8/18/2019 Laser Modelling Interface 01

1/2

Seamlessly Combining Laser Models with PDMS

Design Models

The Laser Modelling Interface (LMI) from AVEVA provides

a dynamic link between the VANTAGE PDMS design

environment and the point cloud data available in a third-party Laser Modelling System (LMS). The LMI is part

of the VANTAGE Plant Design suite of products and its

capability has been built into the very heart of the PDMS

Design module.

There is a recognised need across the process plant

engineering industry to gather and maintain detailed

information about existing facilities. For the first time, the

detailed 3D visualisations of existing plant and equipment

created during laser scanning surveys can be accurately 

combined with intelligent PDMS 3D design models,

delivering a wealth of benefits throughout the engineering

lifecycle.

From the design, fabrication and assembly phases of a

g re e n field engineering project , to the re t ro fit and

maintenance phases of a brownfield project, the LMI has

significantly enhanced the value that can be delivered

 through the capture of 'as-built ' data from existing plant

and equipment, revolutionising the way projects are

managed and delivered.

Extending the Value of Laser Scanning

The advantages of laser scanning have quickly been

p roven on a range of diverse projects. Recentadvancements in the technology used to capture the

scanned data have delivered faster, cheaper, safer and

more accurate surveys – making the resulting as-built

data available earlier in the project. The first beneficiaries

of this new approach to laser scanning have been the

offshore oil and gas, and nuclear industries; hostile

environments where on-site time has to be minimised.

These technical developments have delivered point cloud

data, where incredibly detailed, almost photo-quality 3D

re p resentations can be delivered to an accuracy of 

3–5mm.

The LMI further enhances AVEVA’s laser scanning value

proposition by allowing the detailed point cloud data to be

referenced and utilised, not only within PDMS Design, but

also in VPD Clash Manager and PDMS Global.

The integration of PDMS with laser models delivers:

! Visualisation of new 3D design combined with

existing plant

! Very high positional accuracy and alignment of

piping 'tie-in' points

!Identification of clear routes for new pipework 

!Improved steel fit-up around existing steelwork

structures

!

 Automatic clash checking between new 3D design

and existing plant

!Design integration of scanned prefabricated

assemblies and supplied equipment

!Measurement between all as-designed and as-built

components

!Better commissioning and maintenance planning

!Safer sites due to shorter survey times

!

Reductions in engineering rework lower project costsand shorten schedules

Completing the Bigger Picture

The LMI addresses one of the most significant

engineering challenges facing a brownfield project team:

a lack of existing plant data, particularly 'as-built' 3D

design models. Instead of modelling the existing plant

 from drawings or manual sur veys, the LMI provides

engineering teams with an automated solution that

s i g n i ficantly reduces cost by removing a previously

manual and often error-prone process.

In a plant refit project, for example, the LMI allows new

pipework to be quickly routed through the existing plant,

space identified for new equipment, and steel fit-up

around existing plant components to be improved. In

addition, 'destruct' areas can be clearly identified within

 the plant.

Uniquely, the LMI allows 'tie-in' points to correlate the 3D

plant model with the point cloud data. These tie-in points

reference the laser model and act as PDMS design aids,

 for example, to connect and route a pipe along a centre

line. The distance between points in the laser model caneven be measured accurately within the PDMS

environment.

Plant DesignLaser Modelling Interface

8/18/2019 Laser Modelling Interface 01

2/2

Most importantly, clash checking can be carried out

between point cloud data in the laser model and the

PDMS 3D plant model. This instantly highlights problem

areas and provides an effective design-driven mechanism

 for managing them, thereby delivering significant

cost- and time-savings, whilst enhancing the overall

quality of the design.

The benefits of LMI also extend to greenfield projects,w h e re modules are often manufactured at different

locations. These modules can be laser scanned to capture

 their as-built status and the resulting point cloud data can

be used to check alignment and connectivity of the

different plant and equipment with the PDMS model. The

commissioning, operation and maintenance of the plant

becomes safer as activities can be planned and rehearsed

using a model review walk-through in a completely

risk-free environment.

Regardless of the type of project, the LMI supports a lean

method of working, by ensuring that the as-built

geometry (that would have previously been modelled

manually as 3D geometric shapes in the LMS) is now only 

modelled in PDMS, where intelligent engineering design

is re q u i red. The project team can have complete

confidence that every detail picked up on the survey is

 faithfully represented in the PDMS model of the plant.

Open for Business

The LMI has been developed in conjunction with a

number of leading LMS vendors, providing support for the

majority of commercially available scanning systems.

These LMS vendors each provide the required coupling

 for their particular LMS, enabling the LMI to reference thelaser survey point cloud data directly within the PDMS

Design module.

By making the LMI vendor-neutral, engineering teams are

 free to choose the best laser scanning solution for their

particular project and switch between LMS systems in the

 future, safe in the knowledge that the LMI will manage

 the laser model regardless of its origin – so they can focus

on the intelligent engineering design within PDMS.

The LMI can interact with laser models from more than

one vendor simultaneously, which will be particularlyb e n e ficial on larger projects where different laser

scanning solutions could be used concurrently.

The PDMS LMI currently supports Laser Modelling

Systems from the following vendors:

!BitWyse

!Leica Geosystems HDS

!Quantapoint

!Zoller + Fröhlich

 AVEVA Group plc

High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HB, UK 

Tel +44 (0)1223 556655, Fax +44 (0)1223 556666

www.aveva.com

'AVEVA's Laser Modelling Interface has given AMEC a

key first-mover advantage in the market and we’ve

already seen the benefits of its deployment on a

number of projects. It has delivered a quantum leap

in overall productivity and significantly improved

design processes, quality and safety.'

Colin Fairweather

Engineering Systems Manager – AMEC

 AMEC's pioneering use of the PDMS LMI

 AMEC is a company that recognises the need to keep

a close eye on emerging technologies which will

enhance the workflow of its designers, engineers and

planners. When Laser Modelling Systems started to

deliver the detailed point cloud data required for 3D

design, AMEC knew it had to act quickly to gain an

advantage over its competitors in the race to improve

design processes, improve safety and cut costs. AMEChas already deployed the PDMS LMI on projects based

in the UK and Houston, using point cloud data from

laser scanner surveys of various offshore platforms in

 the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico, an FPSO off West

Coast Africa and an onshore plant in Kuwait. Many of 

 AMEC’s other clients have also expressed a keen

interest in using the technology to capture data on

 their existing plant assets, having seen the improved

engineering productivity.