Recipe for Success: 3D laser scanning for tank inspections

Author: Wagner Manurung

What’s the best way to inspect a 45-metre-tall tank of flour? And calculate the flour in a huge stockpile? Those are the challenges for Liew Teik Wei, Controller of Projects, and his team at PT Wilmar Indonesia. The company is part ofWilmar International Limited, Asia’s leading agribusiness group. Wilmar operates an integrated agribusiness model that encompasses the entire value chain of the agricultural commodity business, from cultivation, processing, merchandising to manufacturing of a wide range of agricultural products, including rice and wheat flour. It has an extensive distribution network covering China, India, five factories in Indonesia and a presence in 50 other countries and regions.

在此规模上加工农产品涉及在储罐和孤岛中存储大量农bob综合app下载产品。这些巨大的船只的保养是一项严肃的生意。这些坦克是该公司的关键财务资源，并且遵守国际安全标准。在PT Wilmar Nabati印度尼西亚，Liew Teik Wei的团队必须定期检查所有地上储罐，向管理层报告指示结构完整性的测量值。以前，坦克检查是一项耗时的手动过程。

更快的检查而没有任何妥协

PT Wilmar Indonesia希望找到一种方法来提高坦克检查过程的效率。更快，但不需要更多的人力。新的解决方案不能损害数据的准确性或团队的安全性 - 理想情况下都可以改善两者。

Already a Leica Geosystems user in other parts of the business, Teik Wei chose to implement laser scanning. He equipped the team withLeica RTC360激光扫描仪数字扫描筒仓和旋风3dr用于数据分析的软件。RTC360 3D激光扫描仪的测量速率高达每秒200万点，并且具有先进的高动力范围（HDR）成像系统，可在两分钟内完成彩色3D点云。

bob综合app赌博现实捕获已改变了检查。与手动检查相比，他们现在可以捕获有关每天15辆坦克的信息，手动检查需要每个储罐3到4天。这是惊人的4,500％效率。

全面的数据捕获以满足法规

手动检查费时,因为给我et international standards of tank inspection (API 650/653), you need to accurately collect multiple datapoints, including diameter measurements, roundness, verticality of the tanks and settlement of the contents. This is in addition to measuring the volume of production, which is vital information for the business.

By capturing a 3D image of the tanks, the RTC360 scanners collect this information within minutes, and Teik Wei’s team can extract it from the point cloud. He explains, “This analysis process is done by the Cyclone 3DR software which is dedicated for calibration and silo inspection according to international standards.”

Easy-to-use software reduces training time

因为项目的目标to introduce 3D laser scanning was to improve efficiency, the new technology could not make extra demands on the team’s time. Teik Wei and his team have found the solution easy to use and training has been minimal: “Leica Geosystems products are easy to set up and operate, so it did not take much time for us to study.”

The lightweight portable laser scanners have had a positive impact on the way the team works. Fewer people need to be on site doing the inspections freeing up time to work on data analysis. Teik Wei explains, “[We had a] limitation in human resources to do data processing. Having the RTC360 in use takes few people to do the fieldwork (only one or two) while the other team members can be processing the data in the office.”

提高安全性，生产中断较少

Previously, the need to physically take measurements could be disruptive in areas of the factory with active machinery. 3D laser scanning is a non-invasive technology that captures measurements from a distance. Nearby machinery doesn’t need to be turned off and there is no risk of contamination. This makes laser scanning both safer for the operator and more productive for the business.

As well as using the RTC360 for tank inspections, Teik Wei’s team have been using them for stockpile calculations, where the ability to measure from a distance has been a real benefit: “We get accuracy on the calculation and it’s easy to proceed, so we have no issue anymore with high or large stockpiles. Previously, we used total stations and faced a difficult process in the field. Now, we are glad that we don’t necessarily need to climb the stockpile of the flour to measure the volume!.”

Using RTC360 laser scanners and Cyclone 3DR software for tank inspections has been a success for PT Wilmar Indonesia. Not only has the objective to improve efficiency been met, but the 3D scans have made it easier for Teik Wei’s team to report to management about maintenance and to compile their yearly audits.

Teik Wei说：“它有助于启用简单的筒仓维护，将常规数据更改为3D数据，从而对捕获现场数据的各个角度创建清晰的报告。最后，它有助于PT Wilmar Management在3D数据中查看实际条件。现在，管理团队无需去现场检查工厂状况。”在3D扫描的数据丰富的输出中，所有内容都在其中。