Case Study
3D Scanning of Ship for conversion into LPG tankers
Sector
- Ship 3D Scanning
Service
- 3D Laser Scanning
Location
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
Client Profile
Marine Engineering
Tools & Technologies Used
- FARO Focus Laser Scanner
- FARO SCENE
Project Impact
High-fidelity point cloud
856+ laser scans
Reduced rework, No manual work
Business Requirement
The client, a shipping company from Panama required complete 3D scanning of a
vessel following a change in ownership, covering all floors of the engine room, the
entire upper deck (250 m end to end), the funnel inside and out, the accommodation
exterior, and the pump room. The ship had also recently had new machinery
installed, and the new owner needed full visibility of all machinery, piping,
instruments, and tools on board, along with which systems and system
manufacturers were installed.
Proposed Solution
We carried out 3D laser scanning across the entire vessel, measuring 250 m in
length and 40 m in width. Checker plates in the bottom deck were removed to allow
scanning of the area beneath. Existing ship documents were collected to cross-
reference with the scan data and verify installed systems and equipment. A total of
685 scans were captured across the ship, completed in 28 hours using two FARO
scanners working in parallel. The point cloud data was processed and registered in
FARO SCENE.
Challenges Faced
The ship was anchored offshore, requiring a 3-hour tugboat journey from port to
reach the vessel. Boarding the ship from the tugboat at anchorage was difficult and
required careful coordination. The engine room presented extremely high noise
levels throughout scanning. The entire scan was completed in a continuous 28-hour
shift to stay within the ship's available window.
Outcome
Complete 3D documentation of the vessel covering all key areas, giving the new
owner full visibility into installed machinery, piping, instruments, and systems on
board.