3D Printing Utilized in Industry/ Construction Managment

I am going to start off and say I do not have any background in 3D printing. I have some knowledge on 3D modeling but that is about it.

I work for an Engineering firm that does a lot of work for big refinery/paper companies. I was assigned the task of looking into and researching how 3D printing can be utilized in our industry. We use 3D models all the time to model new equipment/piping we will be adding or removing but now I want to see if there are any 3D companies that can take these models to the next level. Instead of just having a 3D model on a computer screen to look at, we want to have an actual print that a client can see and comment on. 3D modeling has its place but having the abilty to actually print your model and have someone look at it can be extremely useful. Any problems can be spotted before the final design is implemented which could save the client a lot of money. I have seen many companies model parts but wasn't sure about entire plants/mills.

So my questions are:

1. Are there any companies doing this in the context I am talking about? (I know lots of architects doing this for new buildings they will be building)
2. Is the technology there to make models these precise? (I imagine the piping and some smaller pieces of equipment would be hard to model)
3. How much would this probably cost? (I know it all depends on the size of the model but something just big enough to give the client an idea of what they are paying for should be good enough)
4. If there are any companies doing this, who are they?

Thank you and I really appreciate any feedback at all.

This seems like a good use for 3D printing. I don't know of any companies specifically printing refineries or paper plants, but there probably are some. Here are links to a couple of models I found just now with a cursory Google search: http://www.kiwimill.com/vapor-absorp...l-ahr-expo-ny/ http://www.shapeways.com/model/64599...-refinery.html .
I don't see this as a particularly hard modeling task, but I haven't tried it either. Most 3D CAD software is pretty good at adding thickness to a 3D line to create a rod or pipe; if they don't actually have to conduct liquids that shouldn't be too difficult. You can always produce the model in parts and assemble them afterwards.

Nobody's going to give you a price on a modeling job before knowing exactly what they're getting into, but once you've got a 3D model, pricing on the printing is pretty straightforward - Shapeways (see link above) calculates it automatically, once you choose the size and material. Of course, the degree of precision you're looking for will have a lot to do with the cost and complexity of the job.

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

Google for the term "3D printing bureau" and look specifically for the firms that offer either engineering or architectural expertise. Shapeways is more of a hobbyist level. I'm sure you're looking at something at a larger scale with large print volumes and high precision. There are large volume, high-quality laser sintering printers that will cater to your needs but they are definitely at the high-end level. The hobbyist fused-deposit-modelling machines we typically talk about here aren't up to the job.