Yokogawa Electric Corporation has unveiled a groundbreaking addition to its OpreXTM Data Model Broker suite – the Design Diagram Converter. Part of the OpreX Connected Intelligence lineup, the Data Model Broker is a data transformation platform that harnesses ontology AI techniques to streamline data conversion and validation across diverse systems. The newly introduced Design Diagram Converter specializes in interpreting 2D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) and automatically generates intelligent counterparts, along with instrument lists, suitable for computerized processing. This innovation marks a significant leap in automating plant engineering tasks that previously demanded manual efforts, firmly aligning Yokogawa with the digital transformation of the industry.

The Background: P&IDs play a pivotal role in plant design, construction, operation, and maintenance across various industries. While essential for visual understanding, they typically lack the computer-friendly formatting necessary for efficient data exchange. Extracting and processing data from these P&ID drawings used to involve labor-intensive manual work prone to errors. Yokogawa addresses these challenges with the Design Diagram Converter, a highly accurate software that reads 2D CAD P&IDs, converts them into internationally standardized file formats, and generates instrumentation lists. This automation significantly reduces workload, enhances data quality by minimizing human error, and promotes the digitalization of plant engineering.

Key Features: The Design Diagram Converter boasts several key features, including its ability to automatically generate instrumentation lists by analyzing P&ID data. It utilizes pattern-matching techniques for data extraction, which can be fine-tuned to match specific drawings. This automation dramatically reduces labor time by approximately 60% compared to manual data extraction and list creation. Additionally, the software exports information in XML documents compliant with the ISO15926 international standard, facilitating the seamless use of design information across various systems and applications. Notably, the underlying ontology AI approach ensures a deeper understanding of information, mimicking human comprehension, and enhancing the software's capabilities.

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