Using Laser Scanning for Planning Pipe Routes

Two pipe routes for a leading French manufacturer in the field of plastic production had to be modified. Three different engineering offices were assigned the project, each of which was responsible for a certain task in the context of the project.



The first office managed the modifications of both extruders. Here, an additional end connector had to be installed.

The second engineering office was in charge of planning two filter units and a vacuum unit.

The last office was charged with the task of establishing the connecting pipe and making stress calculations.

Engineers of this office decided right at the beginning, while inspecting the site in France, that laser scanning was the best choice for surveying the specified area of the site. Being extremely fast and reliable, laser scanning did not significantly increase the overall price tag.



Right from the first day, the choice proved to be the right choice. Although the goal was to have all planning documents available at that stage of the project, neither the end connector planning nor the planning of the equipment was ready. Consequently, it was not possible to accurately determine the pipe’s route. However, in order to begin detailed planning work as soon as possible, laser scanning was performed for one day to scan the hall and the area on the roof where the vacuum unit were to be positioned. The point cloud served as the basis for determining all dimensions to create the 3D model of the pipe. At that point in time, a DN 200 pipe was proposed for procedural reasons. However, during the planning process, that proposal was changed from DN 200 to DN 400 in steps of 50.

If conventional methods had been used, it would have been a necessary undertaking to inspect and survey 4 more times the site, which has been 400 miles away.

Having performed all necessary tasks, the engineers moved the 3D model of the pipe into the point cloud to detect interference edges and collisions.



At all times, all modifications and alterations were available to customers and engineers during the planning stage. That way, efficient work, even between multiple offices in the world, (Italy, France, Germany) could be efficiently managed.

Thanks to this method, associated costs could be reduced during the planning stage. Although engineers faced various difficulties during the project, laser scanning provided a powerful approach to overcome many problems and difficulties.