A good discussion between asset owners and engineers about design choices made. Quicker elimination of possible design errors. And therefore: reducing the lead time of engineering processes. It is becoming increasingly easier with the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and Asset Information Management (AIM). Freek Lovink of Smart AIS is an expert in VR and AIM and recently deployed his expertise for client Evos in Rotterdam.
An important part of Freek's career is his passion for digital modelling. With the advent of BIM and 3D scanning, this has gained momentum. 'At Smart AIS, I got the opportunity to immerse myself in the various possibilities and software packages that the company AVEVA offers in this,' says Freek. 'Asset Information Management, for example, allows you to have something like Google for the plant. You bring together information from all kinds of sources. You can see it as a dashboard where you can look up and view all your engineering information in both 2D and 3D. This is a subject I have been immersing myself in continuously over the past few years. Combined with a 3D scan of your plant and its point cloud, you could even think of it as a Google Maps. You can then view an asset, point to it and immediately look up all of its relevant engineering information.'
VR view featuring point cloud and 3D model
Virtual walk through the terminal
'Recently, we added something extra,' Freek continues. 'For our customer Evos, we deployed Virtual Reality, with which you can take a virtual walk or flight through their terminal with VR glasses on. In doing so, every time something catches your attention, you can immediately call up additional layers of information. To do this, we first created a point cloud scan with drones on the Evos site. Our sister company Euro Drone Inspections did that. In addition, we made high-resolution 3D scans on site with static equipment. Together, this provided a reasonably complete 3D image of the terminal. That combination made it possible to project a design model made by KH Engineering onto it. A number of changes need to be made to the terminal, and with this model we were able to visualise in VR what that will look like in the existing situation.'
Discussion starter
This way of visualising starts a discussion very quickly, Freek noticed. 'Because you see and experience it as if it were real, you notice more quickly if things are not quite in place or could be designed in a different way. This allows you to filter out design errors faster, resulting in nice interaction between the asset owner and the engineers. You notice that the asset owner asks questions about the design choices more quickly and that the engineers can explain and substantiate them well. This made it a lively meeting where the use of VR was clearly of added value.'
Not yet a 'digital twin'
With Asset Information Management supplemented with point clouds, 3D scans and VR, the 'digital twin' of the terminal, plant or other assets is coming closer. Although Freek immediately nuances: 'We are now talking about the engineering information. It forms a basis of a digital twin. However, in a more complete digital twin, you can also consult live data, run process simulations, retrieve operational data, and have a 'live' digital representation of your assets. What we did in the VR environment does not go as far, but it is still very valuable because you have a clear way to show your design project in the existing environment. I thought that was of added value, and so did the client.'
Added value
Freek therefore sees a bright future for the use of AIM and VR. 'Merging 3D designs and point clouds in a VR environment is not complicated. With a well-designed AIM Dashboard, you can access all relevant engineering information from different sources on one screen. Participants found the VR glasses to be a good addition and certainly not a 'gimmick'. At the same time, however, this is something that requires quite a lot of computing power, which is why I think you still have to assess for each situation whether the solution really adds value. That will undoubtedly change in the future, as the technology continues to develop and becomes more affordable. In this case, it added value because the asset owners and the engineers were able to discuss the status and design choices well during the project. Moreover, they noticed the possible improvements faster, thus shortening the lead time.'
Training purposes
Thus, this working method allows you to make better and faster design decisions. Also, you can use the design data you already have by then in the operational phase to support maintenance, for example. In addition, Freek knows another promising application of VR. 'You can also use it for training purposes. I recently arranged that for another client. With the current staff shortage in engineering, that can be extra valuable. You can already show newcomers around the plant and, moreover, this way of learning really appeals to the younger generation.'
VR bird's eye view - point cloud as-built
VR bird's eye view - point cloud as-built + design
For more information or a demo of the VR application, contact Freek Lovink at freek.lovink@smart-ais.com
For more information about Smart AIS, please visit: smart-ais.com.