Zverse Turns Legacy 2D Drawings into Usable CAD Assets for MRO

The 2D-to-3D automation infrastructure reduces redrawing project time.

Advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D modeling, simulation, digital twin, and additive manufacturing can add significant value when leveraged for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of legacy equipment. However, the technology gap between legacy assets and these digital technologies can be a costly barrier.

That’s the problem that CAD-as-a-service vendor ZVerse aims to address with its automation-assisted 2D-to-3D conversion service.

MRO for Legacy Equipment

Large rotating assets like turbines are a typical example of this type of legacy equipment. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

Large rotating assets like turbines are a typical example of this type of legacy equipment. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

For industrial enterprises with legacy or long service life assets, it can be a challenge to find a cost-effective way to keep a machine or asset in service as time goes on, especially if technical drawings for the asset exist only on paper. Of course, with today’s manufacturing technology, such as CNC milling and additive manufacturing, a digital part file is required for production of a part. In addition, digital part files are used for maintenance and planning operations, such as by creating a digital twin of an asset to simulate and monitor its condition.

Historically, the conversion of a 2D drawing to a 3D CAD file has been a time-consuming, manual engineering process. Redoing work, especially on an as-needed basis when maintenance is imminently required, is costly and inefficient, especially for engineers who are employed to create much more value than simply redrawing existing drawings. In addition, once 3D files are created, minimum batch production runs of the parts are manufactured and stored in warehouse space. Because of the high costs associated with the old way of doing things, industrial enterprises are interested in and are increasingly pressured to pursue technology solutions that can increase the speed and reduce the cost of redrawing paper or 2D PDF drawings and creating usable CAD files for legacy equipment.

Deployed industrial assets can spend significant portion of their usable life waiting to be repaired. According to ZVerse, prescriptive maintenance enabled by usable CAD files can extend asset lifetime by 20 to 30 percent.

How Does It Work?

According to ZVerse, the automated system will first intake a customer’s 2D drawing, generate a quote, and then use automation to generate a 3D file from the drawings. Files can be delivered to the customer in a variety of formats, such as STEP files or other 3D geometry file types.

High-Mix, Low-Volume MRO Part Production Enabled by CAD

Production of parts for legacy equipment is high-mix, low-volume. By reducing the quantity needed to cost-effectively make a replacement part, such as through CNC or additive manufacturing, enterprises can achieve lower overall maintenance costs, especially by avoiding the need to warehouse extra parts. In addition, lead time for a part is greatly reduced, especially if many different parts are needed.

According to ZVerse, by supporting MRO for legacy assets, industrial enterprises are also contributing to sustainability and the circular economy. By repairing assets and keeping them running, companies can avoid creating waste and can use resources more efficiently. In addition, upgrading MRO processes to make use of digital manufacturing technologies that enable smaller batch sizes also helps preserve the environment by reducing energy and materials usage.

While the sustainability impacts of improving MRO processes in this way are certainly a good thing, it’s likely that most engineers who leverage services like this one to redraw legacy drawings will be more interested in saving their own time and avoiding headaches—and moving on to more interesting tasks.