Process-industry engineering and construction firms can save significant amounts of

time and money, optimize process designs, gain access to thousands of analysis of
global production and property databases and achieve significant competitive
advantage through the use of model-based software applications for modular process
design.
E&Cs and their clients are always under pressure to get to the construction phase
quickly. Using model-based software applications, engineers can create process
designs for re-use in a modular fashion on similar projects, in varying locations,
applications and scales, increasing overall project management efficiency.

Reduce Design, Schedule, Cost Uncertainties

On-site build can be time-consuming and costly where there are logistics constraints
and unpredictable local labor conditions. Excel spreadsheets historically have been
the design engineers tool to model and calculate project schedules, costs, risks and
scope. However, with the help integrated engineering software, standardized
modularization offers a different approach. It involves dividing a plant into modules
that are then re-used multiple times, helping E&Cs to reduce direct project costs
product equipment units, logistics and installation by 10% or more, significantly
speeding up project engineering, procurement and construction delivery.
Off-site modular assembly from small to large-scale projects is becoming the preferred
method in plant engineering and construction. It solves many of the challenges of
tight project schedules, changing site conditions and the lack of skilled field labor
availability. Assembly in a factory also results in improved quality control. Units
derived from fabrication workshops can be pre-assembled for shipping anywhere
around the world and modular construction can be more easily handled by available
on-site skills.

Increase Speed, Reduce Cost

As the value of modular design and construction projects continues to increase, many
E&Cs have standardized on a single, unified platform of engineering solutions
containing integrated process-modeling analysis and design tools accessible through
process simulators. Engineers can optimize process designs for energy use, capital
and operating costs and product yield through the use of activated energy, economics
and equipment design during the modeling process.
Additionally, the best advanced process simulation tools available today offer access
to thousands of analysis representing global production, as well as extensive property
databases. Process units that have already been developed can be used as templates
and quickly accessed from within the process model when the next project is in
design. These templates help deliver faster project execution, meeting increasing
demands and minimizing performance issues, while complying with strict
environmental and product quality standards.
With a scalable process engineering platform, global organizations can seamlessly and
accurately bring together all aspects of front-end engineering design (FEED) and basic
engineering. This provides companies with a huge competitive advantage by
delivering process data packages for licensed technologies and other repeatable
designs in half the time currently required. In addition, model-based estimating
systems are powerful tools providing estimators with an early look at resource
constraints, such as craft labor and fabrication equipment. With this approach, the
efficacy of modules for projects can be easily evaluated, and firms can quickly adapt
to client requirements and market fluctuations.

Competitive Advantage

With capital-project investments today under scrutiny, modularization increases

project-management efficiency and presents opportunities for trade-offs between on-
site and off-site fabrication. Off-site modular assembly is an effective method of
construction to help oil, gas and petrochemical companies manage projects more
profitably. With modular construction, production time can be minimized as the shop
fabricator can efficiently and accurately fabricate items before shipping.
Furthermore, with standardized modular design, E&Cs have the opportunity to gain a
competitive edge by taking advantage of the unique characteristics of integrated
engineering modeling and analysis software tools. Repeatable designs allow
companies to save time re-entering data and enables optimization of a design across
the feasibility study, conceptual engineering and FEED work-flow. The software tools
also help knowledge-sharing across the organization. Modularization expedites project
execution by compressing project schedules and integrating global design teams for
faster on-time delivery, while reducing costs with technology innovations.
Ron Beck is director of industry marketing, engineering & construction for AspenTech.