Offshore staff
HOUSTON -- AMEC Paragon is now offering ASD Global's OptiPlant 3D modeling software for front-end engineering design (FEED), pre-FEED, and concept estimating.
According to AMEC Paragon, OptiPlant enables an experienced piping designer – without a large team of support personnel – to quickly and automatically produce 3D concept models and alternative design arrangements for pipe routing and other plant or offshore equipment layouts.
OptiPlant also allows engineers to respond quickly to client requests for changes and concentrate on equipment design rather than revisions during the concept phases.
The software is able to quickly input initial equipment arrangements to route lines and make revisions within the software by moving basic equipment – like vertical towers, cylinders, tanks, pumps or horizontal exchangers -- from one location to another without breaking the necessary links.
AMEC Paragon has recently employed the software on a semisubmersible platform project to quickly create, refine, and provide the client with a 3D model and major piping materials take-off (MTO) estimate. The estimates generated had MTO accuracy within 10%, used two designers instead of six, and were delivered within one month. The models and data gathered during the estimate phase were later integrated into the FEED phase.
"The beauty of this tool is that it uses automation to route the pipe between specified start and stop points, and it's very user friendly, which increases engineer productivity," says Greg Kreider, AMEC Paragon's project director. "The knowledge-based application assists in routing pipelines based on time-tested algorithms, design rules and other industry data embedded in the software. It allows junior designers and engineers to make connections and automatically rough-route the lines while senior designers and engineers focus on optimizing the pipe routing."
02/19/2009
