How to Confidently Fit More In Your Existing Plant
If a CAPEX project can fit into an existing plant, we all know the return-on-investment period is dramatically shorter.
Brownfield sites are crowded
A majority of manufacturing CAPEX projects include the addition of new equipment. Year by year floorspace gets tighter and tighter. The headspace also fills up with more pipes, brackets and the like. In order to know if and where something else can fit an engineering project manager needs to have exact documentation of the project area. If more can fit, it’s phenomenal, but a mistake can make them miss their long awaited promotion.
Existing documentation is 2D
Now they have an idea and think they know where they want to place that new piece of equipment, so they open up the DWG, which seems to be relatively up-to-date. From a top view, as always, everything looks great….but, it’s never that simple. A wall column isn't shown in the drawing, the overhead pipes aren’t visible, the new metal detector extends beyond what the layout shows. Photos are taken, but they lack the precision and dimension of real life.
These everyday factors slow down project ideas, hinder internal and external communication and allow question marks to fog clear decision making.
Desire to avoid risk
Moving forward with a remaining question mark can leave project managers open to risk that in manufacturing can cost thousands and up to millions of dollars. If a machine or pipe doesn't fit, it means scrambling during installation. If the commissioning lasts longer than planned and production is interrupted, it means monumental loses. Rather than take on this risk killing the project or making expensive alterations ends up winning out. But, this isn’t the goal, you want to do more with less.
While these are problems every manufacturing engineering team can relate with, project managers don’t need to be hindered any longer.
With the advent of 3D reality capture technology project areas can be scanned in a matter of hours. Then using high specialized software we transform the 3D raw-data into classified, photo-real 3D CAD models.
No longer worry if something will fit into a crowded space, merely bring a 3D model of the new equipment into our 3D model of your existing factory.
Move on from 2D wondering, to feeling like you are actually on the factory floor from your desk chair.
Make layout fit decisions with confidence because you can see all the problems virtually to you can plan for them in real life.
It would be our pleasure to support you on your next project, please reach out to us with a layout a few photos of the project area.