Using 3D Laser Scanning and SolidWorks to Plan Mining Shutdown Upgrades

 Using 3D Laser Scanning and SolidWorks to Plan Mining Shutdown Upgrades

Mining shutdowns are some of the most demanding engineering events in heavy industry. Mechanical upgrades, conveyor modifications, structural changes, and pump installations must often be completed within tight shutdown windows where every hour of downtime carries significant cost.

For engineers working in SolidWorks and other CAD platforms, one of the biggest challenges during shutdown planning is ensuring that new equipment and structures will fit within existing plant infrastructure.

Unfortunately, the reality in most mining operations is that existing drawings rarely match the current plant configuration.

Years of maintenance modifications, equipment replacements, and structural upgrades mean that many plants have evolved well beyond the original design documentation.

This is where 3D laser scanning and scan-to-CAD workflows have become critical tools for engineering teams.

You can read more about this approach here:
https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/3d-laser-scanning-mining-shutdowns/

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The Challenge of Designing Plant Upgrades in Existing Mining Facilities

Engineers designing plant upgrades often face several common problems:

• Outdated plant drawings
• Limited access to operating areas
• Complex pipework and structural congestion
• Tight shutdown installation windows
• High cost of shutdown delays

If new components are fabricated based on inaccurate measurements, they may not fit during installation. This can result in unexpected rework, site modifications, or shutdown schedule overruns.

For mining companies, even a small delay during a shutdown can translate into significant production losses.

This is why many engineering teams are now adopting laser scanning as part of their design workflow.

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How 3D Laser Scanning Supports Scan-to-CAD Workflows

Modern terrestrial laser scanners capture millions of measurement points across an industrial facility, generating what is known as a point cloud.

This point cloud becomes a highly accurate digital representation of the plant, allowing engineers to model new components directly within the scanned environment.

Once imported into engineering software, the scan data can be used to:

• Model conveyors, chutes, and transfer systems
• Design pump skids and pipework modifications
• Create structural steel upgrades
• Verify clearances and access platforms
• Perform clash detection before fabrication

By working within an accurate digital representation of the plant, engineers can significantly reduce installation risks during shutdowns.

More information on engineering-grade scanning workflows can be found here:
https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/home/engineering-grade-3d-laser-scanning-mining-industrial/

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Integrating Laser Scan Data with SolidWorks

For SolidWorks designers, point cloud data can be integrated into the design process through scan-to-CAD workflows.

Once the scan data is registered and processed, engineers can import the point cloud or mesh data into CAD environments to create accurate models of existing plant infrastructure.

This allows new equipment or structural designs to be developed within the true geometry of the facility, rather than relying on assumptions or manual measurements.

Typical mining projects using this workflow include:

• Conveyor upgrades and realignments
• Chute redesign and transfer improvements
• Pump and pipework installations
• Structural steel modifications
• Maintenance platform upgrades

When these components are designed using real scan data, fabrication drawings are far more reliable and installations during shutdowns become significantly smoother.

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Engineering-Grade Laser Scanning Across Mining Operations

Across the Australian mining industry, engineers are increasingly adopting reality capture technologies to support shutdown planning and plant upgrades.

These technologies allow engineering teams to move from site capture to fabrication-ready designs much faster than traditional survey methods.

Laser scanning is particularly valuable for:

• Brownfield plant upgrades
• Shutdown planning
• Maintenance and asset inspections
• Structural verification
• Digital plant modelling

If you are interested in engineering laser scanning services across Australia, more information is available here:

https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/home/engineering-services/3d-laser-scanning/3d-laser-scanning-across-australia/

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Why Scan-to-CAD is Becoming Standard Practice in Mining Engineering

Mining plants are complex environments with dense mechanical systems, structural steelwork, conveyors, pumps, and processing equipment.

Designing upgrades without accurate site data introduces unnecessary risk.

By integrating laser scanning with modern CAD tools such as SolidWorks, engineers can design plant modifications with a much higher level of confidence.

This approach helps engineering teams:

• Reduce shutdown installation risks
• Improve fabrication accuracy
• Minimise rework onsite
• Deliver upgrades faster and more efficiently

For many mining operations, scan-to-CAD workflows are quickly becoming a standard part of shutdown engineering planning.

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Learn More

If you would like to learn more about how 3D laser scanning supports mining shutdown planning and engineering design, visit:

https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/3d-laser-scanning-mining-shutdowns/

Importing FARO Point Clouds into SolidWorks for Engineering Drafting

 Importing FARO Point Clouds into SolidWorks for Engineering Drafting

Laser scanning is increasingly used in engineering projects where accurate information about existing infrastructure is required. In industries such as mining, manufacturing and industrial processing, engineers often need to capture the real geometry of plant infrastructure before beginning design work.

One of the common workflows we use involves capturing a FARO laser scan, processing the point cloud data, and then importing that data into SolidWorks to support engineering drafting and modelling.

This post outlines the workflow that has worked best for us so far.

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Why Use Laser Scanning for Engineering Drafting

Traditional engineering drawings often do not reflect the current condition of industrial facilities. Over time equipment is modified, structures are altered and undocumented changes accumulate.

Laser scanning provides a reliable way to capture the actual geometry of an industrial plant. This digital representation allows engineers to develop accurate designs for plant upgrades, structural modifications and equipment installations.

More information about engineering-grade laser scanning can be found here:

https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/home/engineering-services/3d-laser-scanning/

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Typical Workflow: FARO Scan to SolidWorks

Our workflow typically follows these steps.

1. Capture the Scan

The first step is capturing the point cloud using a FARO laser scanner. Multiple scan positions are used to capture the full geometry of the plant area.

This may include:

• conveyors

• structural platforms

• pipework

• access walkways

• equipment supports.

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2. Register and Clean the Point Cloud

The raw scans are then processed using FARO software to align the individual scan positions and create a unified point cloud.

At this stage we typically:

• register scans together

• remove noise or irrelevant data

• trim unnecessary regions of the scan.

Cleaning the point cloud significantly improves performance when importing the data into CAD software.

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3. Export the Point Cloud

Once processed, the scan is exported into a format suitable for CAD workflows.

Common export formats include:

• E57

• RCP / RCS

• PTS

• LAS

The choice depends on the software tools being used in the modelling workflow.

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4. Import the Point Cloud into SolidWorks

The point cloud can then be imported into SolidWorks using the ScanTo3D tools or compatible import workflows.

Some practical steps that have worked well include:

• reducing point density before import

• dividing large scans into smaller regions

• isolating specific plant areas for modelling.

Large plant scans can contain hundreds of millions of points, so optimisation before importing can improve performance significantly.

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Modelling from Point Clouds

Once the point cloud is available in SolidWorks, it is typically used as a reference for building parametric geometry rather than converting the cloud directly into mesh surfaces.

Typical modelling steps include:

• extracting planes from structural surfaces

• sketching profiles using point cloud references

• modelling structural members and equipment supports

• developing assemblies representing plant infrastructure.

This approach produces clean parametric models that are suitable for engineering drafting and fabrication drawings.

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Practical Tips for Working with Large Point Clouds

Based on experience, several practices have proven helpful.

Reduce Point Density

Very dense point clouds can slow down CAD performance. Reducing density in areas that are not required can significantly improve usability.

Divide Large Scans into Regions

Breaking scans into smaller files allows engineers to work on specific plant areas without loading the entire dataset.

Use the Cloud as Reference Geometry

Rather than converting the point cloud directly into mesh surfaces, it is often better to use the cloud as a visual reference while creating parametric geometry.

This results in cleaner engineering models.

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Engineering Drafting from Scan Data

Once parametric models are created, they can be used to produce detailed engineering drawings such as:

• structural steel drawings

• access platform layouts

• conveyor modifications

• equipment support structures.

This process allows engineers to develop accurate designs for brownfield plant upgrades where existing drawings may no longer reflect the current installation.

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Open Discussion: What Workflow Works Best?

The workflow above has worked well for many of our projects involving industrial infrastructure and plant upgrades.

However, point cloud workflows are constantly evolving.

We are interested to hear how other engineers approach this problem.

Questions worth discussing include:

• What point cloud formats work best for SolidWorks workflows?

• Are there better ways to optimise large point clouds before import?

• What software tools are people using to simplify scan data?

Sharing practical experience helps improve the overall workflow for engineers working with scan-based modelling.

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Laser Scanning and Digital Engineering

Laser scanning continues to play an important role in engineering projects involving existing infrastructure. By combining point cloud data with CAD modelling and drafting tools, engineers can develop accurate designs for complex industrial environments.

To learn more about engineering-grade laser scanning services visit:

https://www.hamiltonbydesign.com.au/home/engineering-services/3d-laser-scanning/