Statistical Method for Shrinkage Compensation

General characteristics of the statistical shrinkage compensation method have been described above.

When compensated according to this method the shrinkage directions and the pitches between traces are evaluated on panel level. Depending on plate thickness and pitches scaling factors will be evaluated and applied in directions perpendicular to and along the shrinkage direction. These factors may vary with the plate thickness but the direction and the pitch are common to all plate parts of a panel. Once the pitch has been evaluated the scaling factors will be applied independently of the distribution of welding traces.

The stiffeners will be scaled using an average longitudinal scaling factor based on the factors for the different plates.

All of the shrinkage direction, the pitches and the amount of shrinkage can be controlled by the user on panel level, independently of each other, completely or partially overriding the automatic evaluation.

Even if the local shrinkage method otherwise is used, manual control of any of the shrinkage parameters will automatically cause a switch to the statistical method.