Analysis Tools

Analysis Visual Report Information and Controls

Managing context parameters, best-fit calculations, zero translation, transform tools, and visual controls in automet® FAB.

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Flange Context Details and Configuration Controls

The sidebar menu displays detailed context metrics and adjustment settings for each component selected in the visual report.

Flange context details and configuration panel

Bolted up

automet® FAB automatically assigns the Bolted up condition when the calculated distance between the diameter-point plane (D) and the stop point (S) matches a two-flange joint thickness. Operators can manually uncheck this setting if a single heavy flange is misidentified.

Diameter, stop, and workpoint indicators

• D (Diameter plane) and S (Stop point): Circled interface markers indicating physical point locations recorded during field capture.
• Tie-in and design spool: Refers to the nominal pipe spool design loaded at project start.
• Gap and thickness overrides: Field-measured flange thicknesses and gasket gap values can be typed directly into the input fields, overriding default database values.

Ignore length

Enabling Ignore length removes the axial length vector from best-fit mathematical constraints:

• Open pipe ends: By default, open pipe ends are set to ignore length, allowing for excess material without distorting overall spool alignment.
• Custom configuration: Any flange can be configured to ignore length, or open pipe ends configured to enforce length, depending on site requirements.

Fit preference

The Fit preference slider controls the mathematical weighting applied during best-fit routines:

• Position: Prioritises reducing vector location errors (black arrows).
• Alignment: Prioritises reducing flange face angular touchpoint errors (gold values).
• Reset to defaults: Pressing Reset to defaults restores original parameters without risk of data corruption. Refer to fit preference slider analysis for further details.

Individual bolt hole observations

The lower table lists recorded bolt hole observations for the selected flange:

• Pitch and radius errors: Displays angular pitch error (degrees) and radial distance variance relative to nominal pitch circle diameter (PCD) dimensions.
• Excluding bad observations: Unchecking the Fit box for an individual bolt hole removes an outlier measurement from PCD calculations without deleting raw survey data.
• Pipe end radius: When evaluating open pipe ends, radial errors represent individual diameter observations.

Touchpoint at OD

By default, face gap calculations display clearance at the flange raised face. Selecting Touchpoint at OD projects gap dimensions to the outer diameter of the flange.

Vector and touchpoint display scale

The visual scale of vector error arrows and touchpoint leader lines can be resized independently for each flange or pipe end to clean up visual report graphics.

Fit and Show Control Options

The primary controls panel manages component inclusion across the best-fit algorithm and graphical display layers:

• Fit checkbox: Controls whether a flange, hub, or pipe end is included in the mathematical best-fit alignment. Unchecking an item excludes it from alignment calculations while retaining its measured variance values in report tables.
• Show checkbox: Toggles the visibility of specific elements (such as circle-fit centerlines) on visual reports.

Fit and show checkboxes in the primary analysis panel

Zeroing a Flange to Isolate Gross Errors

By default, automet® FAB uses a least-squares averaging algorithm that distributes measurement variance across all flanges. While optimal for compliant spools, this averaging method can mask localized fabrication errors.

Selecting the Zero checkbox on a specific flange anchors the coordinate origin directly to that component, transferring all relative variance onto remaining spools.

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Video tutorial: Demonstrates zeroing a flange and dropping components from the fit to isolate gross fabrication errors: (2:14 mins)

▶ Watch video

Default least-squares fit averaging error across all components

Selecting Zero at Flange 01 translates coordinates along grid lines to align design and survey origins precisely at Flange 01:

Zero option selected for Flange 01

Report translated to zero vector error at Flange 01

Translating the origin reveals gross fabrication errors located elsewhere on the spool, such as excessive vector displacement or face gaps at secondary flanges:

Isolating severe angular and vector error at Flange 02

Dropping a Flange From the Fit

Unchecking the Fit checkbox for a specific component removes its data points from the mathematical fit.

When surveying a two-flange spool, dropping Flange 02 forces the alignment model entirely onto Flange 01. Flange 01 displays zero position, orientation, and face error, while Flange 02 displays the true unadjusted error relative to Flange 01.

On multi-flange spools (three or more connections), dropping a single flange fits the remaining components via least-squares averaging, isolating specific branch fabrication errors (such as an incorrect pipe leg length):

Multi-flange spool analysis with Flange 02 dropped from best-fit

Manual Spool Alignment Tools (Transform)

Operators can manually rotate, translate, or align survey data relative to design coordinates using the Transform toolset:

Aligning to grid axes

Aligns designated workpoints or circle-fit centerlines along primary coordinate axes (X, Y, Z).

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