Simulation Analysis of Process Piping Construction

Previous research has demonstrated that automation can improve industrial pipe lifting productivity. However, there is little information on finding how much productivity can be improved in the other parts of pipe erection processes to coordinate with the productivity improvement in pipe lifting. The processes of piping construction include pipe delivery, pipe lifting, pipe alignment, pipe connection, and pipe inspection & connection. This paper studied the potential productivity improvement by simulating the process of piping operations in order to synchronize with the productivity improvement in piping lifting. This paper is based in part on previous findings from studies performed by Glass and Fisher at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984 and 1989. The semi-automated environment for piping erection assumes a Grove Pipe Manipulator attached to the boom nose of a 22-ton crane as the base piece of equipment for piping erection. A system model is established to simulate and analyze the process of piping construction. A simulation technique is developed in this study to identify the possible critical tasks and the factors of obstruction in the process of piping construction that would eliminate the productivity improvement in piping erection.