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Intergraph Smart 3D Piping

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English
Product
Intergraph Smart 3D
Subproduct
Piping
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Smart 3D Version
13
SmartPlant Foundation / SDx Version
10

Spools are collections of piping parts and the welds that hold them together. The software creates these spool assemblies by applying a set of rules that breaks the assemblies into pieces of a pipeline system. Each piece ends with a spool-breaking component or connection type. After a pipeline, block, or WBS item is spooled, the pipeline, block, or WBS item becomes the parent object of the spools. This process allows spools to be named after the pipeline, block, or WBS item and keeps track of spools that might be out of date, based on the modification date of the parent object.

There are two types of spools. Standard spools are based solely upon the pipeline that contains the spools and a set of spooling rules. Penetration spools can include parts from one or more pipeline systems. Each of the penetration spools is welded to a common penetration plate.

Generate Spools Command and Create Penetration Spools Command provide a dialog on which you can select objects for spooling. Each spool must consist of connected objects for the spooling to occur without errors. After generating the spools, the software stores them in the Model database and displays the spools on the Assembly tab in the Workspace Explorer.

After a spool is generated, the spool can be used to create an isometric drawing for fabrication. These drawings, typically referred to as spool sheets, are tied to the spool and are marked as being out-of-date if the spool is subsequently modified. The spool information can also be included on erection (construction) isometrics. To display the latest spool information on isometric drawings, set the option for showing spool piece identifiers for an isometric drawing style. Then, extract some test drawings using the updated isometric drawing style.

What Spools Include

The software includes in spools any piping component or piece of pipe that is assigned a fabrication type of by fabricator. Implied objects (such as bolts, nuts, and gaskets) that are associated with these parts are not included in spools. You can specify options to include an entire pipe/design support or pipe/design support parts in the same spool as the components to which they are welded. The supports must have the fabrication requirement set to by fabricator, the fabrication type set to shop fabricated, and the fabrication responsibility set to by piping. These are set in the support properties dialog under the Fabrication and Construction and Responsibility categories on the General tab.

Additionally, the software provides the ability to create penetration spools, which are used in marine and offshore projects. In penetration spools, multiple piping spools are included in the assembly along with the common penetration plate to which they are attached.

Where Spools Break

When the software processes a pipeline system, spools are created by identifying components or end-preparations that represent intrinsic breaks in the line. The software always breaks spools at field welds, bolted connections, and compression fittings. You can specify whether spools break at unions.

In addition, you can place control points at connection objects using the Insert > Control Point Command to break spools along the pipeline. You have the option to break only at control points, break at control points and intrinsic breaks, or to ignore control points. See the Spool Break by Control Point information in Options Tab (Spool Generation Dialog).

If the software finds a gap when processing a pipeline system, the software breaks the spool and proceeds with processing the remainder of the pipeline.

How Spools Are Named

The software uses a default naming rule to give each spool a unique name. The default spool name contains a prefix based on the spool parent and a mark number. The mark number ensures that the spool name is unique and to provide a sequencing of spools within a pipeline. You can modify the naming rules to match your company needs. See the Smart 3D Reference Data Help for information on naming rules.

You also can interactively change the name of a spool by selecting it, displaying the Spool Properties Dialog, and typing a different name.

Changing the Spooling Basis

You can base your spools on pipelines, planning blocks, or WBS items depending on your needs. If you need to change the spooling basis after spooling has begun, we recommend that you delete any existing spools, change the spooling basis, and then create new spools using the new spooling basis.

To change the spooling basis, in Microsoft Excel, open the [Product Folder]\CatalogData\Bulkload\Datafiles\BulkLoadIsoKeys.xls workbook. On the PipeMfgSpoolRule sheet in the SpoolingBasis column, type 0 to spool by pipelines, 1 to spool by planning blocks, or 2 to spool by WBS items. In column A of that row, be sure to put an M to indicate that you have modified the line. Save and exit the workbook. Bulkload the workbook to your catalog using the Add, modify, or delete records in existing catalog option.

Specifying Oversized Spools

At creation time, the software checks the size of each spool against the maximum length, height, and width spool dimensions that you can specify. The default values in the reference data are 40 feet by 8 feet by 8 feet, and you can temporarily change these values if required. To change the dimension values permanently, edit options on the PipeMfgSpoolRule sheet in the BulkLoadIsoKeys.xls workbook and then bulkload the workbook into the catalog.

The software marks spools that exceed the maximum size as oversized so that the designer can insert additional breaks as needed. This check helps to ensure the spools that require dipping in a tank for galvanization, descaling and pickling, and so forth fit in the immersion tank. Also, spools can be marked oversized that are too large to fit in fabrication equipment such as bending machines or annealing ovens, or are too large for shipping. You can check for oversized spools in the following ways:

Updating Spools

The software uses a detailed change management routine that prevents existing spools from being arbitrarily renumbered. When a pipeline is re-spooled, only the portion of the pipeline that has changed is impacted by the changes to its spools. New spools are only created as needed and existing spools do not lose their numbers (even if the result is that the numbers are now out of sequence within the pipeline). Existing spools are only deleted as required. This change management ensures that spools are not needlessly modified and that spool sheets are not marked as being out-of-date unless that is absolutely the case.

Deleting Spools

You can delete spools by selecting them on the Assembly tab of the Workspace Explorer and then selecting Delete Delete CLASSIC ICON. The piping parts that were assigned to the deleted spool are reassigned to the deleted spool assembly's parent object. In addition, the software automatically deletes a spool when the last part in the spool is deleted.