Survey & Scanning
Marine 3D Laser Scanning & As-Built Engineering
Navtech provides FARO 3D laser scanning on board vessels and converts the results into accurate as-built models and drawings — so retrofit design starts from what the vessel actually is, rather than from drawings that stopped being true years ago.
Why scanning changes retrofit outcomes
On most vessels over ten years old, the as-fitted arrangement has drifted a long way from the drawing set. Pipes have been rerouted, equipment replaced with different footprints, and modifications made without documentation. Designing a retrofit against those drawings guarantees clashes discovered during installation, when they are most expensive to solve.
- Millimetre-accurate capture of congested machinery spaces
- Clash detection resolved on the model instead of at the bench
- Fewer dock days lost to fit-up problems and rework
- A reusable digital record of the vessel for future projects
- Reliable measurements without repeated vessel visits
Scanning and point cloud processing
We scan on board with minimal disruption to vessel operations, register the scan positions into a single coordinate system, and process the point cloud into a form engineers can work in directly — not just a viewer file.
- FARO laser scanning of engine rooms, pump rooms, tanks and decks
- Multi-position scan registration into one coordinate frame
- Point cloud cleaning, alignment and vessel-datum referencing
- Registered point cloud delivered in standard formats
- Attendance in the UAE, the Gulf and further afield as the project requires
As-built modelling and drawings
The point cloud is the raw material; the deliverable is usable engineering. We model structure, piping and equipment from the scan and produce the drawing set the vessel should have had — which then serves as the baseline for the retrofit design and for everything that follows it.
- As-built 3D models of structure, piping and equipment
- General arrangement, machinery space and system drawings from scan data
- Reconstruction of hull geometry for stability model rebuilds
- Dimensional verification against existing drawings
- Updated documentation sets for vessels with missing records
Survey and inspection services
Alongside scanning we carry out the conventional survey work that retrofit and repair projects need, so that a single attendance covers both the geometry and the condition assessment.
- On-hire and off-hire condition surveys
- Hull ultrasonic thickness gauging (UTG) and structural condition assessment
- Damage survey with costed repair assessment
- Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) survey support
- Bunker, draft and cargo survey attendance
Frequently asked questions
How long does scanning a machinery space take?
A typical engine room and pump room can usually be scanned in one to two days on board, depending on congestion and access. Point cloud processing and as-built modelling then takes one to three weeks depending on how much of the space needs to be modelled rather than simply captured.
Does the vessel need to be out of service or in dock?
No. Scanning is normally done with the vessel alongside or during cargo operations, and it does not require shutdown. Working around watchkeeping routines and hot work restrictions is standard for us.
What do we receive at the end?
At minimum the registered point cloud. Most clients also take the as-built 3D model and a drawing set, because that is what makes the scan usable for engineering. You own the data and can reuse it for later projects — which is often worth as much as the original scope.
Can scanning help if our stability documentation is unreliable?
Yes. Where hull form or compartment data is missing or suspect, scanning lets us rebuild an accurate geometric model as the basis for a new stability booklet. Combined with an inclining experiment, that produces documentation class will accept.
What do you need to quote a scanning scope?
Vessel type and location, which spaces need capture, whether you need only the point cloud or full as-built modelling and drawings, the intended use of the data, and your available attendance window.
Related engineering services
Have a vessel and a scope in mind?
Share your drawings, class society and target dates — we respond within 24–48 hours.