Companies to provide convergence of data-centric as-built engineering, using latest laser scanning technologies
San Ramon, CA, May 19, 2004 – AVEVA (LSE:AVV), a leading supplier of engineering IT systems for the process, energy and marine industries, has announced an alliance with Leica Geosystems HDS, Inc. (formerly Cyra), the 3D laser scanning products division of Leica Geosystems AG. The alliance is expected to bring significant improvements in the use of automatically captured ‘as-built’ plant information for new and ongoing engineering projects.
The announcement was made today at SPAR 2004, a dedicated industry event focused on laser scanning and related technologies.
Gathering and maintaining accurate information about existing plant facilities is a recognised challenge to the engineering industry. The problem becomes particularly evident during site revamps and extensions. Revamp design projects have to tie into and avoid physical “clashes” with existing installations for which there may be no reliable, up-to-date digital geometric model.
Increased recognition of the value of plant data and the need to execute revamp projects faster, with minimum downtime, are driving business adoption of laser-scanning technology (also known as High-Definition Surveying) on projects. Since the 1970s, AVEVA has had a long association with as-built engineering practices such as photogrammetry. However, recent advancements have made 3D laser-scanning a highly attractive option and project teams seek close integration with design systems, such as PDMS, to improve the cost effectiveness of revamp.
Leica are already acknowledged as being the market leader in the field of laser-scanning – a technique that employs reflected lasers to create geometrically accurate digital models of existing structures. The alliance will integrate their state-of-the-art 3D, laser-scanned survey data (known as ‘point cloud’ data) and their popular Cyclone software technology with AVEVA’s VANTAGE Plant Design Management System (PDMS). PDMS is one of the world’s most popular 3D plant design solutions with a major market share in almost every industry sector.
The alliance will extend AVEVA’s existing ‘proof-of-concept’ work, to deliver genuine advancements in utilising point cloud data within the VANTAGE environment. Leica’s full range of laser-scanning hardware products are known for their high accuracy and versatility in plant applications. Leica’s analysis software is able to process point cloud data for use with a PDMS design model. The versatility of Leica’s software provides strong data management, data masking, and accurate measurement extraction that includes ‘best-fit’ and ‘catalogue-fitting’ tools, even for very large data sets. The PDMS 3D model, at its as-designed, as-built or revamp project state, can then be used for advanced interference detection and design verification, including precise tie-point locations.
John Sanins, Head of VANTAGE Plant Design commented: "AVEVA’s as-built engineering strategy forms the platform on which we will provide open access to packaged laser point cloud data in PDMS, irrespective of the laser-scanning technology used in the plant survey. As part of that strategy, we wish to enhance and strengthen our data centric approach into revamp projects. This alliance recognises Leica as the leading laser-scanning product company in the market today with established technologies that complement our approach. Both Leica and AVEVA recognize the synergy between AVEVA’s data centric foundation and Leica’s high performance Object database architecture to support the sharing and development of extended technology. We are confident that our collaboration will offer considerable benefit to our mutual customers in the future."
Geoffrey Jacobs, Senior VP, Strategic Marketing, Leica Geosystems HDS, Inc., commented: “Leica supports the open strategy with AVEVA. This alliance will enable a complete workflow to be recognised, while enabling project teams to use the application appropriate to the project needs. With the worldwide presence of Leica Geosystems and the alliance with AVEVA, we see significant opportunities for increased market adoption.”
For further information contact:
Leica Geosystems HDS, Inc.
Tel (direct) 1-925-790-2317
Tel (central) 1-925-790-2300
Fax 1-925-790-2309
E-mail geoffrey.jacobs@cyra.com
AVEVA
Press Contact for the Americas:
Becky Stevens, Tel. 713 444-6860/Email: becky.stevens@virtualmarketing-pr.com
Corporate Press Contact:
Justin Roux, Tel. +44 122-355-6655/Email: justin.roux@aveva.com
AVEVA Americas Company Contact:
Delores Edwards, AVEVA, Inc., Tel. 713 977-1225/Email delores.edwards@aveva.com
About AVEVA Group plc
AVEVA Group plc is one of the world’s leading engineering IT solutions and services providers to the oil and gas, pulp and paper, power, chemical, pharmaceutical and shipbuilding industries. Formerly known as Cadcentre, the group has a history of groundbreaking innovation that spans five decades. It is one of the world’s fastest growing solutions providers and the founder of most of today’s empirical lifecycle engineering IT practices.
AVEVA Group plc operates globally through three divisions: AVEVA Consulting, AVEVA Managed Services and AVEVA Engineering IT. A fourth division, AVEVA Solutions, is responsible for product development. The group’s technology has been integral to the engineering process of industrial plants with a value in excess of US$500 billion for more than 800 clients across the globe, including leading plant owner/operators and engineering contractors such as 3M, Aker Kvaerner, ALSTOM Power, AMEC, BASF, DSME, DuPont, Engineers India Limited, Electricité de France, Foster Wheeler, Framatome, Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, KBR, Merck, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Petronas Carigali, Samsung Heavy Industries, Shell, Technip and Uhde.
Headquartered in Cambridge, England, AVEVA Group plc and its operating subsidiaries currently employ 350 staff in 25 offices worldwide, maintaining the consistency of their operation across six continents.
About Leica Geosystems HDS, Inc.
Leica Geosystems HDS Inc. (formerly Cyra Technologies Inc.), http://hds.leica-geosystems.com or www.cyra.com, is based in San Ramon, California. The company specializes in the development, manufacture and marketing of High-Definition Surveying™ (also known as 3D laser scanning) systems and software. These products are used for performing as-built, detail, engineering, and topographic surveys for a variety of 2D & 3D mapping and modeling applications in the AEC and other markets. The company was founded in 1993, was acquired in 2001 by Leica Geosystems AG, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is a leading hardware and software vendor in this emerging market.
About Leica Geosystems AG
Leica Geosystems AG is a world leader in spatial data acquisition and data handling products (www.leica-geosystems.com). The Swiss-headquartered company (SWX:LGSN on the Swiss Stock Exchange) operates five divisions and has more than 20 sales companies and 200 sales partners worldwide. The main markets that Leica Geosystems serves today are topographic and cadastral surveying, remote sensing, engineering, construction, GIS, mining, building, and industrial measurement markets. Leica Geosystems has the most comprehensive range of systems and solutions for the acquisition, modeling and visual represen
tation of spatial data using a variety of technologies such as lasers, GPS and imaging. The company has deep roots in the surveying systems business, providing customers with reliable, efficient and easy-to-use products based on innovative and leading-edge technologies. Leica Geosystems is also noted for an excellent global distribution network, reliable customer support, and partnerships with other leading companies in surveying, mapping and GIS.
