Power generation division readies for future energy demand with PLM

More people require more power

Siemens, a world leader in the energy industry, delivers solutions for the production of oil and gas, power generation, and the transmission and distribution of electrical energy. The Siemens Energy Fossil Power Generation Division offers highly efficient products and solutions for power generation based on fossil fuels. Its portfolio ranges from individual gas and steam turbines and generators to entire turnkey power plants. The division also provides instrumentation and control systems for every type of power plan.

Demand for the Fossil Power Generation Division’s products is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next 20 years. Other world issues facing the energy industry include demographic trends, resource scarcity and climate change. Population growth, for example, is most prevalent in cities, and more people now live in cities than in rural areas. This places extreme pressure on the existing energy infrastructure. Energy is a mission-critical industry; the products that the division produces are some of the industry’s most critical systems. The division’s highly efficient energy generation equipment must be produced in the most innovative and collaborative manner possible, on time and on budget.

Improving collaboration and information access

Part of working more efficiently involves improving global collaboration to ensure immediate access to accurate product information for all employees who can leverage the data, including those in Europe, Asia and America. “The current environment requires a new system that standardizes our processes and how we maintain our data, and how we work together,” says Dr. Michael Scheurlen, engineering IT (information technology) manager, Siemens Energy Fossil Power Generation Division.

The new system Scheurlen refers to is Teamcenter® software, the product lifecycle management (PLM) solution from Siemens Digital Industries Software. A thorough PLM implementation process, in which the Fossil Power Generation Division’s IT team worked collaboratively with Siemens Digital Industries Software, delivered a world-class solution tailored to meet the challenges facing the business.

“The primary challenge we faced was that our product design information was located in multiple databases at multiple uncontrolled locations,” says Sam Nasca, a project management specialist with the Fossil Power Generation Division. Computer-aided design (CAD) data alone was stored in six different databases. “With the implementation of Teamcenter, we’re bringing all of that data into one system that allows us to do true global collaboration.”

Information that was formerly stored in separate databases and departmental systems is now united using Teamcenter and is accessible by everyone involved in the product development process. Changes that take place in engineering can be validated immediately by production engineers. Conversely, changes that happen on the manufacturing floor can be validated by design engineers before production.

“Teamcenter contains CAD models, specifications, analysis models, reports – basically all of the tribal knowledge associated with our products,” says Lee Ann Baker, product definition lead in the Fossil Power Generation Division. “Our service personnel and manufacturing personnel can access CAD models and take measurements to create fixtures, for example, or to generate graphics for their reports. They can access a variety of information from one place very quickly."

Global concurrent engineering

This PLM solution benefits the Fossil Power Generation Division in many ways. It delivers a robust global environment for collaboration and encourages re-use of the best engineering designs. In addition, Teamcenter is a process automation portfolio, which the division is using to standardize workflows so that tasks are performed in the most efficient manner.

With Teamcenter software in place, the division can now promote global concur rent engineering with a single definition of the product, process or plant. This will lead to greater visibility, control and accuracy of information. The benefits of this project will ultimately prepare the organization for the future industry demands. This use of PLM technology is a key lever for business growth and a win for both Siemens Energy and its customers.