described. Finally the strategic development plan that SENER has for FORAN, both in the short and long term, was explained.
FORAN users from some of the most important companies in the worldwide shipbuilding area presented the following papers: Implementation of FORAN in a Multi Site Environment (BAE Systems), Production Simulation Applied to Military Shipbuilding (Brazilian Navy), Construction and Outfitting of Aluminum Ships at Fjellstrand (Fjellstrand), Aker Yards Working with Citrix Solution (Aker Yards Soviknes), FORAN for Naval Architecture Education Experience of UFRJ (COPPE/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro), Production Management based on the FORAN Model (Seatech Consulting) and Uses of a Ship in Service Database (Bureau Veritas). To complete a wide and varied range of subjects the company Think3, (their drafting technology is incorporated into FORAN), presented a paper describing their global shape modelling capabilities as applied to shipbuilding.
During the act, the audience participated in the vote for the First FORAN Photo and Screen Shot Awards and the fortunate winners were Daniel Ordóñez from Juliana Shipyard in the photo category and Daniela Ivanov from Aker Brevik in the screen shot category. During the FORUM gala dinner the winners were announced and the awards and diplomas presented.
Luis García, General Manager of the Marine Strategic Business Unit of SENER, closed the V FORUM thanking the audience for its participation and collaboration. The attendees enthusiastically expressed how important it had been for them to be able to strengthen relationships, not only with SENER but with other users, to be able to take an active part in the decision of the future FORAN developments and to be updated about the latest advantages and all this in a pleasant environment and atmosphere such as that provided by FORUM.