First-time retro-fit – the art of not grinding and hammering a repair clamp on the back deck, just to get it to fit.
Viewport3 have successfully carried out 3D scanning as a basis for retro-fit design on no less than 20 occasions to achieve a first-time-fit during installation.
We are providers of 3D scanning and dimensional analysis services, most commonly for the subsea and energy sectors – and we call this particular service “wrap-around design”.
Applying our usual diligence and best practices, we carry out 3D scanning which is specifically designed for your retro-fit work-scopes.
Alongside the dimensional reports, the 3D geometry issued by Viewport3 is imported by the engineering contractor and used to design and manufacture a solution that matches the real-life 3D data perfectly.
Incontrovertible proof that the data we collected is geometrically correct is evident when the resulting hardware fits first time, without any back-deck modifications. There is no room for error, and nowhere to hide – it either fits, or it doesn’t.
Here is just one example of how this works in practice. When a customer of ours found damage during an as-laid survey of a flexible riser, we quickly performed a remotely managed scanning scope and detailed the profiles to our customer.
The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) was then able to advise that the riser remained serviceable if held in its new shape.
Once the detail and accuracy of the Viewport3 supplied 3D data was understood, the design team used it as a basis for design of a clamp to match the new surface of the riser and hold it in its new shape.
The cost of replacing the flexible riser would have run into millions of pounds, dwarfing the cost of applying a first-time-fit retaining clamp, based on real-world 3D geometry extracted by the Viewport3 team.
Collecting the 3D data takes time and effort, but we would invite teams faced with such a challenge to compare the cost of getting it wrong, with the cost of finding out beforehand.
Read more about our projects at viewport3.com/case-studies. Or get in touch via contact@viewport3.com
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