Three-dimensional scanning has become essential for project engineers when improving food and industrial processing facilities.
Over the last several years, Horizon Systems has been implementing 3D scanning into our processes to complete changeovers and upgrades faster while encountering far fewer change orders – saving our clients time and money.
Modern scanning technology allows engineers to quickly map out an entire facility’s floor plan with high precision and produces detailed models that can be used to replace existing equipment with new products. Horizon Systems experts are well-versed in the applications of scanning, using it as a tool to assist customers with choosing and installing the appropriate equipment into existing process lines.
Recently, Horizon engineers removed a cooling mixer from a PVC compounding tower and replaced it with a higher capacity, more efficient unit. The primary challenge was maneuvering the new piece of equipment into a tight space with little room for error. They used 3D scanning technology to accurately map the entire process area down to 0.25-inch accuracy. Installation technicians then removed the existing equipment and installed the new cooler into the existing space, knowing they could complete the job quickly and correctly.
After installation success, the same facility asked Horizon to replace an existing filter receiver assembly with our SideWinder filter receiver. Since our engineers already had access to previous scans, they were able to use the same models from the cooler upgrade to determine the best fit and orientation for the SideWinder replacement. This is one of the primary benefits of performing a 3D scan of your entire processing facility with Horizon: we save your original scans and other relevant information to retrieve and refer to for future projects as needed.
While some companies may have access to schematics of their facilities, scanning technology can find discrepancies in those drawings (changes that occurred during installation, later retrofits, changes in utility lines, etc.) — which can cause potential challenges for project managers. In this customer’s case, Horizon engineers identified drawing inaccuracies of several inches in tower steel and floor elevations. Since the difference in floor heights was caught by our accurate scan data early in the project, it saved our engineers and installation technicians — most importantly our customer — time and resources in the long run.
Contact our experts at Horizon Systems with any questions about how our 3D scanning abilities can make your next equipment upgrade or changeout seamless and efficient.