Autodesk - 3D plant design software
Feature Articles, Nov  27  2009 (Digital Energy Journal)

- Autodesk, a world leader in 2D and 3D design software, has launched AutoCAD Plant 3D 2010, a new software product that brings the proven benefits of model-based design to mainstream plant design products.

Autodesk produces 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and engineering and media and entertainment markets, including the world's leading computer aided design software AutoCAD. The company claims it has over 9 million users in total.

Designing oil and gas plant with AutoCAD Plant 3D

It can be used to design process plants in 3D models as well as 2D piping and instrumentation schematics. The solution is designed to help the typically small teams which work on operation, maintenance and expansion of plant facilities.

There is already 3D design software on the market for the process plant industry but Autodesk believes that the existing software is so expensive and complicated it could only be used on the largest or highest budget projects.

With the launch of the new solution, Autodesk is making software accessible to smaller projects, such as retrofits, upgrades and expansions on tight budgets. Autodesk says it is 'democratising the technology'.

"Autodesk has never been a niche player. We see it as a key part of our role to refine high-end and complex technology to make it both usable and useful for the mainstream market," says Abel Smit, senior director sales and business development, plant solutions with Autodesk SA.

In particular, the new 3D plant design software can easily be used on 'brownfield' projects - working on old plant - because users can quickly build up a model of the plant they already have, even if they don't have any of the designs in digital form.

It looks similar to AutoCAD software which many people are familiar with, the company says.

The software can be used to work out how different plant items can fit together, using standard part catalogues or by adding in drawings of specific pieces of equipment, covering the piping, equipment and support structures. And drawings can be produced quickly using the software.

If you already have the CAD drawings of the parts you are putting together to build the plant, you can use the software to incorporate those as well.

AutoCAD Plant 3D 2010 has already been used by Veolia Water Solutions to put a bid together for a water treatment plant in Singapore, and by EnergySolutions, a company which develops services for the nuclear energy industry.

Across the oil and gas industry as a whole, Autodesk has tools for visualisation, equipment design and plant design.

AutoCAD is used by nine out of 10 engineers, the company claims.

This is the first time Autodesk has developed software for piping design. The company set up a plant design group about three years ago to develop the software.

AutoCAD Plant 3D 2010

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