The growing complexity of CAD models poses a major challenge for plant designers and process engineers. With files that can reach several hundred megabytes, integrating these models into plant design systems can become a real technical and logistical nightmare. CAD model simplification now represents an essential step to optimize industrial layout, reduce design time, and maximize the efficiency of collaborative workflows.
Voluminous and hyper-detailed assemblies from modern MCAD systems like CATIA, NX, or SolidWorks often contain thousands of components, most of which are irrelevant for plant planning. This overabundance of details leads to system slowdowns, data exchange problems, and fragmented workflows that can significantly delay production implementation.
Table of contents
- Understanding the complexity of industrial CAD models
- Simplification needs for plant layout
- Effective CAD simplification strategies
- Measurable benefits of simplification for industry
- Technical challenges of simplification
- The CADfix PPS solution for model simplification
- Implementation methodology
- Industrial case studies
- Future trends in CAD simplification
- Conclusion and recommendations
Understanding the complexity of industrial CAD models
Modern industrial CAD models have reached unprecedented levels of complexity. A simple production equipment can contain thousands of individual components, each modeled with extreme precision including features such as threads, fillets, chamfers, and other micrometric details essential for manufacturing but superfluous for plant planning.
This complexity originates from several factors:
- The constant evolution of CAD software capabilities allowing increasingly detailed modeling
- Growing precision requirements in manufacturing processes
- The need to faithfully represent all functional aspects of equipment
- The accumulation of details from multiple subcontractors and suppliers
In a typical industrial context, a complete equipment model can easily reach 800 MB to several GB, making its integration into plant planning systems extremely difficult, if not impossible without prior simplification.
Simplification needs for plant layout
Plant layout requires a different approach than detailed equipment design. Plant designers need to manipulate numerous models simultaneously to optimize production flows, ensure safety, facilitate maintenance, and maximize spatial efficiency.
The main simplification needs in industrial layout include:
- System performance: Enabling smooth manipulation of multiple 3D models without slowdowns
- Visual simplification: Eliminating superfluous details to focus on overall space requirements
- Cross-system compatibility: Facilitating data exchange between different platforms (CAD, BIM, simulation, etc.)
- Intellectual property protection: Sharing models with partners without revealing confidential design details
- Workflow acceleration: Reducing file loading, saving, and transfer times
A particularly critical problem arises when integrating equipment from suppliers using different CAD systems. Without appropriate simplification, incorporating these heterogeneous models into a unified plant layout system can require weeks of manual reconstruction work.
Effective CAD simplification strategies
Effective CAD model simplification for plant layout relies on several complementary strategies that significantly reduce file size and complexity while preserving essential information.
| Strategy | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Internal component removal | Elimination of parts not visible from outside | Massive reduction in component count without visual impact |
| Small part removal | Elimination of components below a certain size threshold | Reduction in object count with minimal visual impact |
| Geometric simplification | Replacement of complex shapes with primitives (boxes, cylinders) | Drastic reduction in the number of surfaces and edges |
| Feature suppression | Elimination of fillets, chamfers, holes, and other details | Major geometry simplification without altering overall dimensions |
| Mesh decimation | Reduction in the number of facets in meshed representations | Lightening of faceted models while preserving appearance |
Applying these strategies requires a delicate balance between complexity reduction and preservation of essential characteristics for plant layout, such as connection areas, user interfaces, and maintenance access zones.
Measurable benefits of simplification for industry
CAD model simplification for plant layout generates significant quantifiable benefits that directly impact project productivity and profitability:
- File size reduction: Decreases of 70% to 90% in file size are commonly observed, transforming models of several GB into files of a few hundred MB
- Loading time acceleration: Simplified models load up to 10 times faster in plant layout software
- Project timeline reduction: Up to 50% reduction in total time spent on equipment model integration
- IT cost reduction: Less powerful hardware configurations become sufficient to manipulate simplified models
- Collaboration improvement: Smoother data sharing between partners with transfers up to 80% faster
These benefits translate concretely into accelerated time-to-market and significant development cost reduction. Case studies across various industrial sectors show a typical return on investment in less than 6 months for CAD simplification solutions.
Technical challenges of simplification
Despite its obvious advantages, CAD model simplification for plant layout presents several technical challenges that require special attention:
- Geometric integrity preservation: Ensuring that bounding volumes and critical interfaces remain accurate after simplification
- Multi-level assembly management: Maintaining the hierarchical structure of complex assemblies while simplifying their components
- Format interoperability: Ensuring compatibility between different native and neutral CAD formats used in the industrial chain
- Critical element identification: Automatically determining which features must be preserved and which can be simplified
- Process automation: Developing rules and workflows that effectively process large volumes of data without extensive manual intervention
Solving these challenges requires specialized tools that combine sophisticated geometric processing algorithms with a deep understanding of the specific needs of plant layout.
CADfix PPS: Complete solution for model simplification
Among the solutions available on the market, CADfix PPS (Plant and Process Simplification) stands out as a solution specially designed to meet the needs of CAD model simplification in the context of plant layout.
CADfix PPS offers a comprehensive set of features that optimize complex CAD models for efficient integration into plant design systems:
- Multi-format support: Import from all major CAD systems (CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Creo, etc.) and neutral formats (STEP, IGES, JT, etc.)
- Automatic simplification assistant: Guided process with several levels of simplification configurable according to needs
- Intelligent deconstruction: Analysis and division of complex parts for optimal simplification
- Advanced geometric simplification: Conversion of complex shapes into simple geometric primitives (boxes, cylinders, extrusions, revolutions)
- Intelligent detail removal: Automatic elimination of holes, protrusions, fillets, and non-essential features
- Batch processing: Process automation to handle large volumes of data
- Assembly structure management: Preservation of assembly hierarchies during simplification
The latest CADfix PPS 3 version introduces significant improvements such as auto-cleanup during import for more efficient simplification and a new facet count tool that reduces the number of facets in existing bodies.
The user interface has also been optimized to improve interaction and workflow, with a new progress tool showing progress made in reducing model size.
Implementation methodology
The successful implementation of a CAD simplification solution like CADfix PPS in a plant layout environment requires a structured methodology:
- Needs analysis: Precise identification of simplification requirements (required level of detail, exchange formats, etc.)
- Simplification rule definition: Establishment of standard parameters for different equipment types
- Integration into existing workflows: Process adaptation to incorporate the simplification step
- User training: Preparing teams for effective use of simplification tools
- Quality process implementation: Definition of validation criteria to ensure the adequacy of simplified models
- Progressive automation: Development of scripts and automated procedures for recurring cases
This methodical approach maximizes the benefits of simplification while minimizing disruptions to existing processes. It also facilitates adoption by teams by quickly demonstrating the added value of the solution.
Industrial case studies
The effectiveness of CAD simplification solutions like CADfix PPS is demonstrated by several concrete successes in various industrial sectors:
Case 1: Shipbuilding - HD Hyundai Mipo
Jaesun Lee, engineer at HD Hyundai Mipo, testifies: "CADfix PPS is the best simplification tool for using large STEP files in a shipbuilding CAD system. By purchasing CADfix PPS, we were able to bypass the remodeling tasks in the shipbuilding CAD system based on 2D drawings, which led to significant reductions in associated time and costs."
Case 2: Manufacturing Industry
An international manufacturing company reduced a 800 MB STEP model to just 29 MB using CADfix PPS, while retaining all essential functional information. This level of simplification allowed seamless integration into their plant planning systems, reducing integration time from several days to just a few hours.
Case 3: Energy Sector
A major energy sector player used CADfix PPS to simplify complex production equipment assemblies. Simplification time was reduced by 70%, and the simplified models showed a 90% performance improvement in installation planning systems.
In all these cases, common benefits include:
- Drastic reduction in file size (70-90%)
- Elimination of manual remodeling work
- Significant acceleration of integration workflows
- Improved performance of planning systems
- Effective intellectual property protection during exchanges
Future trends in CAD simplification
The field of CAD model simplification for plant layout continues to evolve rapidly, with several emerging trends shaping the future of this technology:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Development of algorithms capable of automatically identifying critical elements to preserve during simplification
- Cloud-based simplification: Deployment of powerful simplification solutions accessible remotely, reducing local hardware requirements
- Integration with digital twins: Synchronization of simplified models with their detailed equivalents in a digital twin environment
- Multi-resolution approaches: Creation of adaptive models that dynamically adjust their level of detail according to the context of use
- Metadata standardization: Definition of standards for preserving functional information during simplification
These advances promise to make CAD simplification even more accessible, effective, and integrated into industrial layout processes, contributing to a more complete digitalization of industry.
Conclusion and recommendations
CAD model simplification now represents an essential link in the value chain of modern plant layout. Faced with the growing complexity of industrial equipment and the heterogeneity of CAD systems, adopting a specialized solution like CADfix PPS becomes a determining factor for competitiveness.
For companies wishing to optimize their plant layout processes, we recommend:
- Assessing the current impact of CAD model complexity on project timelines and costs
- Defining a simplification strategy adapted to the company's specific needs
- Integrating simplification as a systematic step in industrial layout workflows
- Training teams in best practices for simplification and data exchange
- Measuring and documenting productivity gains to justify continued investment
In conclusion, CAD model simplification for plant layout is not just a technical response to a computer performance problem, but a strategic approach that accelerates innovation, improves collaboration, and optimizes the entire industrial design process. Companies that adopt it gain a significant advantage in terms of agility, responsiveness, and ability to effectively manage the growing complexity of modern industrial environments.
