“The contract has been signed—whether you wanted it or not, now you must deliver. This is a last-ditch battle with unlimited potential.” That’s how Wu Runhua, General Manager of China Ruilin Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. (Ruilin), described the company’s first 3D design project.
Today, while many engineering firms in China are still exploring 3D design, Ruilin has made it a core competency. This capability is central to their strategy as a technology-driven, international engineering company.
Internal and External Motivations for 3D Design
Ruilin, formerly known as the Nanchang Nonferrous Metallurgy Design and Research Institute, is a joint-stock enterprise with a prominent role in China’s non-ferrous engineering sector.
Wu Runhua explained that Ruilin’s transition to 3D design was driven by both internal and external factors. Externally, there was growing market demand for 3D design. Internally, the company’s young engineers were eager to innovate. “We have a group of young people passionate about 3D design. Through collaboration with international companies, they saw the impact of 3D technology. Their attitude was, ‘Why not try something so promising?’” Wu Runhua shared.
Wu Runhua himself was one of these young innovators. While manual drafting was still standard, his first experience with DOS-based AutoCAD in 1997 fascinated him, making him a pioneer of CAD drawing at Ruilin.
However, widespread adoption of 3D design at Ruilin only began in April 2007, when the company purchased Bentley’s suite of 3D design software.
The First 3D Project: Learning by Doing
In July 2007, Ruilin launched its first 3D design project: the BHP Billiton copper smelter in Australia. Wu Runhua recalled that this project forced the company to choose—either abandon the project or embrace 3D technology.
It was an ambitious undertaking: the plan required pre-assembling the smelter in China, modularizing and disassembling it, then transporting the modules to Australia for on-site installation. Ruilin had to create a complete 3D model of the plant and design independent modules based on structural and transportation requirements. The modules would be shipped by land and sea for assembly in the Australian desert. Wu Runhua emphasized that such a project would have been nearly impossible without a 3D model as the foundation.
At that time, Ruilin had just acquired Bentley’s 3D software and was not yet proficient. “Facing the world’s largest mining company and its most complex copper smelting project, we had to start from scratch and complete the modular design in only three months. The pressure was immense,” Wu Runhua recalled.
The team’s confidence came from the fact that 3D design was already being practiced by engineering firms worldwide, proving its feasibility. To ensure success, Ruilin mobilized its best talent to form a dedicated 3D design team.
As a pioneer in China’s non-ferrous industry for 3D collaborative design, Ruilin received strong technical support from Bentley. At the start of the project, Bentley sent engineers to work alongside Ruilin’s team, providing customization, configuration, secondary development, and graphic solutions.
Ultimately, when Ruilin presented their design proposal in Australia, the plan earned high praise from the client.
Progressing Toward 3D Construction
After successfully completing its first 3D project, Ruilin gained a deeper appreciation for the value of 3D design. First, having 3D capabilities during project bidding allowed Ruilin to present proposals more clearly and comprehensively, leading to new client acquisitions. Second, even when clients did not explicitly require 3D design, using 3D collaborative technology improved project quality and efficiency.
In 2009, while working on the Tongling Nonferrous Copper Smelting Project, Ruilin decided to further advance its 3D applications. They used 3D technology not only for conceptual design and construction drawings, but also to support the construction process itself with 3D models.
The Tongling Nonferrous Copper Smelting Project, located in Tongling City, Anhui Province, is the largest copper smelting project in China and abroad, with a design investment exceeding 7 billion RMB. For this project, Ruilin utilized Bentley’s 3D collaborative design platform, including MicroStation for 3D design, ProjectWise for engineering content management, and PlantSpace for plant design.
Ruilin enabled collaboration between onsite designers and headquarters staff via ProjectWise, greatly enhancing efficiency. Ultimately, design efficiency improved by nearly 20%, and the project was delivered three months ahead of schedule. By continuously optimizing spatial arrangements with 3D technology, the team saved the client 10% on building structure costs. After completion, Ruilin provided a full 3D model to the client for future operations, maintenance, and management.
“3D construction drawings contain a vast amount of data,” Wu Runhua noted. “As our second milestone 3D project, the Tongling Nonferrous Copper Smelting Project gave us further insight: how should the company’s 3D design evolve?”
Establishing the Collaborative Design Department
Based on these experiences, Ruilin decided to strategically plan their overall 3D development and established a Collaborative Design Department. “This department represents the company and is responsible for developing and operating 3D design. It not only sets unified rules and procedures, but also implements company-wide data standardization for consistent 3D practices,” Wu Runhua explained.
He added that, after completing several 3D projects, Ruilin accumulated a wealth of foundational data. By standardizing and sharing this data within the company’s service center, it becomes accessible and reusable, greatly benefiting future 3D design advancements.
Wu Runhua believes that, as an engineering company with roots in design institutes, Ruilin is highly familiar with design. To grow, the company must expand its services across the project lifecycle—from early consulting to general contracting and project delivery. 3D collaborative design enables these business extensions. For example, general contracting can control costs more accurately via 3D design, and delivering a 3D model to the owner embeds valuable information for operations and maintenance.
Currently, Ruilin aims to establish an integrated information system with 3D design at its core, combining project management, financial management, and HR management. Wu Runhua explained that Ruilin will focus on developing 3D design capabilities across disciplines, connecting 2D and 3D data, and fully leveraging their data’s value. The company also plans to integrate the 3D collaborative platform with management tools, linking Bentley’s MicroStation, ProjectWise, and Oracle EBS.
“I believe that as 3D collaborative design technology evolves and is applied more deeply, it will not only drive industrialization but also impact many aspects of society. After all, to succeed in a three-dimensional world, we must excel at using three-dimensional technology,” Wu Runhua said. He remains optimistic about the future of 3D design.
Link
Three Essential Qualities for Outstanding 3D Design Engineers
Wu Runhua believes that the skills of 3D designers are critical to the success of 3D projects. To successfully transition from traditional 2D to 3D collaborative design, an engineering company must cultivate designers who are innovative, passionate, and unsatisfied with the status quo. In his view, an outstanding 3D design engineer should possess three key qualities:
First, being an excellent engineer is fundamental. The purpose of 3D design is not simply to create a model, but to build a correct model, which requires strong professional knowledge.
Second, a spirit of curiosity and innovation is vital. Top 3D engineers should not only be curious, but also maintain a relentless enthusiasm for innovation.
Third, they must have certain management skills. Unlike 2D design, which is often done individually, 3D design is collaborative. Only with management thinking can engineers fully realize the value of 3D collaboration.
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up