A leading specialist in industrial drive and control technologies was contracted to manufacture and install a hydraulic system at the Ontario Graphite mine site in remote Kearney, Ontario. But the company, Bosch Rexroth, did not have the means to obtain the precise measurements of existing plant components that were needed to manufacture the new hydraulic system for the mine.
Bosch Rexroth asked for assistance from the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre team at Niagara College, which used the Faro Focus 3D laser scanner to scan the plant to capture geometric and physical proportions of the machinery. This innovative program used cloud-capacities to reveal the internal design limitations of the building in 3D images. The team then developed the scan data for the mine, and provided Bosch Rexroth with design information for its engineering team to use as the base for the hydraulic piping layout.
“By using 3D point cloud technology, the project team completed the entire design process ahead of schedule and below budget,” according to Jim Lambert, C.E.T., Design Manager with Bosch Rexroth. “Fully detailed piping drawings were created, allowing all pipes to be prefabricated ahead of time, eliminating the need for costly welding equipment and trades people on-site during the installation phase.”
Bosch estimates a 42 per cent savings in time and labour will be realized using the services and expertise at Niagara College and the Faro Focus and related software, purchased with an Applied Research Tools and Instruments grant.
