Jan/Feb 2006

Engineers who need to document or even design plant piping systems whilst actually in the field could save a lot of time with a portable software system developed by Alias and running on Panasonic Toughbook Tablet PC hardware. The package is available as a combined software-hardware bundle from independent computer reseller Centreprise.

Historically, engineers have tended to document piping using a tape measure, paper and pencil - a slow, arduous and potentially inaccurate method of working by modern standards. The I-Sketch Tablet system from Alias is said to speed up workflow significantly, as well as reducing data errors.

The system is based round the ISOGEN computer-aided design standard. Once I-Sketch Tablet is installed on the CF-18 Toughbook, piping engineers can walk through industrial plant, documenting as-built piping systems as they go or designing new ones from scratch. The results can be reviewed and marked up by the engineer, and a 3D graphical representation of the pipe can also be viewed.

Complete isometric drawings with bills of materials are then generated back in the office with a full copy of the software.

 

There is also provision for the system to import existing CAD drawings in IDF or PCF file format, so that the engineer can compare them with ground reality.