Reverse Engineering

Pilot3D

<<There are up to three steps in the process of reverse engineering. The first step is to use some input device or technique to collect the raw geometry of the object. This data is usually in the form of (x,y,z) points on the object relative to some local coordinate system. These points may or may not be in any particular order. The second step is to use a computer program to read this raw point data and to convert it into a usable form. This step is not as easy as it might seem. The third step is to transfer the results from the reverse engineering software into some 3D modeling or application software so that you can perform the desired action on the geometry. Sometimes, steps 2 and 3 can be done inside one program.>>

3D CAD Model from Laser Scanning / Photogrammetry

INOVx

<<CAD modeling yields a model containing highly accurate CAD symbols representing facility components. While modeling each set of clouds of points or stereo photos, engineers create and place CAD elements representing piping, valves, equipment, HVAC, concrete, steel, and other components into the model using the 3-D coordinate information for placement, orientation, size, and their relative position to one another. They may also add equipment tag identifiers, piping specifications, and similar information if available.>>

3D CAD Models Derived from Onsite Surveys

Offset Services Ltd.

Pre-Installation Planning Critical to Laying Marlin Lines

Pipe-Line.com

<<Detailed planning was critical to the successful installation of subsea crude oil and natural gas export pipelines for BP Amoco’s Marlin Development Project in the Gulf of Mexico. The project, formerly Amoco Marlin, involved laying a 10-in. oil line along with a 14-in. gas line from a Tension Leg Platform (TLP) in Viosca Knoll 915 to facilities located in Main Pass 260 and 225. Water depths along the route ranged from 3,240 ft at the TLP to 300 ft at the Main Pass location. By design, the lines were laid parallel to each other at a nominal separation of 200 ft from the TLP steel catenary riser until they diverge in the northwestern quadrant of Viosca Knoll 738. The 10-in. line measures 21.8 mi and the 14-in. line is slightly shorter at 18.6 mi. To minimize risk and maximize economic considerations, early planning and engineering for the pipelines were undertaken in 1996, 20 months ahead of pipelaying.>>

Design Expert System for Auto-Routing of Ship Pipes

Pacific Conference on Manufacturing '96

<The ship piping system is as important a system in a ship as a blood vessel system is in a human body. Its required performance should be optimized based on engineering, spatial, regulatory, and economic analyses. Piping systems can also be found in the AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) area, where technology-oriented man-power plays an important role. Previous development efforts for automating the design process are focused on building design-oriented databases. If heuristic design knowledge can also be systematically applied, a good portion of the human decision making process can be replaced by computing power.>>

Pipeline Simulation Group

Predicting Gas Loads, Gas Quality Control, Performance Testing, Flow Simulation- Documentation in PDF Format