Plant-4D Equipment
Technology
Plant-4D Equipment is a data centric program and has the ability to conform to your local standards and rules. It is fully configurable to your company's needs. Primarily, this Plant-4D module contains a library of various predefined equipment types, such as for example various vessels, heat exchangers, pumps, etc. It is also possible to develop your own types of equipment by using primitive shapes in order to build complex equipment items.
The design process is very easy. Due to the icon interface, the user is able to determine height, length, width, etc. of the equipment for placement. Plant-4D Equipment also runs from outside of the CAD environment. You do not need AutoCAD or MicroStation to design new equipment.
Plant-4D Equipment Module
Plant-4D Equipment is able to connect to information such as Equipment tag numbers, equipment description and physical dimensions of the equipment items used in the P&ID application of Plant-4D. The graphical representations relate to the same data residing in the Plant-4D database.
This ensures a consistency between the 2D schematics environment and the 3D spatial model. Users are able to check and verify if all equipment from the P&ID's have been modeled in the spatial model of Plant-4D.
A special feature of Plant-4D Equipment is the placement of nozzles. By using this functionality, the user is able to place nozzles at the equipment in the model. Through an interface with the Plant-4D Pipe module, the user can place a nozzle after setting pipe specification and line size. Subsequently, the user must select the corresponding equipment name and determine the required position in the 3D model by means of the equipment placement dialogue. This will place the nozzle at the required location.
Using the same method, other parts can be placed at the equipment as well, such as platforms, walkways, ladders, etc.
Interfaces to other programs
Interfaces have been built to provide compatibility with the existing Plant-4D systems like: Plant-4D Pipe and Plant-4D P&ID.
Advantages of the Equipment Builder
- Fast and user friendly program
- Intuitive user interface
- It is possible to create equipment outside CAD interfaces
- Designed to cover the entire Plant Lifecycle
- Language independent
- Allows easy placement / location of equipment without CAD interface.
- Allows easy Modification of existing equipment
- CAD-platform independent, support communication via ODBC with Oracle, SQL Server, Access, etc.
- Parent-child relationship between equipment and associated components (nozzles etc.)
- Quick set-up of equipment using dialogues