I see no problems if the software has been designed to obey all Section VIII's requirements. I'd say that the great majority (if not almost all) of pressure vessels designers, either engineering firms or pressure vessels fabricators use software programs nowadays. Designing a pressure vessel manually (and I have designed more than one in my professional life) is boring and time consuming.
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil

Hi Mikeqc1

As Prof Crisi has stated, using software is definately allowed, and most engineers will use it. There are requirements however, like the inputs and calculations still need to be transparent, so that they can be verified, and when the calculations are verified, it should not be done with the same software.

Regards
Niekie

Yes it is allowed.

However in my experience when applying or reapplying for an ASME U stamp or NBIC R stamp certification, the review team has always required supplemental verification of computer generated calculations in the form of handwritten equations.

QCRobert