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DotProduct Blog

Handheld 3D Scanning for Engine Mount Modifications to the Mount St. Elias Tugboat

3/30/2020

1 Comment

 
Tom Greaves, CMO - DotProduct Boston

Summary:

Handheld 3D scanning was used to capture the as-built state of two engines to inform design modifications for the Mount St. Elias tug.  Key findings include:
  • Handheld scanning delivers rapid 3D data capture executed with low-cost hardware.
  • The small data size of color point clouds allows sharing of initial results from the field to the office for QA/QC before the documentation crew leaves the site.
  • Handheld 3D data can be successfully aligned in the field which disambiguates equipment orientation
  • Handheld 3D point clouds are readily integrated with design files from industry standard applications including ShipConstructor and Navisworks.
  • Georeferenced images captured while scanning supplement 3D scan data to provide high levels of detail

Project Details:
The Mount St. Elias is a 95’ (LOA) high tower barge tug servicing the east coast of the United States.  Operated by Kirby Offshore Marine, the vessel was built in 2009 and is powered by two Caterpillar 3516 diesel engines each driving four-bladed Kaplan style propellers.

Following a noise and vibration study conducted by Advanced Mechanical Enterprises, Inc. (AME) earlier this year, Ship Architects, Inc. (SA) , Mobile, Alabama was commissioned to design modifications to the steel girders on which the engines are mounted to allow installation of six isolation mounts for each of the engines.  DotProduct was engaged to provide as-built capture services using its handheld 3D scanning solutions to inform the design.

DotProduct’s chief marketing officer Tom Greaves and marketing manager, Chris Ahern boarded the Mt. St. Elias in New Haven, CT shortly after the vessel arrived in port.  Their objective was to complete the scanning of the engine girders before the vessel was scheduled to get underway.  Scanning operations took approximately 2 hours however some of this time was required to remove the diamond plate decking beside the engines, some of which had to be cut to allow removal.
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​Figure 1 - Boarding the Mount St. Elias in New Haven, CT
Data capture was performed using the DotProduct DPI-8S running Dot3D Pro 3.3.1. To illuminate shadowed areas, FoxFury lights were attached to the DPI scanner.  A Brunson AccuScale kit was also used to assure dimensional integrity.

The scans were crudely aligned to ship coordinates in the field using the top of the fuel tank for a Z-reference plane and the bulkheads used for fore-and-aft alignment of the scan data.  After the data was aligned, it was transmitted to SA via a mobile hotspot.  The small file sizes of the DotProduct data enabled rapid transmission right from the engine room to Dropbox for retrieval by SA’s director of engineering, Josh Trippi.  The point cloud shown in Figure 5 is a mere 68 MB. According to Trippi, one of the key values of using handheld scanning is that “you get to see the results before the survey crew leaves the vessel – important when access is difficult or constrained”.

The next day DotProduct exported the data files in Autodesk ReCap format and uploaded these files to Dropbox for use by SA.  DotProduct’s Dot3D software can export ReCap RCS files directly removing the need for post processing in ReCap.  SA imported the ReCap files to Navisworks and aligned them to the engine girder model.  Trippi reports that all that was required was to translate the point clouds fore and aft and athwartships which was straightforward.  DotProduct achieved similar results using the Design Compare function (DCD) in Dot3D Pro.

The starting point for the design was a set of 2D drawings which were used by SA to model the girders and frames in SSI ShipConstructor.  See Figure 3.  Note that the outboard frames (purple and green) are representative only.
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Figure 2 - Capture of the starboard engine, port side detail
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Figure 3 – ShipConstructor Model of Mount St. Elias Engine Room
Installation of the six new isolation mounts to be supplied by Christie and Grey requires modifications to the top plate of the steel girders.  See Figure 4.
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Figure 4 - Top Plate Modifications to Engine Girders
Figure 5 shows a point cloud of the port side of the starboard engine.  The purple camera icons indicate the camera positions and orientation for a sequence of high resolution 2D images captured with the color point cloud.  These high-resolution images can provide import detail where scan data may be sparse.  Having the images georeferenced to the point cloud automatically by the Dot3D software relieves the designer of the problem of figuring out which image belongs where.  The user can navigate to the 3D location of the image by selecting it and can also navigate to the corresponding 2D image by selecting the camera icon in the point cloud.  Traditional walkdown workflows require the data capturer to log the details of camera locations manually – Dot3D Pro automates this.
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Figure 5 - Point Cloud of port side of starboard engine
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Figure 6 - High resolution, 2D image showing detail of port side of starboard engine
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​Figure 7 - Fuel filter modification
Ship Architects also discovered interferences for the new isolation mounts in the scan data including the location of a fuel filtration system, cooling system piping and other piping elements.  See Figure 7 and Figure 8.  These interferences are readily visible in Navisworks which has the point cloud data attached in its proper location and orientation to the 3D ShipConstructor model.
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Figure 8 - Proposed piping modifications
Conclusion:
The congested geometry of tug engine rooms, the need for rapid data collection imposed by short in-port access times, vibration caused by operating engines and of course budget constraints all speak to the strength of handheld scanning workflows for these applications.  Alternative methods, for example manual measurements supplemented with photographs risk missing critical measurements and can be very time consuming.  Moreover, it is not practical to share the results from the field to the office until after the documentation crew has left the vessel and the vessel has left port.  Tripod -scanning workflows are also burdened with multiple set-ups, associated registration of point clouds, higher equipment cost and the challenges of working on a vibrating platform.

About Kirby Corporation
Kirby Corporation operates the nation’s largest domestic tank barge operator transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii.  Kirby transports petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals by tank barge for a blue-chip list of customers. In the distribution and services segment, Kirby operates the largest marine diesel engine service and repair company in the country and also services engines in the industrial, power generation and land-based, or oilfield services, industries.  Kirby and its marine transportation and distribution and services segments have approximately 5,800 employees. Kirby’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange trading under the symbol “KEX”.

About DotProduct LLC
DotProduct LLC is a software company specializing in providing handheld 3D scanning solutions. Headquartered in Boston, the company has a development office in Wiesbaden, Germany. The company was founded in 2013 and released its first product in August 2013. DotProduct sells its products direct and through a worldwide network of resellers and has integrated its software solution with more than 30 third-party software developers including Leica Geosystems, Autodesk, Trimble, Bentley, and Robert McNeel & Associates.
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About Ship Architects, Inc.
Headquartered in Daphne, Alabama, Ship Architects is a naval architecture firm providing services for vessel design, vessel modifications, regulatory compliance, production and operations support, stability and estimating.  Founded in 1999. The company deploys modern design and analysis technologies including ShipConstructor, Navisworks, Rhinoceros, Orca3D, Maxsurf, Hydromax and Multiframe 4D.
​
About SSI
SSI has for over 30 years made it easy to solve the shipbuilding industry’s unique challenges by empowering shipbuilders to focus on the business of shipbuilding. Headquartered out of Victoria, Canada with US operations based in Mobile, AL, SSI works with shipbuilders worldwide to solve their business challenges through solutions like ShipConstructor and EnterprisePlatform, giving them the power to concentrate on what they do best – shipbuilding.
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COVID-19 Updates & Tugboat Engine Room Case Study

3/30/2020

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DotProductNews - March 2020

We hope you and yours are safe in this challenging time. The safety of our employees and customers is paramount, and we are here to support you. Here’s an update about the impact of COVID-19 on our business, a new case study on how handheld 3D scanning was used on a tugboat engine room upgrade by Ship Architects for Kirby Offshore Marine, Italian language support in Dot3D, and more.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.

DotProduct Operations Under COVID-19
We expect DotProduct operations to be fully sustained through this crisis. While we have moved most of our operations to our homes,we still have access to our physical inventory and shipping resources, and we are continuing to deliver. Sales and support resources remain fully available.While delays are possible, you can expect timely deliveries and prompt support from us.
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Free Trial Extensions: Continue testing Dot3D™ Pro from home
Many of you are facing a myriad of challenges to your usual business operations as a result of this outbreak. We are now offering free trial extensions to all interested parties. Intel® RealSense™ D415 depth camera kits will also continue to be available through us or from Intel directly. Please click here to obtain a free trial to Dot3D™ Pro. For those in need of trial extensions / reactivation, please contact us here.
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Free Webinar: Master Class in Handheld 3D Scanning
Learn from the best! Please join us on April 8th for a free webinar covering all the very latest functionality available to our customers in Dot3D Pro. This one-hour interactive course will review current best practices live in action, while also previewing some very exciting new features that are coming soon. Please click here to register now.
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This will be the first of several new workflow webinar offerings over the next couple months. Please stay tuned for invitations to several new webinars covering other new features, client case studies, and more.
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How can handheld 3D scanning help in these perilous COVID-19 times?
Despite the disruption of the virus, the need to maintain and repair critical infrastructure prevails. Much more is being asked of our public safety customers who are now exposed more than ever. Here’s how handheld 3D scanning work processes can help ease the burden and limit the exposure of those who’s work must continue:
  • Most handheld 3D scanning operations can be performed on site by one person.
  • Handheld scanning can often be executed more quickly than any other methods, which also minimizes worker exposure.
  • Handheld 3D scanning is non-contact, allowing measurements with limited or no surface contact and exposure.
  • DotProduct’s compressed data format allows the field conditions to be delivered over mobile networks, allowing supervisors to make informed decisions remotely. 
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Case Study: Handheld 3D Scanning for Engine Room Upgrades for Kirby Offshore Marine and Ship Architects
Here's a new case study, showing how our technology was used for an upgrade project on the Mount St. Elias tug boat executed by Ship Architects. Please click here for the full article. A shorter version can also be found in Marine Log.

Learn how:
  • The small data size of color point clouds allowed sharing of initial results from the field to the office for QA/QC before the documentation crew left the site.
  • Handheld-captured 3D point clouds were readily integrated with design files from ShipConstructor and Navisworks.
  • Geo-referenced images captured while scanning supplemented 3D scan data to provide high levels of detail.
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Italian language support expected in next Dot3D™ release
We will be supporting Italian in the next update to Dot3D™. This translation is currently being finalized and is expected in the next release. Thank you to our partner Silvio Foschi from iMoj for organizing this effort.
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DotPRoduct News - February 2020

3/24/2020

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Here's the latest from DotProduct. Read on to find out more about our latest video on using the new DPI Light Kit from FoxFury, our upcoming support for Japanese in Dot3D, our new tutorial on equipping the DPI-10 for use with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, our scanning workshops next week at the 2020 ACSR Conference in Reno, the new video from Arvizio highlighting the use of DP data in augmented reality, and the recent LinkedIn post from AVEVA highlighting DotProduct handheld scanning for managing the digital twin.

DotProduct provides real-time, handheld 3D capture solutions, for mobile professionals. Our newsletter aims to keep you up to date on how we're upending existing 3D technology markets and creating new opportunities for our customers.


-The DotProduct Team-

Tutorial Video: Setup and Charging the New DPI Light Kit
Please click here for a new tutorial on setting up the Rugo™ DPI Light Kit from FoxFury. This video also covers instructions for charging this new rugged kit and swapping the battery pack out.
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Japanese language support expected in next Dot3D release
We are glad to announce that we will be supporting Japanese in the next update to Dot3D. This translation is currently being finalized and is expected in the next release. Thank you to our reseller in Japan Myrtos for organizing this effort.
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Tutorial Video: How to Equip your DPI-10 for use with Tab S6
The new 2020 DPI-10 is compatible with both Microsoft Surface Go and Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 tablets. Please click here for a tutorial video on how to set your kit up for use with the Tab S6.
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ACSR 2020: DotProduct Handheld 3D Scanning Workshops
We invite you to join us in Reno next week for the 2020 ACSR Conference. DotProduct CMO Tom Greaves will be hosting workshops on Using Handheld Scanners to Document Your Crime Scene on March 3rd and 4th. Click here for more info.
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Arvizio Video: Visualization with Magic Leap and DotProduct
We are glad to see DotProduct scan data highlighted in this recent video from our partners at Arvizio. The video also covers some impressive features of their interactive AR environment.
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AVEVA Whitepaper: Enrich your as-built Digital Twin
It's great to see the DPI-8 highlighted in a recent LinkedIn post from AVEVA on aligning physical and digital assets with detailed data capture. We fit in nicely here and appreciate the inclusion. Please click here to download the full whitepaper.
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Also meet with us at these upcoming events...
March 3-5: 2020 ACSR Conference - Reno, NV
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    Authors

    Chris Ahern
    VP of Sales & Marketing
    ​Rafael Spring
    Chief Technology Officer

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