Marsden Point in miniature

Press, 6 May 1983, Page 13

Marsden Point in miniature

Few people may know that two Marsden Point Oil Refinery expansions are under construction. While the actual plant begins to take shape in concrete and steel at Marsden Point, a miniaturised version in plastic and glue is nearing completion in The Hague. The model, being built by the expansion contractor Badger-Chi-yoda, has taken 10,000 man hours and $650,000 to produce. The size of an Olympic swimming pool it is due to be shipped to New Zealand later this year. Meanwhile, a small section of the model which shows how the expansion will link up with the fgdsting refinery is s£ing shape in

an office at Marsden Point. A professional British industrial model-maker, Bob Calverley, has spent more than 500 painstaking hours carefully building up the linking section. One of a handful of industrial model-makers in New Zealand, Mr Calverley believes the model he is finishing is probably the most detailed to be produced in this country. Some of the valves and instruments are not much bigger than a pinhead when "shrunk” to model scale.

Far from being a toy, the model, built on a scale of one to 33%, is a necessary design tool in modem engineering pisjects which involve

many kilometres of piping. Apart from reducing the number of drawings necessary, the model eliminates many expensive “on-the-job” corrections. As the model goes together engineers and plant operators make all necessary construction changes before committing themselves to expensive on-site work.

Although design and chemical engineers inspect the model and communicate any problems they see in their fields, it is often someone like a plant operator, more aware of maintenance problems, who finds there is insufficient room around a piece bf equipment “When they lookjat it all in 3-D

it often takes them a couple of hours to complete what would take days using only drawings,” Mr Calverley says. The model is not only useful for design work It is an excellent communications tool which can also be used to answer construction problems. To ensure the model is accessible during construction it will be housed in a special, 2500 square metre building on the expansion site. Even when the last pipe is fitted the model will be more than just a showcase for visitors. It will be used to train new plant operators and familiarise them with the plant and location of equipment.