Bulk Handling System

Data-centric Design Platforms – A new Approach for Bulk Handling System

30.06.2010 | Author / Editor: T. Cole / Marcel Dröttboom

...system modeling and to provide information required to create an accurate material take-off for cost estimates and ultimately procurement.

This approach allows significant savings in design time in three distinct areas:

• Automated placement of objects from the profile and data sheet to the 3D model.
• Multi-discipline design in the same 3D environment.
• Effective management of change.

Using this technology speeds benefits to the facility owners by allowing them to review a comprehensive model that is complete, visually easy to comprehend and provides for owner disciplines to assess impacts to their areas. For example, the maintenance department can determine if the initial design allows them a required maintenance envelope to adequately service the equipment when needed with the minimum amount of operational interference. By bringing all disciplines into the early stages of facility design costly changes can be addressed earlier in the process and corrected at a much lower cost.

Designers Perspective

From the designers perspective the model is created across multiple engineering disciplines. Structural, piping, instrumentation and electrical systems are modeled and designed in the same environment creating an improved design.

Enhancements in design occur through the use of automated clash detection across all involved disciplines. An integrated, multi-discipline design creates the opportunity to review designs and adjust impacts and errors which may not be noted until much later in the finalization of the design or when physical construction is commenced.

Data centric approaches enable work-sharing capabilities allowing design firms to bring together multiple disciplines around the globe and effectively manage the design in a real time/concurrent environment. This enhancement over the current systems employed creates an advantage by providing economical alternatives to ramp up for specific projects through the use of lower cost resources without sacrificing quality or management direction of these projects.

Valuable Data

Following completion of an initial project the design/EPC team and plant owner now possess a valuable database filled with intelligent objects and designed systems/modules. With these objects contained in a single source database this information is easily available for use on future projects and can be shared between global design groups. While all projects are individual and specific to a facility there are parts of many systems which are repeatable and can be re-used.

The attributes of data and design re-use are beneficial to both the design firm and the facility owner. Design firms now have costed modules to rapidly layout and estimate future projects by leveraging design and cost information gained from previous work. Facility owners have the opportunity to promote standardization of like materials handling systems throughout their plant and across their company.

Taylor Cole, Vice President Global Metals and Mining, Intergraph Corporation, USA