CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
24 April 2007
Implementation Investments
YORK Wins BE Award; Uses 3D Modeling to Reduce Engineering Costs and Improve Deliverables, Project Timelines, and Client Satisfaction
YORK (Johnson Controls Inc.), a leading provider of HVAC and refrigeration products and services headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has won a BE Award for its Zueitina Propane Refrigeration System project. The award category was "Plant Supply Chain Integration."
The Zueitina Propane Refrigeration System is a combined atmospheric storage refrigeration system for propane and butane. It consists of two individually fabricated skids that were loaded onto flatbed trucks and shipped to the client, Zueitina LPG Terminal, in Libya. There, they were bolted together and installed.
The goal of the project was a design that achieved smooth integration with the existing system while conforming to required custom and industry codes and standards. YORK had to review the original 2D drawings, specifications, documentation, and photos to construct the necessary virtual 3D models of the two new packages.
Said Hugh Kutz, manager of process systems engineering at YORK, "Bentley software imposes a design discipline that results in more accurate drawings and bills of materials. It allows us to spend more time designing equipment rather than projecting 2D views with limited detail. Our manufacturing benefits from the improved procurement and visualization that comes with design accuracy, detail, and automation.
"In an ever-changing world, we must find ways to improve our process to remain competitive and profitable. With Bentley software, YORK hopes to gain a competitive edge in the design process and break new ground in our type of business. This initiative has helped reduce our engineering costs and improve our deliverables, project timelines, and, ultimately, client satisfaction."
The project involved a driveline package and a vessel package bolted together in the final stages of assembly to complete the piping between them. The propane driveline compressor skid consisted of a YORK M626A6 centrifugal compressor, speed increaser, and an 800-horsepower induction motor. This skid also contained the lube oil filters, pumps, and cooler modules for each of the three driveline components. Two suction knockout drums were located on this skid to remove any remaining liquid from the returning propane vapor stream prior to reentering the compressor.
The second skid, a propane liquid recovery system, consisted of a seawater-cooled propane condenser, a butane chiller, and a propane receiver/economizer. In addition, it included all the necessary control valves to maintain system parameters.
Designers for the project used Bentley AutoPLANT to create 3D models of all the components on each skid. Engineers and designers then used Bentley visualization technologies to visually inspect the model for pull clearances, maintenance areas, and interferences prior to the job being built. This enabled YORK to run piping more efficiently and maximize maintenance areas.
Using Bentley AutoPLANT, the bills of materials (BOMs) were pulled directly from the database underlying the 3D model. The BOMs were then printed out for the shop and uploaded electronically into YORK's material resource planning system for ordering. This removed many opportunities for human error by forcing a design regimen that facilitated a precise inventory of parts needed to build the equipment.
For more information on YORK's winning project and all of the other BE Award projects, visit http://www.be.org/awards . For more information on the Bentley products used in this project, visit http://www.bentley.com/plant.
Become a member of the CIMdata PLM Community to receive your daily PLM news and much more.
Tell us what you think of the CIMdata Newsletter. Send your feedback.
CIMdata is committed to your privacy. Your personal information will never be sold or shared outside of CIMdata without your express permission.