Pressure vessel cost estimation software

[73tiny]

I am currently working for a company that manufacture pressure vessels and heat exchangers. The quotations are produced by myself based on the experience gained over the years. We are currently experiencing a high volume of enquiries which I am struggling to quote. Does anyone know of any software that can assist me.
Ideally the software would have the norms installed and modifiable or alternatively the ability to build up the norms. The software has to be relatively easy to use and accurate, once I have this then the speed of the estimates will increase.

 

[bhushan76]

Check with ASPEN,I think they may have module for cost estimating. ASPEN EDR ( Exchanger Design Rating ) program has one form in which user can set up cost data. The program will in turn estimate the cost of heat exchanger, but for this you will have to perform your heat exchanger design in ASPEN.

 

[fegenbush]

I think Codeware (Compress) also has something, but you are required to design with their software. I have no experience using the estimating module, though.

 

[73tiny]

This is one of the problems I face, I do not really want to draw / design everything I quote. Sometimes I am quoting from free issue drawings or data sheets with all the necessary information on them.

 

[ColinPearson]

I also think COMPRESS has estimating functions, but have not looked personally. I do know that you can very rapidly build up a vessel, so even if you had to remodel each vessel in COMPRESS, it would not be a huge amount of time invested (per vessel, at least...)

However, I do not believe that COMPRESS will deal with too many internals. You can add things like trays, overlaid liners, etc, but not (as far as I know) cyclones, baffles, aeration taps, etc...

 

[iken]

Have you thought of creating a custom excel spreadsheet.

I created one some years back for a company I used to work with (had somehow added logic down to amounts of shhets I would use, not just a m2 for material cost). Dont have a copy now though.

This would be ideal for estimating, and the time taken to set this up would pay for itself after a few quotes.

 

[stanier]

How do you estimate something without doing a design first? Surely you need to know code, pressure, diameter, tangent length, types of heads, plate thickness, weld length and size, material, testing, inspection, transport, surface protection, NDE etc etc?

If you dont do a design how to you allow for things such as reinforcing plates.

If your estimate is going to be rough then just use rule of thumb data from past vessels based on volume.

Optimisation of plate use in design is key to profitability in tank and vessel manufacture.

"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/

 

[73tiny]

Stanier,
The scantling design is done by another company who then provide a cost for the complete design should we be succesfull. We have all the infomration you mention, the problem I face is the amount of them and the time it takes. If I had a software that had the estimating norms already in then this should be a case of selecting things and inserting current costs I think

 

[vesselfab]

we do a quick design with compress. not all openings

estimate is done with our own spread sheets we have developed over the years.

it takes longer to get the updated material prices than to do the labor estimates.

 

[73tiny]

vesselfab
I imagine I will have to start building my own spreadsheets as I go along. Not the ideal solution as its not just the estimating I am responsible for so as one task slows down, purchasing materials making sure the shop is productive speeds up.