Engineering for a complex brownfield upgrade within an operational steel plant.
For the modernization of a Hot Strip Mill in Wallonia, R-Tech Design was engaged as an engineering partner for the expansion of the existing process plant. The steel plant produces high-quality coils for the aerospace, automotive, and general industries, among others, where reliability and continuity of production are of crucial importance.
Because the installation had to remain largely operational during the project, the greatest challenge lay in designing and integrating new utilities within an existing infrastructure without unplanned production downtime.
Our contribution
Within this project, R-Tech Design was responsible for:
✔ Process Flow Diagrams (PFD's)
✔ 3D-laserscanning & Reality Capture
✔ Site Survey & TIE-in Engineering
✔ Piping Engineering
✔ Engineering of utilities
✔ Demolition scope & shutdown planning
✔ 3D CAD modeling
✔ Augmented Reality validation
✔ Site coordination
✔ QA/QC documentation
The challenge
In brownfield projects, the available documentation is often incomplete or outdated. Before new installations could be designed, the existing piping systems and utilities first had to be fully mapped.
By digitally capturing the entire installation using 3D laser scanning, we identified all necessary TIE-ins and were able to accurately design the new piping installation based on the actual situation.
During planned maintenance shutdowns, temporary insulation measures were installed so that the new connections could be safely made without impacting ongoing production.
Engineering supported by digital technology
The generated point cloud formed the basis for the entire engineering.
This enabled us not only to model the new installations, but also to draw up a detailed demolition scope and plan the work per shutdown phase. As a result, risks during execution were significantly reduced.
In addition, the entire design was validated using Augmented Reality (AR). This allowed constructibility, accessibility, and future maintenance to be checked prior to execution.
From engineering to execution
Upon completion of the engineering, R-Tech Design also provided technical support during the construction phase.
We coordinated the various contractors and disciplines on the site, monitored the schedule during the co-activities, and provided the necessary QA/QC documentation to ensure quality throughout the entire project.
Result
By combining 3D Reality Capture, engineering, project coordination, and digital validation, a complex brownfield upgrade was successfully realized with minimal impact on production.
This project demonstrates how R-Tech Design supports complex industrial expansions, from the initial scan and engineering to the final execution and delivery.
Engineering complex upgrades. Delivering operational excellence.
