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DESIGN AND TESTING

Modern 3D CAD tools used to package pumps speed up design and manufacturing processes

Improved design quality

Today, not only is the technical quality of the core product, i.e., the pump, critical to the
success of any operation, but all support and secondary parts, such as pipework and
electrical circuits, also have to meet the highest standards. Modern 3D CAD modeling
brings all these components together in one assembly. This approach allows for the
visual inspection of the design and identification of interferences or necessary space
t
for maintenance or plant requirements like piles or walls. Sulzer Pumps uses standard-
th
ized 3D CAD tools to speed up the design process and visualize the full assembly at a
b
very early stage of a project for the benefit of clients and sub-suppliers. p
b
m
a
pump assembly, or package, another. When a 3D CAD program is used flange pairs, or straight pipes were c
includes, in addition to the main to create the piping drawings, all parts needed. The use of 3D CAD makes it p
items, a multitude of standard are covered, including the small ones. So possible to plan the pipe layout exactly in
and non-standard parts, such as a base- the bill of materials (BOM) is complete at the design stage, thus facilitating the le
plate, nuts, bolts, gaskets, piping and once the drawing is finished, and when prefabrication of the piping. This feature a
supports, wiring, etc. . All these parts the packaging of the unit starts, no parts is a considerable advantage especially for
require space and have a certain relation are missing. projects with several identical pumps. In
to each other in (three-dimensional) space. such cases, total packaging time can be
It is very challenging to analyze these Prefabrication shortens delivery times reduced significantly thanks to prefabri-
The same 3D relationships and possible interference In earlier times, the drawings of the cation.
model delivers an using traditional 2D drawings, which are pipework were mainly schematics, and Accurate 3D preliminary designs allow
isometric view as
well as foundation usually designed independently of one it was not always clear how many elbows, for parallel workflows of pump fabrica-
and nozzle details.

6 | Sulzer Technical Review 1/2010 4293

 06_Thomas_d+e_Maquette_Artikel.qxd
tion, packaging design and machining. In
the past, the package had to be assem-
bled to determine the exact locations of
piping and supports. After that, disassem-
bly was necessary, followed by final
machining and painting of the baseplate,
and final assembly of the package for the
e customer. Today, up-to-date 3D design
it programs for the pump package, includ-
y ing the piping, significantly reduce the
e lead time required to completely package
e a skid within the assembly shop .
r
n 3D CAD pictures
e
i-
w
a-
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09.03.10 07:33 Seite 7
Manufacturing in parallel
These modern design processes allow
engineers to perform multiple tasks in
parallel and only lay down a baseplate
onto the shop floor when all items have
been manufactured and are ready to fit
onto the skid.
In todays practice, the baseplate can
be fabricated, the bare shaft pump can
be machined and assembled, and the
pipework can be prefabricated simulta-
neously using the piping isometrics
DESIGN AND TESTING DE
Pump package as
a CAD model and on
the shop floor.
or drawings generated from the 3D CAD
system.
The current practice is to fabricate a
small section of the pipework and fit it
to the pump. The fitter then checks the
dimensions, takes the pipe off, and fabri-
cates the rest of the pipework. The piping
is then refitted, checked, and adjusted.
The completed pipework is then taken off
again for x-ray or other examination,
pressure test, and cleaning. Once these
processes are completed, the pipework is
and corresponding
photos of a pump.
 06_Thomas_d+e_Maquette_Artikel.qxd 09.03.10 07:33
NG DESIGN AND TESTING
s
n
Modern 3D CAD and visualization tools allow the pipework
(bottom) to be prefabricated prior to the skid arriving.
refitted for final inspection. This proce-
dure can take up to five weeks and can
only be performed once the actual pump
is available for fitting.
Speed up of fitting
Modern production processes at Sulzer
Pumps using 3D CAD and visualization
tools ensure that the pipework is com-
pletely prefabricated, incorporating all the
Booster pump (left) and boiler feed pump (right).
8 | Sulzer Technical Review 1/2010
Seite 8
inspection and cleaning, prior to the skid
arriving . The pipework is fitted only
once when the skid arrives and only small
adjustments are made before the final
inspection.
This approach reduces the overall lead-
time for the assembly of a pump package
from 12 to 7 weeks on average. This
improvement is only possible if all sub-
components are in place and ready to fit
as soon as the baseplate enters the shop.
Three-dimensional design also offers engi-
neers the possibility to analyze addition-
al space requirements, like the room
needed for ventilators and silencers of a
noise hood, service openings, or accessi-
bility to the seal systems for service. The
engineers need to provide sufficient clear-
ance for stud, nut, and wrench for seal
assembly and removal. Clearance checks
in the virtual reality of a fully homolo-
gous 3D model on the computer allow
for the planning of additional measures
to ensure access for such tasks.
Supporting customer processes
An obvious strength of 3D design
programs is the visualization of the pump
assembly at a very early stage of the
project . This feature is helpful for the
planning of the whole plant, as it supports
the integration of the pump sets in the
surroundings of e.g., a power plant
with regard to pipework, wiring, high-
voltage connection, as well as instrumen-
tation and control.
If such models are created during the
inquiry phase of a project, customers can
th
get a very vivid impression of how the
pump will look and, at the same time, can
receive a large amount of reliable data
relating to requirements for space and T
hook-up to power supply. Because such p
custom models already include a lot of b
definite information, Sulzer Pumps is able o
to complete them very quickly in the o
event of an order and thus submit a
assembly drawings with binding dimen- m
sions within a very short time. o
Additionally, sub-suppliers and clients s
alike can use the 3D visualization p
provided by Sulzer Pumps in their down- t
stream engineering activities, which saves b
them the effort of creating models from
2D drawings (that were previously made P
available). As these detailed models T
provide the ability to recognize exactly d
the space conditions around the unit, such f
as intersections with process piping or f
room for safety runways, the Sulzer 3D p
models support civil engineering and s
plant design processes. C
S
 06_Thomas_d+e_Maquette_Artikel.qxd
h-
n-
e
n Complete boiler feed pump set for an EPR Nuclear Power Plant. Thanks to modern CAD tools,
the setup of the machines can be planned long before they are actually in the power plant.
e
n
a
d Three-dimensional modeling speeds up
h processes not only on the customer side
f but also on the vendor side. Other uses
e of the model include preliminary design
e of test bed arrangements. The pump
it assembly can be brought into the
n- modeled test bed area for preconfiguring
of the test bed piping on the computer
s screen. This computer-aided planning
n process reduces the time needed for the
n- test setup when the actual test runs must
s be performed.
m supply four boiler feed pump sets includ-
e Process proven in practice
s This improved process for the packaging
y design has already been put to practice
h for numerous projects including boiler
r feed pump set designs for several nuclear
D power plants, including a European Pres-
d surized Reactor (EPR) in France and in
China . The EPR design strategy is of
Sulzer HPT Multistage Barrel Casing Boiler Feed Pump in a thermal power station in Lippendorf, Germany.
09.03.10 07:34 Seite 9
DESIGN AND TESTING
an evolutionary type and takes advantage additional equipment, will increasingly
of over 30 years of operating experience speed up design and manufacturing
acquired by French and German design- processes for pumps and also support
ers and operators. The reactor will customer processes by facilitating the inte-
consume 17% less fuel due to the use of gration of Sulzer products in the clients
more efficient assemblies and higher plant layout.
turbine efficiency than previous reactors.
This improvement, along with refueling
Andy Thomas
outage times, which are two to three times Sulzer Pumps (UK) Ltd.
shorter, will increase annual power LS11 8BR Leeds
United Kingdom
output by 36% compared with current Phone +44 (113) 270 5790
reactors. Sulzer Pompes France has to andy.thomas@sulzer.com
Jean-Maurice Legoy
Sulzer Pompes France
ing the booster and the main pumps.
78712 Mantes la Jolie Cedex
Three of the sets will be in operation, and France
Phone +33 (1) 3477 7250
there is also a standby unit. Each of the jean-maurice.legoy@sulzer.com
pump sets has a design flow of 33% of
Martin Amann
the total flow required. Sulzer Pumpen Deutschland GmbH
The growing use of 3D-design tools for 76646 Bruchsal
Germany
pump arrangements, including drivers, Phone +49 7251 76 394
gears, baseplates, pipework, and other martin.amann@sulzer.com
Sulzer Technical Review 1/2010 | 9