This article originally appeared in Electric Energy magazine.

An early mentor in power delivery told me how the generation industry once enlisted craftspeople to build intricate scale models of power plant designs.

Though I never had the opportunity to work with one of those hand-made models, I immediately grasped their value. A physical representation of a complex system can be an effective tool for identifying problems and thinking through solutions. For some of us, it’s the way we learn best.

3D modeling allows a team of far-flung designers to “see” a project when it’s not practical or affordable to send them to visit a job site.

What are computer-aided design (CAD) programs if not digital model-builders? Engineers have long used CAD to design industrial, structural, and facility projects. Increasingly, power engineers are using the software to design substations, switching stations, and other delivery infrastructure.

Lately, my colleagues and I have been taking the next step by transforming CAD files into physical models using 3D printing technology. We’ve discovered this modern take on physical model making provides some clear benefits for designers and clients.

Perfect for smaller project sites

One way utilities improve grid reliability is by increasing electrical path redundancy at substations and switching stations. These upgrades are relatively straight forward when the stations are sited in large land parcels on the perimeter of a community. The task becomes considerably more challenging in a restricted project site in the center of a community.

Undoubtedly, we’ve reached the point where project sites are only going to get smaller. This is where physical 3D modeling truly shines.

Ring configuration represents a perfect example of the efficacy of 3D modeling. Configuring a ring is no problem with abundant space. But when the site is restricted, maintaining proper clearances from other equipment becomes more difficult. Digital and physical 3D models help designers track clearances in a way that 2D line drawings cannot. And they work equally well for tracking phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground clearances.

An invaluable design tool

Physical 3Dmodeling improves an engineer’s ability to identify issues before they result in potentially costly construction delays. This alone makes the modeling resin a worthwhile investment.

It may sound obvious, but the ability to see a project from all perspectives in full dimensions reveals details that otherwise hide from sight and mind. Using models, I routinely uncover and address problems even before a project reaches30-percent design, let alone before it’s in quality assurance/quality control.

One of the most stressful aspects of any project build involves having to make design alterations during construction. The use of digital and physical 3D modeling may not eliminate that stress, but it undoubtedly reduces it.

A unique educational tool

The equipment we use and the projects we build are complex. A physical 3D model represents the perfect learning aid when explaining projects to utility personnel, board members, or others without technical backgrounds.

Just have them hold a scale model of the new transformer that’s going into a retrofitted substation. Now explain the piece of equipment they’re holding weighs 24 tons when filled with oil. This simple exercise helps them better appreciate the scale of the equipment and illustrates the need for a reinforced structure to support the transformer and contain any oil that might leak.

A powerful training tool

3D printers are also effective for training junior engineers and technicians. We can 3D print scale models of circuit breakers, switches, reactors, connectors, pads, tubs, etc. All of these helps inform young engineers about the projects they are designing.

3D modeling allows a team of far-flung designers to “see” a project when it’s not practical or affordable to send them to visit a job site. There is no doubt the models help young professionals significantly cut down learning curves. And I’ve heard more than a few experienced engineers say they wish they had these tools when they entered the discipline.

The use of digital and physical 3D modeling elevates deliverables, reduces errors, improves code compliance, and better educates clients and junior engineers. Frankly, it’s difficult to identify a downside of making 3D CAD programs and 3D printers standard tools in the power delivery industry.

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