kbe case studies: pressure vessel design automation

The equipments designed and fabricated at this Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of a multinational manufacturing giant are unique in several aspects:

1. High number of parts for each equipment
2. High variability in number of parts for same equipment across projects
3. Several variations in each part

As a consequence of the aforementioned aspects, it turns out that there are several configurational and geometric variations possible for the equipment under consideration across various projects.

These tremendous variations across projects posed a big challenge towards design automation of the equipment. The large number of parts and complexity of features associated with each part coupled with the computational resources’ limitations makes automation even more difficult. The biggest challenge lay in resolving manufacturability concerns while simultaneously tackling the limitations mentioned above. With an understanding that any automation exercise must take in consonance this reality, Alcyon devised a "novel two-step application" that:

1. Accounts for the configurational and geometric variations
2. Handles manufacturability issues
3. Puts minimal load on computational resources
4. Creates Parametric 3D Models
5. Generates Automated Manufacturing Drawings
6. Populates BOM

The first step of the application is basically an e-tool for simulating the actual design process. Utilizing KnowledgeFusion^TM based models and integration process; it captures accurately the design intent. It helps the user visualize this accurate integration of knowledge (internal to the SBU) by means of models and error reports (to eliminate the manufacturability concerns).

The first step, is essence, is to help the user configure the equipment. It gives total control to the user over the design process. Simultaneously, it automates the process of assembly configuration taking into account all the challenges involved in automation exercise.

The elements that enable total user control are:

1. The integration of design intent in the application
2. Specialized functionality that helps the user to pin point the manufacturability issues, with the help of proper visual aids and thus ensures manufacturability.
3. Intelligent models that accommodate for user's variable inputs for any specific parameters.
4. Development of the system with the help of easy-to-use Graphic User interfaces:

The GUI for Shells

The GUI for Nozzles

The second step of the application is an "e-generative" tool that works on top of the first step and is critical for generation of detailed parametric 3D models, manufacturing drawings and BOM.

The application, thus developed, is capable of reducing the design cycle time by as much as 75%. This translates into significant cost reductions for the SBU as submission of drawings is invariably linked to payments for the project execution. With the volume of inquiries for the product increasing and becoming continual, the SBU can now respond to customer requirements much more efficiently and quickly. The design for the equipment has now been optimized and the design inadequacies which were identified only at manufacturing stage can now be identified and eliminated at configuration stage itself. In addition, the automation exercise has resulted in concentrated effort by the engineering resources towards innovation. The human errors have now been eliminated and most importantly the knowledge base inside the SBU has been standardized, integrated and automated.