Among the most powerful tools in the electrical design domain are SP3D-Electrical and Smart Plant Electrical (SPEL)—both part of the Hexagon PPM’s SmartPlant® Enterprise suite. In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial design and engineering, digital solutions have revolutionized how plants are built, managed, and maintained. These platforms have become industry standards in facilitating accurate, efficient, and collaborative electrical engineering for complex projects like oil and gas refineries, power plants, petrochemical facilities, and more.
This article by Multisoft Systems delves deep into SP3D-Electrical and SPEL online training, exploring their core capabilities, benefits, integration capabilities, and how they collectively enable smarter electrical design and documentation.
What is SmartPlant Electrical (SPEL)?
SmartPlant Electrical (SPEL) is an intelligent electrical engineering software designed to automate and streamline electrical system design, analysis, and documentation. It empowers electrical engineers to design complete electrical systems—from load lists and single-line diagrams to panel schedules and cable routing—with precision and consistency. Key Features of SPEL include:
- Intelligent Data-Centric Design: SPEL allows users to create an electrical model where each component (such as loads, circuits, cables) is interrelated through a central database. This ensures automatic data updates throughout the project.
- Flexible Design Templates: Supports templates and libraries for symbols, cable types, load types, and equipment, which increases design consistency and reduces manual errors.
- Load List Management: Facilitates the creation of dynamic and interconnected load lists, which automatically update when changes are made to loads or power sources.
- Cable Sizing and Routing: Based on defined criteria such as voltage drop and insulation type, SPEL automatically sizes and routes cables within defined raceways or duct banks.
- Panel Design and Schedules: Enables the design of distribution panels and breaker assignments with graphical and tabular outputs.
- Bidirectional Data Exchange: SPEL offers powerful interfaces for integration with other engineering tools, including SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI), Smart 3D (SP3D), and SmartPlant Foundation (SPF).
What is SP3D-Electrical?
SP3D (SmartPlant 3D) is a comprehensive, next-generation 3D design software for plant, marine, and offshore industries. SP3D-Electrical refers to the module within SP3D that handles the 3D modeling and routing of electrical systems such as raceways, cable trays, lighting systems, grounding, and other electrical equipment in the context of the full plant model. Key Features of SP3D-Electrical include:
- Raceway Modeling: SP3D-Electrical provides raceway modeling capabilities that allow designers to layout cable trays, conduits, and ducts within the 3D plant environment.
- Integration with SPEL for Cable Routing: Cables designed and sized in SPEL can be imported into SP3D for 3D routing, ensuring alignment with structural and piping systems.
- Interference Detection: 3D models of raceways and electrical systems are checked for interference with piping, equipment, or structural elements in real-time.
- Equipment Placement: Electrical panels, junction boxes, and other components are positioned using intelligent rules and constraints, enabling realistic and practical layouts.
- Reporting and Documentation: SP3D can generate bill of materials (BOM), raceway reports, cable lengths, and construction drawings directly from the 3D model.
Integration Between SPEL and SP3D
The synergy between SmartPlant Electrical (SPEL) training and SP3D-Electrical training represents a pivotal advancement in modern electrical design for industrial projects. This integration facilitates a seamless flow of data and synchronization between 2D electrical schematics and 3D modeling environments, ensuring consistency and efficiency throughout the project lifecycle. One of the most significant benefits is the accurate calculation of cable lengths. Since SP3D provides precise routing paths in the 3D model, SPEL can utilize this information to calculate exact cable lengths required for procurement and installation, significantly reducing material waste and improving cost estimation. Moreover, the systems share a unified project database, enabling real-time updates and ensuring that all stakeholders are working with consistent and up-to-date information. This minimizes the risk of errors and miscommunication, which are common in disconnected workflows.
Additionally, changes made in SPEL—such as load reassignment or equipment relocation—are automatically reflected in SP3D, reducing the need for manual rework and saving valuable time. This bidirectional update mechanism enhances design integrity and project coordination. The integration also fosters better collaboration between electrical engineers and 3D modelers, allowing parallel workflows and faster project completion. Overall, the interconnected functionality of SPEL and SP3D-Electrical significantly enhances project accuracy, productivity, and efficiency.
Advantages of Using SP3D-Electrical and SPEL
1. Data-Driven Design
Both tools emphasize a data-centric approach, enabling real-time updates, validations, and verifications. This ensures fewer errors and more robust engineering decisions.
2. Time and Cost Efficiency
Automated calculations, accurate routing, and clash detection reduce the design cycle time and material waste, resulting in significant cost savings.
3. Standardization Across Projects
Global templates and libraries ensure consistent documentation and design, making it easier to replicate successful designs across multiple projects or locations.
4. Regulatory Compliance
SPEL and SP3D comply with international electrical codes and standards (IEC, NEC, ANSI, etc.), which supports safe and compliant design output.
5. Digital Twin Enablement
The combined usage of these platforms enables creation of a complete digital twin of the plant’s electrical systems, which can be used for future expansions, maintenance planning, and troubleshooting.
Use Cases Across Industries
SP3D-Electrical and SmartPlant Electrical (SPEL) find extensive applications across a range of industries where complex electrical systems need to be designed, documented, and maintained with high accuracy and efficiency. In the oil and gas sector, these tools are indispensable for designing electrical layouts for offshore platforms, refineries, and gas processing units, where intricate cable routing, hazardous area classifications, and power distribution are critical. SPEL handles load lists and circuit diagrams, while SP3D ensures that electrical elements are appropriately placed and routed in 3D around structural and piping constraints. In power generation plants—whether thermal, nuclear, or renewable—SP3D-Electrical is used to layout cable trays, raceways, and substations in conjunction with SPEL’s detailed single-line diagrams and power system planning features. In chemical and petrochemical plants, the integration of SPEL with SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) supports the seamless design of control systems, instrumentation loops, and power supply systems. These industries benefit from the real-time data synchronization between 2D and 3D environments, reducing errors and ensuring consistent documentation. In large infrastructure projects, such as airports, metro systems, and industrial parks, SPEL certification and SP3D certification are used to design complex electrical networks that include lighting, fire alarms, security systems, and backup power distribution. Their ability to manage revisions, track cable lengths, and ensure code compliance makes them a valuable asset for electrical consultants and EPC firms.
Overall, the use of SP3D-Electrical and SPEL significantly improves accuracy, safety, and design integrity across various industry verticals that require robust electrical infrastructure.
Challenges
- Steep Learning Curve: New users often find the tools complex due to their vast capabilities.
- System Integration: Synchronizing data between SPEL, SP3D, and other platforms (such as SAP or AVEVA) requires skilled administration and proper configuration.
- Data Overload: Managing large volumes of electrical data in mega projects can become cumbersome without proper planning.
Best Practices
- Centralized Project Setup: Use SmartPlant Foundation or other project control platforms to manage versions, data integrity, and collaboration.
- Standard Libraries: Establish and maintain standard libraries for symbols, cable types, and components to ensure consistency.
- Modular Design Strategy: Design in modular packages to simplify maintenance and future upgrades.
- Training and Certification: Invest in professional training to upskill electrical engineers and drafters on both SPEL and SP3D platforms.
Future Trends and Innovations
The future of electrical engineering in plant design is being shaped by advancements in intelligent automation, digital twin technology, and cloud-based collaboration. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated to perform predictive analysis for load balancing, identifying potential cable faults, and optimizing overall power consumption. Cloud deployment is enabling remote access to both SP3D and SPEL platforms, enhancing real-time collaboration among geographically dispersed teams. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are also gaining traction, allowing engineers and stakeholders to walk through 3D electrical models for inspections, validation, and immersive training experiences. Furthermore, the integration of SmartPlant Electrical data with Internet of Things (IoT) and smart grid platforms is facilitating real-time power monitoring, fault detection, and responsive control systems. This connectivity supports smarter and more resilient electrical infrastructure in industrial facilities.
As industries increasingly focus on digitization, safety, and sustainability, these innovations are expected to play a key role in transforming how electrical systems are designed, implemented, and maintained. By embracing these future trends, organizations can ensure greater efficiency, reduced downtime, and enhanced decision-making in complex engineering environments.
Conclusion
SP3D-Electrical and Smart Plant Electrical (SPEL) have revolutionized the way electrical systems are designed, documented, and implemented in large-scale industrial projects. From conceptual design to detailed modeling and final documentation, they ensure accuracy, efficiency, and seamless collaboration. The integration between these platforms makes it possible to build smarter, safer, and more sustainable infrastructure.
As the world moves toward Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, mastering these tools will be essential for electrical engineers, designers, and project managers aiming to lead in the engineering and construction sectors. Whether you're working in oil and gas, power generation, chemical processing, or infrastructure, SP3D and SPEL will continue to play a pivotal role in future-ready plant design. Enroll in Multisoft System now!