Plain sailing with 3D plant design

Author:Renata Barradas Gutiérrez

Most passengers sailing across oceans are often unaware of the herculean labour to build and maintain a cruise ship. 3D modelling and Building Information Modelling (BIM) generated with laser scanning have eased most titanic tasks by providing a detailed digital blueprint of a vessel, increasing productivity during navigation, easing retrofit and improving maintenance.

Time is money, especially in the shipping and maritime industries. Enhancing productivity while repairing and retrofitting large vessels is crucial as stopping commercial operations is a total financial loss for ship-owners. To minimise time spent in the dock,NautiSCAN3D, a company specialised in 3D modelling and measurements,调查了一艘288米长的客船. This survey helped architects to check for production clashes and to plan retrofit of a scrubber system.

Scrubber systems are a diverse group of air pollution control devices. The scrubber system surveyed by NautiSCAN3D consisted of a steel tower on the ship funnel where sea water is injected to clean exhaust gas from Sulphur Oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). This system helps shipping companies to be compliant with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

All hands on deck

激光扫描收集所有维数据以创建2D图，3D模型和BIM模型。高程，部分和平面图都可以转换为3D型号，2D图纸或BIM兼容格式，以提高任何改装工作的生产率，例如添加新零件或更换加热，通风和空调（HVAC）设备。

In association with Damen Shiprepair Brest and Sofresid Engineering Brest, NautiSCAN3D surveyed the passenger ship to prepare the studies for replacing the scrubber of the ship. Using aLeica P30 ScanStation，调查捕获了七个甲板的数据，引擎室舱和30-metre funnel casing游轮。

The team acquired the data in international waters between England and the Portuguese island of Madeira. Despite strong winds and waves of the Bay of Biscay,54 scans were collected in approximately five hours. Scans were processed, registered and checked for quality control in almost two days.

“Accuracy and speed of data acquisition were some major factors that drove us to acquire a Leica Geosystems ScanStation. The equipment meets our needs, and quality of the technical support is very appreciable. The ScanStation is very intuitive and simple to use – we haven’t experienced any issues,”said Henri Patou, manager at NautiSCAN3D.

Point cloud for plant

Laser scanning helped to create a model for the disassembly of the old scrubber system, the assembly of the new system, and a detailed 3D model was created in a Plant Design Management System (PDMS) to avoid any interaction during fitting. All data collected has been registered in Leica Cyclone and as-built point cloud data was manipulated inLeica Cloudworxfor PDMS plug-in.

PDMS CloudWorx中的虚拟站点帮助团队anticipate any interaction between partsduring the next dry dock and assess the potential construction and operational impacts of the new equipment. Experts created the as-built model, checked the proposed design against the existing conditions, and performed critical construction and fabrication quality analysis, all directly within CloudWorx for PDMS.

“This way of working during navigation, without stopping the ship, saves precious time to work on the engineering part in advance, avoid surprises during the technical stop in the yard, and anticipates all clashes for the operation. With the new systems installed smoothly on board, this project was a success,”said Patou.

An ocean of possibilities

Laser scanning offers multiple applications for the design, build and retrofit of any vessel. The capture of environments in 3D allows experts to发现任何每年s in an accurate and safe way. Beyond retrofitting, BIM models allow professionals to collaborate in real time, accessing from large scale to detailed area, to meet the pressing logistics offshore and onshore.

有了能够利用这项技术的力量和知识，Nautiscan3D可以在海事领域提供服务，并在船上的各个阶段中介入海军行业。激光扫描使他们能够measure with millimetre precision the geometry of parts, such as moulds, demoulded parts, primary forms, and appendagesto:

• Create shape and design plans for stability studies or installation
• 生成肥大的计划
• Assist the assembly or disassembly of any elements, such as floats, link arms, and bulkheads
• Perform controls of geometries and deformation analysis
• Do in site monitoring.

寻求提高生产率的追求推动了技术的界限。反映3D和CAD环境中的现实已经彻底改变了建筑师，工程师，工厂经理和其他专业人员的生产力，他们现在可以以不可预见的速度，精确性和准确性来计划，构建，维护和续订任何结构。