YUKOS: From pencil and paper into world of hybrid graphics (CADmaster Magazine)

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This project was undertaken in cooperation with Consistent Software in Moscow, Russia.

The specialized design bureau (SDB) of Novokuybishevsky Oil-refinery plant (YUKOS corporation) was founded in 1953. In the beginning it was mainly focusing on maintenance and modernization of equipment and pipelines network and preparation of project documentation for main production and auxiliary facilities.

Since 90s specialists from the company were already able to solve various issues in all major parts of designing process - technological, mechanical, constructional, electrical and so on. And in the mid of 90s they started to implement all-round technology for designing of independent technological systems.

To fulfill the modern requirements for project documentation and to accomplish designs in the shortest possible time, a special CAD department was established, that has been focusing on the implementation of new hardware and software technologies.

Business Plan for Modernization

YUKOS, the fourth-biggest private oil company in the world (5th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards finalist), has been paying great attention to the implementation of modern technologies in all their departments and subsidiaries. Due to the specially developed business plan "Modernization of hardware and software of SDB", up-to-date computers, printers, reprographic complexes, as well as required software - AutoCAD, RasterArts applications (RasterID, WiseImage for Windows and WiseImage for AutoCAD), MechaniCS and PLANT-4D were planned to be installed.

Implementation

June 1999, Oil and Gas exhibition. SDB engineers have collected a large amount of information on hardware equipment and software applications. Consistent Software specialists have demonstrated different solutions that are based on well-known software packages as well as special add-ons that were developed by Consistent Software. The first meeting has shown that Consistent Software is the right company to deal with. It does not only sell (both software and hardware), but also adopt and develop its own software applications, provides competent technical support and is able to solve all-round issues in the implementation of new technology. So the first step for further contacts and mutual projects was made.

WiseImage for Windows

The purchase of OCE 9600 and raster editing application WiseImage for Windows was one of the important stages for the implementation of modern design standards. From old times the plant has accumulated a huge amount of paper drawings - tracing papers, blueprints and Whatmans. This intellectual capital can be very useful for plant modernization as well as for new construction. Before the introduction of the new technology from Consistent Software, designers had to redraw the archive drawings in AutoCAD or use old-fashioned application method to obtain updated images. Now all the archive drawings, paper documents from other design companies and logs can be easily involved in new projects' design. All the materials are scanned, updated with WiseImage by unique raster-vector editing technology and printed out. The speed has been increased many times:

The raster-editing package that the SDB engineers have started with - was WiseImage for Windows. Of course, it was hard to implement the program for every work place in SDB from the first day - all new inculcations require understanding and experience. A few enthusiasts have by testing and mistakes paved the way for other SDB designers. Surely, the transition from "redrawing in AutoCAD" to "updating by intelligent raster technology" was done by participation and support of Consistent Software specialists. But today you can hardly find a specialist in SDB who didn't try WiseImage at least once.

Results

The particular interest for WiseImage was paid in our heat and sanitary engineering department. We are working with internal heating networks and deal a lot with map-cases. The large amount of time had been spent to copy information from map-cases to provide updated or new networks drawings. WiseImage technology cardinally changed the situation.

Using this software, we are able to prepare a copy map-case in 30-40 minutes instead of 8-10 hours of manual redrawing. We scan the required paper drawings and then load them into WiseImage for Windows or WiseImage for AutoCAD to clean, remove speckles and redundant graphics and eliminate distortions (calibrate). Afterwards, the required fragment of the image can be cut out and used as digital raster part of hybrid document, over which new vector or raster elements can be plotted on. The new project can be done faster, more accurate and without boring operations! As soon as we get questions we can easily ask Consistent Software support and get fast and correct responses.

For example, we can show one of our first projects, where two scanned map-cases were cleaned out, calibrated and merged. During the enhancement process it was possible to connect some lines manually, using the unique WiseImage selection technology. The prepared raster image was further processed in AutoCAD, where sewerage system lines were mapped.

WiseImage for Windows is a full value package to edit raster images and convert them into vector documents. But our department was used to work with AutoCAD so we decided to implement WiseImage for AutoCAD - a perfect raster editing add-on for a well-known CAD application. To work with WiseImage functionality is as easy as with AutoCAD one - we can use the same settings and commands for both operations with raster and vector graphics.

The project below was completely done with WiseImage for AutoCAD. The fragment of a piping map-case was used as a basis for designing. The obtained fragment is the independent raster image, which was further cleaned out and updated.

The next document was also completely done with WiseImage for AutoCAD. Two separate images were used - one is a map-case fragment, the other one is a scanned picture from equipment's log. On the first one the equipment binding is displayed, the second one provides the equipment's dimensions.

Both raster images are processed and updated independently. All new lines and texts were also plotted in WiseImage for AutoCAD.

WiseImage for Windows and WiseImage for AutoCAD helps us to process paper drawings faster and turn down manual operations with "broken pencil and dirty paper". Previous routine work became more intelligent and creative.

The raster image of the project below was scanned from an archive's blueprint. The old drawing was used to plot new pipelines on. The image was processed with WiseImage for AutoCAD, which makes it possible to scan an image, clean and delete redundant raster objects and finally map necessary vector elements, lines and texts, simultaneously, all in one application.

Same technology was implemented for the next project too.

Conclusion

To conclude, it is important to mention that use of powerful hardware engineering machines and modern software applications has caused the transformation of habitual routine toil into efficient intellectual work. Moreover, the unique WiseImage technology has fastened operations with old archive drawings and the creation of new projects.

The last but not least, is the attention and support from the Consistent Software team that we have received. Thanks to their competence, energy and understanding we were be able to move significantly in the implementation of modern designing technologies.

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