Shipbuilding and offshore construction

The leading nesting and programming software for cutting sheet metal in shipyards

Alma has been doing business in the shipbuilding sector for nearly 40 years. Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire actively contributed to the initial development of our nesting and programming software, which they used in the early eighties to build the “Sovereign of the Seas” liner. Since then, we have built up unparalleled expertise in this sector. Thanks to our ability to adapt to the specific needs of a project and deliver an integrated automated solution, we have equipped several dozen shipyards and offshore platform construction sites, right around the world.

The main benefits of the Alma shipbuilding and offshore construction solution

A comprehensive business-oriented solution for programming plasma cutting and oxy-cutting machines.

Integration of all the functions specific to shipbuilding: management of beveled cutting, symmetrical “double-sheet” cutting, management of the different marking and sanding processes, marking of alphanumeric texts, etc.

Powerful built-in optimization tools (nesting, tool path computation).

An ultra-high performance automatic nesting module (flexible, fast, efficient), without its equal on the market.

Complete management of off-cuts and sheets already cut.

An open customizable system (data import/export, shop floor documents, etc.) capable of functioning automatically.

Integration into CAD systems, particularly solutions dedicated to shipbuilding (Tribon, Aveva, 3D Experience Catia, Intergraph Smart Marine, Cadmatics) to retrieve geometry files and prepare parts so they can be machined.

Integration into ERP to manage the parts to produce, complete sheets and sheets already cut, to automatically create start-up orders according to machine characteristics, and to supply management information about cutting operations.

Organization of the software based on that of the shop floor (working block by block, management of identical vessels, naming of CNC files, etc.).

A secure data management system enabling total traceability (e.g. to find the parts produced in a batch of sheets, identify the nesting layouts where the parts for a block are located, etc.

A pre-nesting option to optimize orders of materials according to the nesting results.

A software range making it possible to integrate other cutting or assembling processes (cutting of sections, robotic welding, etc.)

Capability to adapt to the specific needs of a shipyard to provide them with an automated integrated solution, e.g. For management of panel line machines.

The leading CAM solution for a multi-site shipyard, thanks to our local presence, combined with technical back-up and high level expertise.

Among our esteemed clients

Customer success stories

Frank Rauchenecker

MV Werften (Volkswerft Stralsund)

“Thanks to Alma’s in-depth knowledge of the specificities of shipyards, the software immediately met our our main requirements and suited our methodology, for example working in blocks, integration into our production management system, not forgetting the highly efficient nesting and optimization of tool trajectories.”