Digital Precision at the Black Sea: 3D Scanning a Port Facility in Constanta with Trimble X7

Digital Precision at the Black Sea: 3D Scanning a Port Facility in Constanta with Trimble X7

My name is Codrin Bolocan, the owner of SENZORTECH and the “lucky” guy who gets to travel all over the place doing scanning work.

At Senzortech, we’re constantly exploring new ways to bridge the gap between physical infrastructure and digital design. One of our most recent and rewarding challenges involved the 3D laser scanning of an entire operational port facility in Constanța, Romania, using the Trimble X7. This project was commissioned by a design company based in Denmark, who needed full, remote access to the facility for planning and engineering purposes.

This type of international collaboration is becoming increasingly common, and we were proud to support it by delivering an accurate, high-resolution 3D digital twin—accessible from anywhere in the world.

Project Context: Enabling Remote Engineering through 3D Scanning

The facility, operated by a major port logistics company, is located in the Port of Constanța, the largest seaport on the Black Sea and a vital logistics node in Eastern Europe.

Our Danish client required complete, up-to-date digital documentation of the facility to assist with retrofit design, spatial planning, and clash detection, all of which needed to be done remotely. They wanted the entire facility at their fingertips, and our job was to make that possible.

The Challenges I Encountered

Honestly, I would say the smell, with the dust coming in a close second place. On a more serious note, working in an ever-changing environment is always a challenge. From the contractors to the heavy machinery, all of them finding themselves in constant movement, I had to find ways to adapt while still performing the job at the highest level, without hampering their ability to work. During the duration of the scanning process, I managed to avoid interrupting any of the work being done on the site while maintaining great accuracy and precision. In a 2-week job, it can become overwhelming, always starting your day in a different spot than the one you finished the day before, keeping in mind the need to tie together all your routes in the final days of the project. Besides that, because machinery is being used and port operations aren’t stopped during the day, the landscape is ever-changing, so you have to learn your environment and find elements that you know you can rely on throughout the entire endeavor.

The constant operations also created a dusty environment, which sometimes forced me to clean the equipment between every scan, and took away my ability to use black and white targets, which come in very handy when you have to tie the above ground and below ground routes together. The inside of warehouses can be challenging during operations because the dust takes longer to settle, and dust in the air makes scanning less accurate.

Sometimes I had to climb catwalks one-handed, holding the equipment with the other hand; other times I had to crawl through tight spaces and maintain difficult positions for minutes at a time, dozens of times in a row, in order to not affect the end result of the 3D scan. Must say that on a similar note, if you are claustrophobic or afraid of heights, this might not be the activity for you.

How the Trimble X7 Scanner Helped Us

Given the scope and operational complexity of the site, the Trimble X7 was the clear choice for this project. The scanner’s features were perfectly suited to the environment:

• The IP55 protection factor gave me the flexibility necessary to cover all the areas
• Self-leveling ensured accuracy even in the most difficult positions
• In-field registration allowed me to verify coverage and registration in real time. I knew if I had to change the position or if the data was successfully covered
• Robust design and mobility made it easy to move through large areas and tight industrial spaces
• High accuracy and range were essential for elevated platforms, tanks, and conveyors

The scope of our scanning services included the acquisition of data from a broad spectrum of structures, specifically warehouses, pipe corridors, control rooms, mechanical platforms, and conveyor systems. Furthermore, we prioritized the scanning of technological installations and crane systems due to their operational significance.

Execution: Precision on a Live Industrial Site

The entire scanning process took around 10 days. We carefully planned the scan to avoid interrupting port operations, coordinating with site staff to ensure safety and access.

Once scanning was complete, we processed and registered the data using Trimble Perspective and Trimble RealWorks, and generated high-density, registered point clouds that totaled 3 billion points sampled homogeneously at 3mm.

Delivering Value to the Client

The point cloud gave the client the ability to:

• Virtually navigate and inspect the entire facility
• Take precise measurements
• Create the as-built model and integrate it into their design and retrofit processes
• Completely eliminate site visits and also eliminate guesswork

In their own words, the team now had “the entire facility at their fingertips”—no flights, no field trips, just pure data.

About Us: Senzortech – The Solid Path to Digital Precision

Senzortech is a Romanian company specializing in 3D laser scanning, 2D drawings, 3D modeling, and digital twin solutions. Our team works across Romania—Cluj, Timișoara, Bucharest, Constanța, Iași—and we serve clients in architecture, construction, heritage preservation, and industrial engineering.

We’re driven by the belief that a solid digital foundation leads to successful projects, which is why our motto is: “The Solid Path to a Successful Project.”

We use industry-leading equipment like the Trimble X7 and combine it with deep technical expertise to deliver precision and clarity—whether it’s for an oil refinery, a historical monument, a port terminal, or even an oil tank.

Looking Ahead

This project not only highlighted the power of 3D laser scanning for large industrial sites, but also the growing importance of remote access to spatial data in international collaborations. As digital workflows continue to expand, we’re excited to support design teams across borders with reliable, high-accuracy scanning services.

We see this as more than scanning—it’s building a digital bridge between people and places.

Visit us at www.senzortech.ro.

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