Agropur Engineering Facility Design: The Faster Way to Plan Plant Layouts

• Inefficient manual plant layout and documentation processes
• Limited access to accurate as-built facility data
• Time-consuming site visits and manual measurements
• Difficulty integrating new equipment into existing layouts
• Poor collaboration between engineering teams and external partners
• High risk of design errors and installation conflicts
• Lack of real-time visualization for decision-making
• Complex coordination across multi-site operations

• Faster engineering workflows with digital twin visualization
• Reduced site visits through remote access to 3D environments
• Improved accuracy with real-time plant measurements
• Enhanced collaboration using a shared digital model
• Streamlined equipment integration and layout optimization
• Lower costs by reducing rework and manual processes
• Scalable deployment across multiple manufacturing facilities
• Better decision-making with up-to-date 3D documentation

Overview

Agropur, a top global dairy producer, implemented Prevu3D’s digital twin platform to optimize engineering design, improve collaboration, and reduce time spent on plant layout planning.

Operating in highly complex food and beverage environments, Agropur needed a more efficient way to manage capital projects, equipment integration, and facility documentation.

By adopting 3D laser scanning and digital twin technology, the company transformed its engineering workflows across multiple facilities.

The Challenge: Complex Plant Layouts and Inefficient Engineering Workflows

Food and beverage manufacturing facilities present unique operational challenges due to dense equipment layouts, extensive piping systems, and limited downtime windows.

Agropur faced several constraints:

• Reliance on manual layout sharing and outdated documentation
• Time-consuming site visits, measurements, and photo collection
• Difficulty ensuring new equipment fit within existing environments
• Limited visibility for external stakeholders (OEMs, engineers, architects)
• Inefficient collaboration across multiple teams and locations
• Risk of design errors and installation delays

These issues slowed down project execution and increased the complexity of managing capital projects.

The Solution: Digital Twin and 3D Scanning for Engineering Optimization

Agropur partnered with Prevu3D to deploy a reality capture and digital twin workflow, starting with a full 3D scan of its Burnaby facility.

This approach enabled:

• Creation of an accurate as-built digital replica of the plant
• Easy sharing of 3D environments with internal and external stakeholders
• Remote access to facility data for design validation and planning
• Faster iteration of layouts and equipment integration scenarios

Technology Deployed: 3D Scanning and RealityPlatform™

Laser scanning of production rooms, receiving areas, and storage zones

• High-accuracy capture of equipment, piping, and spatial constraints
• Conversion of point cloud data into detailed 3D meshes
• Interactive web-based digital twin environment
• 3D Import: Integrate new equipment models into existing layouts
• Orthophoto Export: Generate updated 2D layouts from 3D data
• Real-time navigation for site review and validation

Implementation: From Scan to Engineering Workflow Integration

The digital twin enabled Agropur’s engineering team to:

• Replace manual processes with digital layout sharing
• Validate equipment installation using accurate spatial data
• Collaborate with plant managers and operators in real time
• Design and implement a robotics cell within the facility

By bridging 2D and 3D workflows, Prevu3D streamlined both design iteration and execution planning.

Results: Faster Design, Better Collaboration, and Reduced Workload Efficiency Gains

• Reduced time spent on manual measurements and site visits
• Faster design cycles through 3D visualization and validation
• Improved Accuracy with Precise plant measurements from digital twin data
• Better validation of equipment fit and clearances
• Enhanced Collaboration with Seamless communication with OEMs, engineers, and stakeholders
• Shared access to a single source of truth
• Reduced need for on-site inspections
• Lower project delays and rework

Enterprise Impact: Scaling Digital Twin Across Facilities

Following initial success, Agropur expanded the use of Prevu3D across more than 18 facilities globally.

The company now leverages digital twin technology to:

• Standardize engineering workflows across sites
• Improve agility in production line changes
• Support data-driven decision-making
• Enhance operational efficiency and scalability

Conclusion: Transforming Engineering Workflows with Digital Twin

By implementing Prevu3D’s digital twin platform, Agropur transitioned from manual, time-intensive processes to a streamlined, data-driven engineering approach.

This transformation enabled:

• Faster project execution
• Improved design accuracy
• Reduced operational costs
• Scalable innovation across multiple facilities