We recently interviewed Dave Danko, lead technician of the Dimension Control Layout and Survey (DCLS) group at BP’s Whiting Refinery, about this group’s experiences with laser scanning and how it fits into their dimensional control practices.
Producing 16 million gallons of product per day, half of which is gasoline, the Whiting Refinery is BP’s second-largest, and is the third-largest refinery in the United States. First built in 1889, the refinery is sited on 1400 acres in northwest Indiana, employs approximately 1200 people and operates 365 x 24.
The DCLS group was formed following the construction of a new unit in the early ’90s, a project plagued by expensive alloy and stainless piping rework. A pipe sketching fabrication quality action team was convened to find new ways to reduce rework from unacceptably high levels of order of 50%. The team was drawn from the ranks of engineering, construction, craft trades including welding and pipefitting, as well as the drafting group. In June 1994 the team submitted its recommendations in a report to the maintenance manager. Subsequently the team implemented significant work process changes including the introduction of AutoCAD and CADPIPE for layout and dimensioning of construction spool sheets and also for creation of fabrication isometrics, bills-of-material and inspection isometrics. Today the DCLS group uses AutoCAD 2004, CADPIPE, NavisWorks, Leica HDS Cyclone 4.1 (just upgraded to Cyclone 5.1) and CloudWorx, as well as third-party dimensional control software.
