The solution enables companies from the process industry (e.g. chemical, beverage, food, pharmaceutical), environment and water technology to increase productivity and quality in pipe fabrication and to reduce time and manufacturing costs. At the leading international trade fair for the process industry in Frankfurt a. Main, Germany, all components of the overall process, starting with plant design up to pipe fabrication, will be presented by Smap3D Plant Design GmbH and its partners.

CAD integration of Smap3D Plant Design

The heart of pipe design is the Smap3D Plant Design software, which can be used to realize 2D flow diagrams (P&ID), 3D piping design and isometric drawings for pipe fabrication. While Smap3D P&ID functions as a stand-alone CAD-independent solution, the Smap3D Piping & Isometric software package is fully embedded in the Solid Edge, SolidWorks and Inventor CAD systems. Nevertheless, interaction with Smap3D P&ID enables 100 percent process consistency. Three selected system houses will demonstrate the integrated Smap3D solution at the booth. Solid System Team, as Siemens Gold and Expert Partner, presents the integration into Solid Edge by means of the add-on Modular Plant Design. Solidpro, as an official SolidWorks partner and part of the Bechtle Group, will demonstrate integration into SolidWorks. Europe’s largest Autodesk system house Mensch und Maschine, as an Autodesk Platinum Partner, will present the variant with Inventor.

MES links pipe design and fabrication

In addition to its integrated P&ID, 3D Piping and Isometry package, Smap3D Plant Design also offers Smap3D PipeFab, a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) optimized for planning and controlling pipe fabrication. This modular and scalable solution connects design and fabrication by linking relevant design data with ERP data (e.g. master data) and technology data (e.g. welding gap) and stores the digital fabrication process in a database. Thus, all the information required for execution is available for the respective machines, which are also exhibited by selected manufacturers at the booth.

Machines for pipe processing and fabrication in live operation

Pipe Bending Systems from Lennestadt will be exhibiting its TuboBend 25A semi-automatic pipe bending machine at the trade show booth. This machine is mainly used in the individual and small series production of tube bending parts, for adaptation and maintenance work or as mobile assembly machine (e.g. on construction sites). Its compact and exposed bending head ensures maximum bending space. Optionally, the machine can be extended with various equipment options.

Polysoude presents various welding heads and technologies, such as the so-called TIG orbital welding. In addition to modular welding heads and tools, the French welding company has closed and open orbital welding heads as well as welding carriages in its portfolio. The products can be used even in severe conditions or for thin-walled pipes and meet highest quality requirements.

T-DRILL, a company with Finnish roots, will be showing its extremely efficient S-56 collaring machine for producing T-outlets for brazed and welded joints on both straight and bent tubes at the booth. The collaring process is fully automatic. The collaring heads allow three types of process: The drilling/collaring/trimming as well as the elliptical pilot hole for the butt weld method and the drilling/collaring for the lap joint method.