P&ID Challenges: Valves, Line Segments and Snapping Troubles

Problem:

The customer encountered difficulty adding valves or moving primary line segments using the grips on one of their P&IDs. Additionally, when crossing over other primary or secondary line segments, the line would not break.

Troubleshoot:

To investigate the issue, we conducted tests by drawing another line outside the drawing area. We observed the same problem, where the line would not break when intersecting with other lines; in addition, the hand valves placed on the line did not align properly but appeared to be positioned beneath the line.

Solution:

We identified that the Z coordinates on the P&ID were non-zero, which was causing the misalignment of hand valves and the inability to break the line correctly. Initially, this issue was not noticeable in the standard view of the drawing. However, when we skewed the drawing, it became evident that some lines terminated at non-zero coordinates.

This situation highlights the importance of drawing P&IDs on snaps as a best practice precisely to avoid such complications.

Contact Graitec Group today to talk with a plant design expert and learn more about working with P&IDs.