Baltic Yachts – designs world-class luxury yachts in IRONCAD

About Baltic Yachts

Baltic Yachts designs and builds sailboats in Jakobstad, Finland. The company was founded in 1973 and initially built smaller, standard-sized sailboats. Today, the company focuses on luxury vessels such as the 197-foot Baltic Hetairos, which, at the time of its launch in 2011, was the world’s largest composite yacht. Baltic Yachts is a pioneer in carbon fiber and other new construction materials, and its boats are not only luxurious but also extremely fast and functional, having earned numerous awards and competition victories.

The Challenge

A complete boat in 3D is a massive assembly consisting of countless components, both imported and custom-designed. Every space on board must be utilized optimally, multiple designers must collaborate, and the models must be able to be modified quickly—even in ways no one could have foreseen when the project began.

The designers had been working with an older CAD solution for many years, but realized that the designs had become too complex to create, visualize, and evaluate using that software. The company needed a better solution for complex details and for managing projects efficiently.

Why IRONCAD

Following a tip from a colleague who had seen IRONCAD at a technical trade show, Baltic Yachts tested, compared, and evaluated various 3D CAD systems. The conclusion was that IRONCAD unquestionably outperformed the competition: the software met the high standards for functionality, flexibility, and the ability to quickly address customer customizations, even those not included in the initial design. Solidmakarna support was selected as the supplier, along with training.

This Is How Baltic Yachts Operates Today

The design process encompasses mechanics, bulkheads, decks, engine installation, piping, and interior design. Much of the work is done using carbon fiber, and every boat is unique.

• Everything from large diesel engines to small components is imported and can be modified immediately as needed
• Entire boats are handled in a single file or in thousands of files, with full control regardless of the model creator's original intent
• Compilations are revised without the risk of the history tree collapsing or models becoming uneditable
• Structures are reused as templates in new projects
• DDM is used as a PLM solution to keep projects organized

The result

The result is boats that are truly world-class in terms of construction, design, and performance. The design process has become more efficient, and productivity has increased. It’s easier to collaborate, develop, customize, and optimize everything on board—whether it’s a performance-enhancing hydrofoil, a retractable propeller, or a feather-light steering system. The production team clearly sees what needs to be done, and projects stay on schedule.

Every boat is unique, and flexibility is a must for us. We use IRONCAD as our design tool and DDM as our PLM solution. We’ve developed highly efficient workflows with structures that are reused as templates in new projects. We’re very satisfied with both solutions, as well as with the support from Solidmakarna , which has been our supplier for many years.

Jan Wikar, CAD Manager, Baltic Yachts