case study

Making “Christmas trees” for onshore and subsea energy extraction

Using NX helps Moto Mecánica Argentina optimize equipment for oil and gas extraction

Making “Christmas trees” for onshore and subsea energy extraction

Moto Mecánica Argentina

Moto Mecánica Argentina specializes in the design, manufacture and service of equipment for the oil and gas industry, such as wellheads, Christmas trees, valves, actuators and surface safety systems. The company’s products and services meet the needs of onshore reservoirs, and the company is also rapidly expanding into the development of offshore equipment.

http://www.motomecanica.com/

Headquarters:
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Products:
NX
Industry Sector:
Energy & utilities

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NX has no limits. It is solid software. It doesn’t freeze up halfway, doesn’t crash and has no information loss.
Carlos Alcaje, Engineering Manager, Moto Mecánica Argentina

Designing better “Christmas trees” and other oilfield products

NX™ software is helping Moto Mecánica Argentina (MMA) make Christmas trees. Not the decorated trees associated with the holiday, these “trees” are assemblies of valves, spools and fittings used to monitor and control oil and gas well production.

For more than a decade, Moto Mecánica Argentina has been using NX computeraided design (CAD) software from Siemens Digital Industries Software, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions. MMA specializes in designing, manufacturing and servicing equipment for the oil and gas industry. While the company’s products and services have been used primarily for onshore applications, MMA is also rapidly expanding into the offshore equipment market.

MMA’s model BB-200 GL/DO (guide line/ diver operated) subsea trees require relatively simple designs for optimal performance. A simple design helps reduce installation work, saving time while increasing safety. BB-200 subsea trees are used in shallow waters together with MMA’s Mudline MJ1 system, which enables several satellite wells to be connected to a single platform, for a better cost/benefit ratio.

Using NX has helped Moto Mecánica improve engineering performance, design quality and capacity, while shortening the time required for engineering and manufacturing. “NX enabled us to develop all the engineering we have in place today, for both onshore and offshore applications,” says Carlos Alcaje, engineering manager at Moto Mecánica Argentina. “Subsea products are more complex than onshore products, which is why our design software has to be both efficient and solid to accommodate our needs.”

The use of NX enables modeling, design, digital simulation, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and product assembly. X-Plan, Siemens Digital Industries Software’s partner in Argentina, manages licenses for MMA, assists with implementation and provides ongoing support.

Designing better “Christmas trees” and other oilfield products

Sharing information among teams

MMA’s projects require multiple teams, each of which is responsible for part of the product lifecycle. Often, people work on the same project at the company’s Argentina and Brazil plants. The ability to share NX data helps the company’s teams collaborate concurrently. “Our workflow system enables us to control documentation, access permits and project reviews,” says Alcaje. “No one can act independently or individually. This helps ensure the work is a joint endeavor, involving talent from all teams with a combination of technology, design and innovation.”

NX also enables engineers to conduct compelling presentations using the software’s detailed 3D product visualization capabilities to show customers precise, photorealistic previews of products in action. “NX has no limits,” says Alcaje.

“It is solid software. It doesn’t freeze up halfway, doesn’t crash and has no information loss. At the end of the day, these are invaluable features for both CAD and CAM.”

NX has significantly improved the productivity of MMA’s design team, enabling it to focus on higher-value tasks. The company’s designers like using NX because of its exceptional architecture, fast response time and ease of use.

Alcaje notes, “NX has helped us further advance our wellhead and Christmas tree business, enabling us to work using an efficient, solid and secure process. We have found Siemens Digital Industries Software to be a key ally that speaks the same language as we do and is focused on details and quality – just like us.”

Sharing information among teams
NX enabled us to develop all the engineering we have in place today, for both onshore and offshore applications. Subsea products are more complex than onshore products, which is why our design software has to be sufficiently efficient and solid to accommodate our needs.
Carlos Alcaje, Engineering Manager, Moto Mecánica Argentina