One of our customers has 3D‑scanned all their plants in Herøya Industrial Park. The information is collected in a digital twin, allowing the facilities to be accurately mirrored on screen. The solution is used internally in operations, while Bilfinger has access to the necessary documentation to carry out modifications and maintenance. This digitalization plays a key role in making maintenance work more efficient.
All documentation related to buildings, equipment, piping and other production assets is stored in the digital twin. When Bilfinger’s engineers open the model, they can virtually move through the area where the work will be performed.
Documentation and drawings
“There are tags containing information about the equipment. When I click on a pipe tag, for example, all relevant documentation and updated drawings appear,” explains Engineer at Bilfinger Trym Fehn Vaa.
“When we plan a job, we create 3D models of the work to be done and upload them to the twin. This makes all necessary documentation available to those performing modifications and maintenance. We also access maintenance history and other key information.”
The user interface allows you to start with an overview of the entire industrial park, then zoom into each plant and further down to details such as pipes, valves and building components.
Efficiency
The complete 3D scans allow Trym to “walk” through the facilities from his office, much like using Google Street View. This gives him a quick overview and enables precise measurements when planning modifications.
“The digital twin has changed our workday, but I always start with a site visit to orient myself. It makes the rest of the work easier — and it saves me from ‘those 15 trips’ for control measurements when I have the area on my screen,” says Trym Fehn Vaa.
Shutdowns can be planned well in advance, and Bilfinger can run collision tests to ensure that large new equipment can actually be installed in the plant.
The digital twin makes our work processes faster, safer and more precise — and serves as a strong example of how we at Bilfinger work purposefully to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Have a look at the Digital twin video here: https://youtu.be/xlKWgAPORbo