2006-06-27 — WARREN, Mich. - General Motors is the first automotive
manufacturer utilizing 3D technology to build state-of-the-art
facilities. GM has always been an industry leader for its use of 3D
math modeling to design world-class vehicles. Now, the company has
taken this technology a step further. GM facility engineers can strap
on special 3D goggles, step into a virtual cave, and see how a plant
looks before the first piece of steel is put in place. Results: GM’s
fastest assembly complex ever built, Lansing Delta Township, which was
constructed 20% faster than the five-year-old Lansing Grand River
facility; and a 442,000 square feet expansion of Flint Engine South,
constructed 27% faster than target.”GM operates more than 170 plants in 34 countries,” said Jim Wiemels,
Vice President and General Manager GM Manufacturing Engineering. “By
integrating this type of technology into our design build, we are
continuously improving, changing the construction industry and leading
in lean construction.”
Much like virtual reality games, GM
engineers, architects and contractors can enter another world, one
which only exists on the hard drive of a supercomputer, and collaborate
on best practices. Until recently, all facility designs were limited to
the traditional 2D world, where engineers had to hope that lines
intersecting on a page did not actually intersect in real life. Imagine
the problem of learning that a HVAC system intersected a water line and
all the time and money needed to fix that problem in the field. This
new virtual world helps compress design and build time and allows GM to
be more flexible in adjusting to the ever-changing vehicle market.
“Designing
in 3D allows suppliers to fabricate their building sub-systems in a
controlled environment, which leads to better work quality and less
rework, clutter and scrap on the job site,” said Dave Skiven, Executive
Director of Worldwide Facilities Group. “Simply put, this technology
adds quality and safety while subtracting time and money.”
GM
partnered with GHAFARI, Alberici Group, The Ideal Group, Inc. and Dee
Cramer, Inc. in achieving this math-based vision. GHAFARI was the main
architectural firm on both projects and led deployment of the 3D
Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology. Ideal was the main
contractor for the Flint Engine South facility; and Alberici was the
main contractor for Lansing Delta Township’s Body Shop, General
Assembly and Central Administration. The lead contractor for the
Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) was Dee Cramer,
Inc. The numbers alone reflect the scope of this complex project and
the coordination needed to make the dream a reality. Lansing Delta
Township took almost 1.2 million construction hours to build; and used
over 100,000 yards of concrete, 14,000 tons of structural steel, and
200 miles of wire during construction.
